Ok here is the full rundown.I was driving one night and out of the blue my car dies on me,with no CEL and still dont have one.It cranks and tries to start but won't.I go through some troubleshooting and check that its getting fuel ,which it is, and check for spark.There was no spark coming from the plug I pulled out and tested.Instead of trying a million different things I went and got a rebuilt distributor put it in and it fired up.I adjusted the timing and even drove it around for half a day stopping and starting it multiple times.Then later that night about 5-8 hours after I had put in the rebuilt distributor it won't start.Once again no spark.I've now been told to check the coil?I thought that was in the distributor?I also have asked if I should change plugs and wires even though it started and worked with them for a short time could that be it?Where do I go from here, I've read about a main relay but don't no much about that or where to look for it at.I also have tried two different caps on the dist. and niether affected the outcome.Thanks for any input in adavance.

 

Yeah, the coil is in the distributor. Was it a new rebuilt one from Honda?

 

No it wasn't rebuilt from Honda.It was a junkyard rebuild.It came with a 90 warranty.Are the odds actually that likely that the rebuilt crapped out the day I got it?That doesn't seem to likely to me it has to be something else or could it actually be a case of really bad luck.

 

Well if it's not rebuilt with OEM parts I wouldn't expect it to last forever... but breaking in a day is kind of weak.

 

What year and model Civic? You can use a multimeter to check for a faulty coil or igniter unit in the distributor.

 

98 Civic EX.Where do I get this multimeter at? Also I heard Autozone does a test on the ICM which is inside the distributor, is that correct?Do you guys think it could be anything else causing the dist. to go out or you think it may be coincidence?

 

You can purchase a multimeter (to test voltage, amperage, and resistance) from any hardware or auto parts store for as little as about $20-30.

I am not sure whether AutoZone will test your ignition control module (ICM). Give them a phone call to know for sure.

Pop the distributor cap off to test the coil and ICM. While your at it, also inspect the rotor for damage. The pictures show how to test the coil and ICM. If you don't find any problems with the rotor, coil, or ICM, then next check whether your timing belt may have snapped.

 

You need to have the plastic divider plate in place inside the distributor under the rotor. Also it is conceivable that bad wires or plugs would put stress on the coil.

The ohmmeter coil test is not real conclusive. Crank the engine with the cap off while holding a grounded wire near the output spring on the coil. If you get short weak yellow sparks, the coil is probably bad. If you have no sparks at all it could be the module. Either way of course you can just trade in the whole distributor.

 

So sort of what you guys are getting at is that the distributor or parts inside it could be bad.Is there any thing else you guys think could have happened as to why it worked fine then went out in the same day?It didn't die on me this time like it did the first time just won't start again.What setting do I put the meter on to test all this 12V?

 

At this point, you basically ignore the fact that you recently had a distributor problem and now just troubleshoot a "no spark" condition. The distributor is again a prime suspect, though the timing belt is also a candidate.

For voltage readings, the 12V setting is good.

For resistance and continuity tests, set the multimeter on the appropriate Ohm scale.