My '94 Si hasn't fired up since last night.

I drove it pretty much all day yesterday with no problems at all, until i went to the dollar store closer to the end of the day. I got my cat litter and got out. I wasn't in for longer than 10 minutes. When i got back in my car, it didn't start. It turns over great though. Me and my gramma thought the engine was flooded or vapor locked so we waited for like 30 minutes and tried again but it stil only turned over. We had some d00d help us to try to push start it but that didn't help either.

It was dark by then so we just had it towed home. Today i checked the air filter but it was clean and that's pretty much all i know to do.

Your suggestions?

 

check for a spark. the coil might have just went bad.... its actually pretty common surprise crippler of civics! happened to my friend after we did a compression test.... he got about 3 miles down the road and it died on him and wouldnt start up again....
they are pretty weak unfortunatly.

 

check the battery posts to make sure the wires are clamped on nice and tight.

 

I'm sure it's an electrical problem because (following my uncle's instructions) i held down the gas when crankin' it for like 20 seconds and i smelled gas in the tail pipe.

Tomorrow i'll check the battery posts and the fuses and whatnot.

 

take a spark plug out plug it into the spark plug wire lay it to the side of motor have some one turn engine over and see if getting spark. my suggestion is that the coil in the distributor has gone bad. easy fix take cap off and unbolt coil pack and replace.

 

Where are they located? I tried google but no diagrams or anything.

 

where is what located?

the coil? the coil is underneath the distributor cap.
spark plugs are in the head, attached to the spark plug wires.

 

First click the key on but do not start. The Check Engine light should come on for two seconds and go out. While it is on you should faintly hear the fuel pump running under the back seat. If the light stays on and/or the fuel pump doesn't run, this usually means trouble with the main relay. Finding these tests passed, go on to the spark test.

If you have no spark at the plugs, take the distributor cap off and note there is a black plastic tower piece with a spring on the top in the base. That is part of the coil. Take a piece of wire and connect one end to ground. Hold the other end near the coil tower (keep your hand well back on the insulated part). Have someone crank the engine. You should get strong sparks that can jump more than 3/4 inches from the coil to your wire. If you only get weak sparks (1/4 inch or less) that is the typical symptom of a bad coil. If you have no sparks look to see if the rotor is rotating while cranking. If the rotor doesn't rotate your timing belt is probably stripped, another common cause of sudden disablement of a Civic.

To replace the coil you need to remove the rotor (take the screw out of the side) and pull out the plastic seperator piece under the rotor. Then it will be clear how to disconnect and unbolt the coil. Be sure to put the seperator back in.

 

Thanks man. I'll do that
The first thing everyone suspected (uncle, dad, gramma) was the coil, but i wasn't sure.

 

Okay, i've got a new coil and my brother is coming up here with my Chiltons book. We'll see what i can do