[lmland]

Okay I will perform the K Test is there any chance the wire going from the ICM to the Coil could be bad. Because with the key on (but car not running) I get no battery voltage from that wire when it is connected to the ICM, and disconnected from the coil.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Performing a simple continuity test on the wire is the way to test it. I doubt the wire is the problem. You do want to ensure all connectors are clean and tight, however.

[lmland]

I set up an appointment at Honda today. But I talked to my brother (who has many years experience at a honda dealer) and he had talked to the mechanics at his honda dealership and they seem completely convinced that the whole problem is the aftermarket coil. He said they told him if I put a genuine honda coil in that the problem would be solved. Something about aftermarket coils not being able to hand the load put on them and getting to hot and failing. I'm nervous about putting on the expensive coil from honda I bought today just to see it fail if something is still wrong. I was thinking I would put the Honda coil on and take it to honda. If it fails on the way then something is still wrong, and if it doesn't and honda says everything is fine then I know it was the shucks coil. Either way I'm only out 80 dollars because that's all the honda dealer here charges. My brother said if the coil failed he would send me one. So do you think my plan should work fine? Also do you think it could be because of it being an aftermarket coil?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Sounds reasonable. It's possible that the problem is the aftermarket coil, just as many aftermarket distributors on this site have failed. Many experienced mechanics insist on only using OEM parts, particularly on ignition systems. The TEC coil I showed you at RockAuto.com is OEM for half the price. If you go OEM for the coil, you may want to do likewise for the ICM.

[lmland]

Okay just got the car back from Honda. I put in the Genuine Honda coil, and took it there this morning. They said the timing was retarded fifteen degrees and the distributor is already in the advance position. They adjusted it and it drives so much better now, a lot more power. I'm just curious, so I thought I would ask you. How does the timing burn out the coils? What amazes me is the first mechanic I took it to the FIRST time I took it there I asked him to check the timing. He says that he did and that it was fine. What's the first thing Honda finds... the timing. So anyway, if he would have just done his job the first time I took it to him I would have saved a lot of money... but o well it's all said and done now. But yeah that just makes me curious as to why the timing would be burning up the coils?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Retarded timing affects the "dwell" or time that the points (in this case electronic switch) remain closed. If they are closed for an inordinate amount of time, allowing too much current to flow, the coil greatly overheats and gets ruined. Being retarded by 15 degrees is HUGE!

I always recommend that you take Hondas to Honda and Fords to Ford for repairs--they know their cars best and are often cheaper than "no name" outfits. Normally, the job will be done right, when it's done at the dealer.

Here's the proper procedure for timing your Civic:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post219963

[lmland]

Thanks so much for your help. I learned a valuable lesson about just biting the bullet and paying a little extra for genuine parts and dealership service. Thanks.

[lmland]

Oh just curious on another thing... How does the timing get that far off?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

The previous owner likely replaced the distributor housing, due to a failed bearing, and didn't check the timing afterwards. Most non-Honda trained technicians do not know how to set the timing on these cars. In order to properly check the timing, 1) the car needs to be at normal operating temperature, 2) the final idle rpm needs to be set, which is a mystery to many, because they don't know where to locate the BLU wire for attaching a tachometer and they don't know how to adjust the idle speed, 3) the Service Check Connector needs to be jumped with a paper clip, 4) the timing light needs to be attached, and 5) the proper timing marks need to be highlighted and used. Your timing was so far off that anyone familiar with working on Hondas should have been able to hear and detect it. Through experience, I can set the timing on these cars fairly close without a timing light. Your timing was so far retarded that it had no power. Obviously, it needed to be advanced, by rotating the distributor counter-clockwise. This would speed the engine up, smooth it out, and give it more power.

The gas mileage and performance of your car should be dramatically better. If I were you, I would use a scribe and straight edge to mark the position of the distributor housing and bracket. This will help your timing be very close, should you need to remove the distributor for any reason.

[lmland]

Okay so here's my next question. The last person to replace the distributor was 2 years ago. So how come the coil that was in it lasted 2 years on bad timing, and following replacement the coils couldn't withstand the bad timing. Was it just because the first coil that went two years on bad timing was a honda coil, and the following replacements were shucks? Im just curious as why the original coil lasted 2 years on really bad timing and the next ones lasted barely any time until the timing was fixed?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

The OEM is likely higher quality. If you looked carefully at the new Honda coil, I'm sure it was made by TEC and had a TEC part no. on it.

Is your Civic running better than ever?

[lmland]

I can't even remember the last time the car ran this good. More power, the pinging noise that was getting really loud is now virtually unnoticable, the exhaust makes a lot less disgusting noises, it doesn't jerk around as much when I let off the gas. It just runs great. I think this may have been a problem for a long time now. It runs like a peach. Thanks again for all of your help.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Put synthetic 5W-30 engine oil in it next time and treat it well--it does make a difference. In the long-run, using synthetics is much cheaper and allows your engine to last much longer and perform much better. Here are some other recommended maintenance tips:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post219991

[lmland]

Hey... back again. :( My car has been running great all week, but today I was in town doing errands when I was sitting in a parking lot (the car was idling) it kind of started to do that backfire thing a couple times then it stopped. I also have a coolant leak somewhere and I'm losing it pretty quick. I do have an after market exhaust and I have heard that they can amplify any little noise the engine makes is this true? Also if there is a chance that the timing wasn't caused by the last mechanic, what could cause the timing to move on it's own? Thanks

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Don't know about the exhaust amplifying engine noise. Timing would change if the 3 hold- down bolts were not tightened enough and the distributor rotated.

[lmland]

Is there anything else that could cause timing to change?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Bad ICM, ECM, or internal distributor sensors. Distributor bearing wear could also affect timing.

[lmland]

k... I have a really bad coolant leak. I took it to this radiator guy today (only cause he was the only guy open) and he has told me in the past I have a bad head gasket when it was just a leaking hose... today he told me I had a bad head gasket again. I don't think I do. He washed it off so I would be able to see if it is leaking, and I noticed new antifreeze at the top of the radiator (a little puddle). Ive heard if it's a head gasket you will smell antifreeze burning inside the car, and have milky oil, I have neither. I'm going to check out this little puddle of antifreeze see if I can find the leak ( I had to last time)... and also I had a block check done about 2 months ago and it was fine. Let me know your thoughts thanks.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

My advice is to take it to Honda, or an independent shop that specializes in Hondas, for diagnosis.