I have a '94 Civic that I bought from the original owner last spring ('18). It was owned by a friend's parents since new and garage kept almost all it's life. Current issues began a couple of months ago and have progressed to the point where I'm afraid to drive it to work.

First thing I noticed was that I would get in to go somewhere and would not hear the fuel pump run. Of course, this meant it would not run, but after switching the key on and off, I would hear the pump start running and the car would start and run normally. Over time, this has occurred more and more often to the point last week when I heard the pump start 4 times and the car would start then die. On the fifth time I heard the pump run, the car started and ran ok on the 40 mile drive home. Today, I went out to try it and the pump ran when ignition turned on, but then quit after it was up to pressure, and the car started, but died of course.

Other symptoms.... week before last, the check engine light came on for the first time I know of. I was also hearing a rattling under the car. A couple of months ago, I had the resonator replaced, so figured something with that was loose causing the noise and possibly the light. Took it to the fairly reliable nearby shop where I was told the code showed an O2 sensor issue and that the noise was loose connection on the muffler. Had the muffler replaced. Was told he couldn't guarantee changing the O2 sensor would turn off the light because it could be something with the ECM. This was last Monday, July 15 and the car was not driveable 3 days later. On the way home from work on Thursday,July 18, the last time I drove the car, the blower motor stopped working.

Any suggestions as to what to do first would be greatly appreciated. I really need the car for the long drive back and forth to work. I'm not sure if I can drive it anywhere right now. The last time I drove it last week, it took about 30 minutes of switching the key on and off and starting and dying before it made the trip home.

Thanks,
Murphy

 

Anybody have any ideas? I'm now told it's the ecm because the fuel pump works at times, then doesn't work, then works again. The blower motor going out was another clue.

 

I've looked on ebay and amazon for a replacement ecm, but am unsure which ones would work. Does anyone know how I might find the correct part number for a replacement ecm?

 

your symptoms aren't necessarily the ecm related but could definitely be such. the fuel pump could just be going bad itself its not a guarantee that a pump either does or doesn't work. ive had them be intermittent on several jobs one was due to wiring to the pump and one was the pump. your blower motor could also just be a side symptom its an older civic things do just go bad.

 

i see 2 listed ecms for you car both would be the p28 but the last digits are for automatic or manual. ill pull up my p28 info a bit later so i can remember which one is which. also back to your blower motor issue. you also have a blower motor resistor pack that controls the blower motor they are fairly common to go bad on older vehicles in general. its only like 20 bucks so its something to look into. there is also a fuel pump relay listed which is also a cheap easy part and they can also cause your fuel pump issues when they start going bad

 

btw i just joined the forum recently so i haven't been ignoring you lol

 

Highly unlikely the ecu is bad. Fuel pumps at this age need replacing sometimes. Not too hard to do on this car. Does the blower motor run on the highest speed and not the lower? That would indicate the resistor being bad. If it just doesn't run it could be the brushes went. Again, pretty normal with age. Replcement is very easy. IIRC it's three bolts and a connector.

 

Thanks so much for the responses! The blower doesn't work at any speed or with any variation of other air control settings. It just stopped working the last time I drove it home. Today, I went out and it started and ran the first try. Went back later and started and ran, so I took it for a short drive where it ran normally, but the blower doesn't work. On a side note, the factory stereo stopped working a couple of months ago and at that time, I could smell electrical burning type smell. The smell does not happen as long as the stereo power is left off. Also, the check engine light is still on.

I spoke with the parts dept at the local honda dealer today, and they gave me a part number of 37820P28A52 for the ecm. I find these on ebay, remanufactured, for around $170 and they say that they can be programmed to my vin before shipment. Hopefully this is a last resort, but wanted to know if I get one, what are the chances it will work and last long-term?

If that fuel pump relay can cause the problems I'm having, is there a way to bypass it or a way to just test the pump for correct function? The fact it either runs right or just doesn't run/keep running on startup makes me think the pump is not the issue, but I'm a newbie who can only use logic in my thinking.

Again, I really appreciate the help!

 

Testing the pump is simple... it's got a power wire, a ground wire and a level sender signal... grab a manual, see what the color code is and just run it on 12v (if it does not run, you can try hutting the bottom of the gas tank with a rubber mallet and if the pump starts - time to replace. Try hitting the blower motor from the bottom with the fan speed set to highest setting. If it starts spinning you've got a brush problem... but really - grab a multimeter, drop the blower motor out and check if you're getting 12v sent to it. I'm willing to bet it's just a brush issue. There is nothing to program as far as the ECU goes... it's plug and play as long as you get the one for your type of transmission. As far as the radio goes - have you checked the related fuse? Pull it out and see if it's got any rubbed through wires in the harness.

And yeah, I have used the "hit a bad electric motor with a stick" test A LOT. On starters, blower motors, fuel pumps, EPS systems... if it's brushed - the test works on it.

 

Got the service manual ordered this morning. Have to wait for that to be delivered, then I can start experimenting. I will knock on the fuel tank to see if that gets the pump to start running, but I was told by someone at work that the fuel pump is not in the tank. He told me it's easy to replace on this car, but I'm sure you guys know better than he does. Looking forward to getting the manual so I can do things without guessing soon!

I have no idea how to disassemble the dash to get the radio out, or I would have trashed it already. The old cassette tapes just don't sound as good as they used to! Haha