I am 15 years old and this is my first project car. I don’t have a lot of experience, and would really appreciate you forum veterans to help me out, even when I ask a stupid question. I bought the car for $450its a 1992 Honda Civic DX. It didn’t run when I got it but it cranked. I did a compression test and #1 cylinder is 70, #2 is 60, #3 is 50 and #4 is 55. My uncle said it might be the valves and my dad said it like be the starter, I don’t know what to do. The engine is a D15B7. Any advice for me?
I’ve had my Honda dirt bike apart before, but a car engine is a little intimidating.

 

Add a couple ounces of oil in each spark plug hole and repeat the compression test. If compression improves significantly, you have bad rings or cylinder wear. If not much improvement, you have cylinder head, head gasket, or valve issues...dirty or pitted valves, etc. Timing belt issue also possible. Make sure crankshaft and cam markings agree with each other with number 1 piston at TDC. Compression should be about 3 times higher than your numbers with not more than 10 percent variation.

Harbor Freight also has a leakdown tester for around 50 bucks so with that and a compressor, you can more specifically isolate the issue.

 

thank you, I’ll go try that

 

[QUOTE=Niko westgard;798346]thank you, I’ll go try that[/QUOtTE]

If the timing belt has skipped a tooth, I'm betting you could have low compression like that. Do you know what issues the prior owner was having?

 

[QUOTE=Donzoh1;798347]No I don’t know, he said it just stopped running after winter, I check and the timing is good. I think my starter is about to go also but I just want to get it running

 

[QUOTE=Niko westgard;798348]The compression numbers you listed seem very low and that doesn't just happen when the car sits for awhile or over the winter. Fuel contamination might happen over the winter. I'd be curious about leakdown test results and you don't need a starter or electrical for that.

Just like with a dirt bike, you need ignition, fuel, and compression. Your problem is one of those three.

Is the motor single cam or twin cam?

 

Well it is the rings and I don’t have the time nor money to do all that so it’s on kijiji for the same price I bought it for.

 

Just a couple more things. 1. If it's the rings, it was likely smoking heavily when it last ran and the person who sold it lied if they said it ran fine before last winter. 2. If you can find one with significant collision damage at the local Upull or Pick a Part, a replacement motor will run about 250 and some of the guys around the yard will pull the motor for 100 or so. So, 350 plus replacement fluids would be your cost and that would be much less work than a rebuild.

 

ive already looked Around, there’s one 94 civic hatch and it’s the one around my city because everyone else doesn’t carry after 2009

 

That motor is in crx, del sol, Integra I believe. Also, likely a number of other Honda motors would be direct fit replacement although you need to check wiki or maybe check with a local import repair shop for compatability. Also, look on row52.com or get their app and you can see junkyard inventory in your area. That's a very popular car so there should be some similar vehicles around.