92 Civic Won't Fire Plugs

Were the spark plugs ever replaced, especially when or after the distributor was rebuilt?

No, the spark plugs have never been replaced. Over the life of these plugs the Miles Per Gallon have not decreased so the plugs "were" doing their job. Why do you ask about the plugs? At this point, I'm willing to replace the plugs.

The local Honda dealer did mention something about the "park inter-lock" acting up but I'm not sure what that is. And they did mention there is some type of "switch" in the distributor that fires the plugs and powers the fuel pump but I'm not sure about that either.

JD wrote in news:jqmdnfwsQtLXmK3RnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@posted.grandecom:

Do you have a tachometer?

The car has one next to the speedometer. I don't have my own.

JD wrote in news:fN2dnetDbLlVGq3RnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@posted.grandecom:

When you crank the engine, does the tachometer needle jiggle ever so slightly, or is it dead-still?

The car is currently at the dealer. I didn't notice the tach jiggling when I was cranking the engine but I wasn't really looking for that. Should it be dead-still when cranking? And what would it mean if it isn't? I'll certainly pass on any information to the dealer when I talk to them tomorrow.

JD wrote in news:eNydnTd8Ku-0Oa3RnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@posted.grandecom:

If the tach needle is DEAD-STILL when cranking, the igniter is dead.

This is a common failure-point in aftermarket-remanned (or aftermarket-new) distributor assemblies.

Thanks Tegger. I'll talk to the local Honda repair department tomorrow and mention the igniter. The parts used to rebuild the distributor were supposed to be Honda parts but it is a remanned distributor, in a sense.

JD wrote in news:E4qdnejQKMdK0KzRnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@posted.grandecom:

OEM Honda parts are extremely expensive. I don't know what you paid for your remanned distributor, but my guess right now is that they used aftermarket "OEM spec" parts.

The local Honda dealer rebuilt the distributor. They said they used new Honda parts: Rotor Head Assy-$17.95 Distributor Housing: $156.68 Cap Assy: $35.70 Labor: $143.86 Shp/Hdlg: $10.00 Labor and Parts Total: $364.19

I e-mailed them with your suggestion regarding the igniter but I haven't gotten a response.

Unless the Cap Assy, Distributor Housing or Rotor Head Assy includes the igniter then it was not replaced.

JD wrote in news:ksOdnQYFW6NAOa_RnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@posted.grandecom:

The igniter (ICM) is about $100 by itself and has its own part number. The distributor housing does not include the coil or the ICM. They appear to have swapped over the internals to the new housing.

An additional tidbit: Usually, when the igniter fails, you'll get a Check Engine light with a Code 15.

It's critically important to watch the tach needle when cranking. If the tach needle is DEAD-STILL, then the ICM is bad (or a wire is broken). If the needle jiggles the tiniest bit, then the coil is suspect. Coil failure will NOT set a Check Engine light.

don't let yourself get talked into getting worried about this igniter nonsense. they're going to give you back a car that works. if the sensor failed because the bearing blew, the igniter and coil are almost certainly fine. and if so, there's absolutely no point worrying about replacing them.

if at some point in the future you have any reason to suspect igniter problems, it's easy enough to test. i submitted the following to tegger for his faq's

in theory, but not in practice. all the failed igniters i've seen, there is no code set because it's the igniter output that's failed, not the input which is the only bit the computer can sense.

in that case, neither of my hondas would start. but they both do. that is NOT a reliable means of seeing whether the igniter works.

nor does typical igniter failure.

it is an essential component! if it's not working correctly, the vehicle won't start. while the links below is not exactly the same for your car, the same principle applies for your interlock:

do you have a large heavy key ring? it is common for keys with lots of junk attached to not return fully to the "run" position after starting. and in that case, you will quickly burn out the ignition switch contactors. separate your car keys from all the rest and keep them with just a lightweight tag, and make sure you turn the key back to the "notchy center" of the "run" position after starting.

do you know this? or are you saying this because the car doesn't start?

without proper diagnosis, you can't say this. what did you do to test?

which relays?. check:

bad relays are more commonly seen in hot weather, so it's a seasonally more likely cause.

I haven't heard from the local Honda dealer since I e-mailed them yesterday. Keep in mind this problem was intermittent. Most the time it starts but sometimes it won't and it died on me once while driving it.

Please keep in mind this was an intermittent problems. Most of the time it started but sometimes it wouldn't. Since the car is still at the local Honda dealer I can't say what the start status is. I'm at their mercy and I'm getting a little worried. The service manager said once the car wouldn't start then their tech would be able to diagnose the problem in less than an hour. They've had it for a week.