civic 1.6 lsi turns over but wont start please help!!

kitty666r wrote in news:974096 snipped-for-privacy@autoboardz.com:

"dizzy"=distributor? was the igniter replaced also? Was the distributor cap and rotor replaced? Ignition coil?

why was the relay bypassed? Problems with the main relay solder joints are a common cause of "cranks but won't keep running".(due to no fuel pressure at the rail) How is the fuel pressure at the fuel rail?

What model year is it? Mileage? Ignition switch? (maybe worn out)

Check the engine grounds.unscrew each one,scrape to bare metal for good contact,tighten. Inspect the ground wires for corrosion.

what is the year of the vehicle? do you get any codes? if so, what?

"injectors" sounds like classic main relay [and highly incompetent/expensive misrepair], but please confirm the other information requested to help diagnosis.

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If it _only_ happens after the (unknown) Civic has sat overnight or over the weekend, it's probably simple flooding. The owner's manual tells you how to get it to start. The cure is to run injector cleaner (one is dribbling overnight) through the engine three or four times a year. My Odyssey did it too. I never thought to read the manual and spent a bunch of unnecesary money on it.

'Curly'

kitty666r wrote in news:974096_ snipped-for-privacy@autoboardz.com:

You replaced the computer? That wasn't bright.

Can't do that in an EFI vehicle. you're misunderstanding whatever they did.

No, you took it to an indepenent dealer that owns a Honda franchise,

A new "one"? How many injectors tdoes this car have? You'd better give the year and model here.

That wasn't bright at all. Pretty stupid, in fact.

Sounds like that "fuel relay" that they allegedly bypassed. The solder's cracked. You'll get the no-start plus the injector error if the solder cracks just the right way.

See here:

Jim Yanik wrote in news:Xns98D1EA10D23F1jyanikkuanet@64.209.0.87:

British term for the distributor.

You CAN'T "bypass" the main relay in an EFI car. The ECU will complain loudly if you do that.

What really bothers me is that I can't recall anybody who has reported a bad wiring harness (loom) in Hondas. It seems odd the shop even suggests that. You are already (as you seem to suspect) way beyond the point of any troubleshooting being done. Follow TeGGeR's link for the "main relay" - which is pretty much the first thing we think of when somebody mentions intermittent start. As TeGGeR says, bypassing it isn't really an option. Replacing it on general suspicion (as has been done with several more expensive parts, apparently) is reasonable, since it is a part that can be expected to give trouble every decade or so... and produce the very symptoms you describe.

Mike

The clue is in the OP ---

The dealer and no other legitimate mechanic wants to touch this thing because it has had wires hacked into for stereo's, alarms, lights, and to bypass the fuel relay and who knows what else has been bypassed.

Michael Pardee wrote:

Tegger wrote in news:Xns98D3C257D8A85tegger@207.14.116.130:

it would be a dangerous fire hazard,too. In an accident,the fuel relay would not shut off the pump,and if a gasline was broken,it would continue pumping gas for any spark to ignite.

thanks for your help guys i appriciate it xx

its a 1994 honda civic lsi,

the fault code was code 16 they said it was due to the injectors, so i replaced the lot, it came up again ( 16 ) they said it was the ecu had that replaced... did the same,

the fuel relay was bypassed in case it cut out the fuel for any reason i think, its done 109,000 miles the distributer cap and rotor were also replaced,

as for the once in a blue moon thing.... i go on holiday for 2 weeks come back and it starts fine... after a week or so of smooth starting i go up the shop get something get in the car and chug chug chug doesnt start, it sounds ok on turning over it just wont kick in, i leave it for a coupl of minutes then it starts, its then fine for a week or so,

when a mechanic has it in the garage he starts it every half hour for two days.... doesnt do it, after a few days of yet again smooth starting i drive to work 7 miles away, leave it for 8 hours then i try again wont start.. FOR AN HOUR rac comes out to rescue me, he arrives and oh... it starts as soon as he gets there!

i couldnt put an exact time period say it does it every 12 days because its that unpredictable thankyou for all your suggestions i will print them out and shove them under hondas nose keep them coming it all helps!

cheers for restoring my faith in guys :wink: :D

"kitty666r" wrote: > [color=indigo:8b563e5bc9][/color:8b563e5bc9] > hey, > my civic has a " once in a blue moon " starting problem, > it doesnt matter what the weather is like, > it turns over fine but doesnt start, > the ecu light comes on=had it replaced it still does it, > its got; > > new plugs > new leads > new dizzy > new fuel filter > new fuel injectors > the fuel relay has been bypassed so that cancels that out > > took it to honda thay said the ecu codes were coming up as the > injector failing, got a new one, > then took it back > they said it was the ecu, had it changed.. now they dont want > to know, > it tends not to start when i need it the most, > specially in a petrol station! when everyones waiting! > > ive had so many mechanics look at it and theyve told me to > sell it, i dont want to cause ive got it how i like it ( boyed > up ) > > honda say its got to be something to do with the wiring loom > whitch is going to cost £60 an hour for 2 days work.... TO GET > IT OUT!, > then a further 2 days to put it back in, i dont know whether > they are taking the piss or not? > it would be nice to speak to someone who isnt going to fob me > off for once and who honestly wants to help my sorry ass! > > let me know > cheers > :P kitty xxxx

of course it did the same - they didn't fix the problem. code 16 is almost always main relay - the injector circuit makes ground through the relay and if the relay's bad, the injectors don't connect and the ecu sets an injector code. fix the relay and the problem will completely disappear. all that money you spent on people that don't know hondas was wasted. find a real honda specialist and ask them if they know about main relay problems - don't say why, just ask the question as a qualifier. if they don't know, move on until you find one that does.

as raised by other posters - that is extremely extremely dangerous. if you crash and burn, your family will get VERY rich from the resulting lawsuit. get it fixed immediately.

Hi there: I think that I am having the very same problem as you. This problem has been ongoing for about 2 years and I have had no luck! My car is a 1991 Honda Civic DX with 150,000 km. I have changed out the following parts Plugs Wires Cap and rotor cleaned and checked injectors

****The one thing I have noticed differently is that it never happens when parked in the garage or in the shade and only happens in the winter on a bright sunny day! I have believe the problem must be related to a vapor lock or flooding. I have always been able to get it going (eventually) by releasing the pressure in the tank and waiting........................... I hope this helps, if you have found a solution please let me know, thanks: Eddie