hi, i have a 93 honda civic EX 4dr. and it ran fine and all the sudden died! and now it wont start! i remember reading somewhere that you can hook something up and get, what i think are trouble codes, which tell you whats wrong, by how many blinks it makes? so i was just wondering if someone could tell me how to do this on my 93 civic? thanks!!!

 

that only works if your check engine light is on. check to see that it is. and if it is check out ronj's signature for a link to cel codes and how to's.

thats the best advice i can give you since im new to hondas!

 

Does the engine crank when the key is turned to ON(III)?

As mentioned above, turn the key to ON(II) to check whether the CEL remains ON or turns OFF after two seconds. If it stays ON, pull the CEL codes from the ECU as detailed at the link in my signature.

When you turn the key to ON(II), can you hear the low humming noise of the fuel pump for 2 seconds in the rear.

Next check for spark. See link in my signature.

 

the car isnt in my possesion its at my moms house where it broke down at. anyways, if i remember correctly the engine light comes on but then turns off, what diffrence does that make? i checked and it doesnt have spark. when i turn it on im not sure if i can hear the fuel pump in the rear, but when i turn the car on i can hear a clicking noise that sounds like its coming from my driver side vent. it clicks for about 5-10 seconds then stops... i dunno if that helps. my step dad looked at it with me, and since there was no spark he assumes its the distributor. but i had a new engine put into my car in october 08 so the distributor is barely 6 months old. which is why i was hoping i could use the CEL codes to make sure thats the problem before i go out and buy a $200 distributor and have that not be the problem.
-thanks for your replys!

 

Does the starter crank the engine when the key is turned to ON(III)?

This suggests that no codes are being thrown.

How did you check for spark? Double check whether the fuel pump primes. It sounds like you have neither spark nor fuel -- no spark and the main relay (provides power to the fuel pump) is clicking. First, clean the battery posts, connectors, and the ground wire attached to the engine bay. Next, check whether the crucial ground wire attached to the thermostat housing is loose or corroded.

Do you have any more information that might help troubleshooting?

 

what do u mean by more information for troubleshooting? i checked the spark by pulling out the spark plug and touching it to metal. and when u say check to see if the fuel pump primes, do you mean just have someone turn the car over while i stand next to the gas door and see if it makes a sound? sorry im a newbie so sometimes you gotta break it down as simple as possible lol
thanks again RonJ!!!

 

Spark: Did you check for spark on all four plugs? See link in my signature for basic method for checking spark and troubleshooting.

Fuel pump priming: Sit in the car with all the windows rolled up. A quiet place is best. Turn the key to ON(II). In the rear of the car, you should hear the low humming noise of the fuel pump priming for 2 seconds. Do you hear it? Or do you only hear the clicking of main relay behind the driver's side dash, as you already mentioned?