Ask Me Help Desk - 93 Civic floods

My 93 honda civic has a misfire and will start fine in cold weather, but when the engine gets warm and I turn it off, it won't start again, if I pull the spark plugs I find fuel and the engine has flooded out, I have to clean the plugs and re insert them to make it start. I've replaced the injectors and the problem still persists. I'm getting fustrated, can someone help me?

Check/replace the Ignition Control Module (ICM) and coil. AutoZone can test these components for free. You may also want to replace the main relay.

The link below should help:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post265896

Quote:

Originally Posted by txgreasemonkey

Check/replace the Ignition Control Module (ICM) and coil. AutoZone can test these components for free. You may also want to replace the main relay.

The link below should help:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post265896

The icm, ecum, ignition wires, plugs and distributer have already been replaced and checked and the problem continues, the pump is running, I have fuel, compression and spark, but it will only start sometimes. When it fails to start I have to pull the plugs and clean the fuel off them and put them back, I have to do this to all of them before it will start, anf then it will run with a misfire in the 3rd cylinder. After I turn it off it will refuse to start again. The CEL is on for a code 21, the V-Tec spool siliniod (because it isn't connected). I'm running out of ideas.

This looks like a classic Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT or TW) sensor. Honda uses this sensor to detect the starting temp of the engine, then during warm up in Open Loop Strategy it starts to deliver less and less fuel while the engine gets up to fully warm status or Closed Loop Strategy.

In Closed Loop Strategy, Honda does not use the ECT Sensor at all so if the sensor opens, or shorts, or goes cold, the ECU does not care and you would never know it until the next key off. If your key off is 1 second to about 45 minutes, this is called a hot soak and many problems can show up during a hot soak, such as an overheated ignition coil. But in your case, I believe that the ECT is saying to the ECU that the engine is -40F and the ECU wants to deliver lots and lots of fuel, hense, flooding the engine.

It has been a couple of years since I seen this problem on the internet but I use to tell folks to go to Radio Shack and get a 330 ohm resistor (I think), pull the ECT connector, insert the resistor into the connector and the car should start up just fine. You can also wait more than 45 minutes to an hour and the car should start up fine.

EDIT: Had to go, back now, if the resistor fixes your issue, then of course, get an new ECT sensor, it's a two wire sensor, different cars put them in different locations, sorry I am moving my house and my data is packed away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duane in Japan

This looks like a classic Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT or TW) sensor. Honda uses this sensor to detect the starting temp of the engine, then during warm up in Open Loop Strategy it starts to deliver less and less fuel while the engine gets up to fully warm status or Closed Loop Strategy.

In Closed Loop Strategy, Honda does not use the ECT Sensor at all so if the sensor opens, or shorts, or goes cold, the ECU does not care and you would never know it until the next key off. If your key off is 1 second to about 45 minutes, this is called a hot soak and many problems can show up during a hot soak, such as an overheated ignition coil. But in your case, I believe that the ECT is saying to the ECU that the engine is -40F and the ECU wants to deliver lots and lots of fuel, hense, flooding the engine.

It has been a couple of years since I seen this problem on the internet but I use to tell folks to go to Radio Shack and get a 330 ohm resistor (I think), pull the ECT connector, insert the resistor into the connector and the car should start up just fine. You can also wait more than 45 minutes to an hour and the car should start up fine.

EDIT: Had to go, back now, if the resistor fixes your issue, then of course, get an new ECT sensor, its a two wire sensor, different cars put them in different locations, sorry I am moving my house and my data is packed away.

Thanks, I'll give it a try and get back to you. I have access to all the information to test the ECT sensor. The ECU has been repalced and tested as good.