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89 honda civic ignition coil

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  #1  
Old 10-31-2008, 10:32 PM
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Unhappy 89 honda civic ignition coil

ok my honda aint runnin anymore. the other night me and my girl got groceries and the engine just died and wouldnt start, after pushing it 2 blocks to the nearest gas station "thought i ran out of gas lol" and putting in gas failed. tried jumping it failed. so i towed it home, cousin said all my gas evaporated from overnight lol. well i started the basics these guys helped me with before. tried to see if i have spark and thats a big negative. i pulled the distributer cap off and it stunk bad. connected a busted spark plug cable into the distributor and cranked it, no spark at all. even put it about 1mm from a grounded bolt and still negative on the spark. so i removed the ignition coil since it was getting dark and brought it inside. it stunk bad like sulfur and had black deposits all over the inside terminal. i cleaned it good but my uncle and grandpa said the ignition coil is wasted. is that the case or should i put it back in tomorrow and retest. i need to look for my civic manual to find out the boundary limits of the resistance on the coils so i can test with my multimeter. any ideas? is this thing fried and do i need a new one? thanks for all replys and it is much appreciated. lol did i spell replies wrong heh whatever. lol
 
  #2  
Old 10-31-2008, 10:55 PM
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replace it
 
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Old 10-31-2008, 11:47 PM
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yeah definetly replace
 
  #4  
Old 11-01-2008, 12:49 AM
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Default ignition coil

i checked its limits with a multimeter and its reading in its limits?? i dunno wtf to do either go get another one or install it back in my car tomorrow in hopes it will work. the multimeter is telling me different than what my uncle and grandfather told me. should i still go ahead and replace it?
 
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Old 11-01-2008, 06:01 AM
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There is a possibility that the coil is fine.

Does the fuel pump prime for 2 seconds when the key is turned to ON(II)?

Did you use the multimeter to check whether there is battery voltage at the distributor connector when the key is turned to ON(II)?

As an aside, before reassembling the distributor, be sure to clean it, particularly any corroded wire connections, as well as the rotor and cap.
 
  #6  
Old 11-01-2008, 07:12 AM
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One other check: make sure the distributor rotor turns when you crank. If it doesn't (because the timing belt has stripped) you will have no sparks.

Testing a coil by resistance is inconclusive. A lot of bad coils will test OK that way. When the coil's plastic shell is cracked or burned, it must be replaced. New rotor and cap would also be a good idea if they are at all burned. Be sure to put the plastic seperator plate back in.
 
  #7  
Old 11-01-2008, 11:33 AM
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Default ignition coil

yeah the sad thing is it is actually cracked. it was cracked before and i took a lighter and melted a little of the edge so it wouldnt be exposed. but im about to get out there now and try it. ill post back with more info and once again thanks to everyone whos replied so far
 
  #8  
Old 11-01-2008, 11:38 AM
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Originally Posted by MistaGlock
yeah the sad thing is it is actually cracked. it was cracked before and i took a lighter and melted a little of the edge so it wouldnt be exposed. but im about to get out there now and try it. ill post back with more info and once again thanks to everyone whos replied so far
Even if the damaged coil works when you try it, go and purchase a new one. That old damaged coil is soon just going to fail again. Also verify battery voltage at the distributor connector.
 
  #9  
Old 12-23-2018, 11:04 AM
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Originally Posted by MistaGlock
ok my honda aint runnin anymore. the other night me and my girl got groceries and the engine just died and wouldnt start, after pushing it 2 blocks to the nearest gas station "thought i ran out of gas lol" and putting in gas failed. tried jumping it failed. so i towed it home, cousin said all my gas evaporated from overnight lol. well i started the basics these guys helped me with before. tried to see if i have spark and thats a big negative. i pulled the distributer cap off and it stunk bad. connected a busted spark plug cable into the distributor and cranked it, no spark at all. even put it about 1mm from a grounded bolt and still negative on the spark. so i removed the ignition coil since it was getting dark and brought it inside. it stunk bad like sulfur and had black deposits all over the inside terminal. i cleaned it good but my uncle and grandpa said the ignition coil is wasted. is that the case or should i put it back in tomorrow and retest. i need to look for my civic manual to find out the boundary limits of the resistance on the coils so i can test with my multimeter. any ideas? is this thing fried and do i need a new one? thanks for all replys and it is much appreciated. lol did i spell replies wrong heh whatever. lol
I would check if the ignition module is triggering the coil. Connect a test light between the positive and negative on the coil without disconnect the wires coming from the ignition module. If the light doesn't blinks as you crank the engine then you have a bad ignition module.
Test light should be on testing te positive of the coil and a chassis ground all the time with the ignition Switch ON.
Ignition module controls the negative side of the coil
 
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