My wife and I have a 94 honda civic 4dr ex this morning as she was taking the kids to school the car started to smoke under the hood then just died. She calls me franticly because won't start. When I get there I had to push the car to a parking lot near by. tried to cranck it and surenuff the engine turned and everything worked fine but no start. I popped the hood open and right off the bat the smell of wires overheating and melted plastic. I ask since she saw smoke did she see the temp gage go up at all. She said no already lookig for the source of the smell I found that the wire connector and the wires on the speed senor had melted. To the point there is no connector left I know I have to replace that, but why will the car not start. Is there a saftey swith that cuts off all power some where when this happens. I know this is a dumb question but do I have to take out the wiring harness and check it due to the melting and may the wires be crossed somewhere else. I have not had a chance to check it for spark or anything else but what damage could have that caused has the distributor damaged is there a fuse. Can some one helppppppp please.

 

Check if there is any coolant in the radiator, it sounds like a case of severe overheating of the engine. Are any other wires melted? There is no "safety system" to detect overheating, it will keep going until something burns up.

You don't need the speed sensor to start but I think on the 92-95 models the speed sensor might be on the same fuse as the ignition. So if the wires short out and blow the fuse there will be no spark.

 

Thanks I'll check it out in the AM I am also going to remove the engine harness and crack it open to see at least the extent of the damage from the wires crossing. Hopefuly it didn't get tot the Comptuer or the ignition coil its self. fingers crossed its just a fuse or that the cabels are slightly crossed.

 

sounds to me like a mouse or some other rodent may have eaten a wire and caused it to ground out....

 

I really apricate the help guys it was a fuse after all but inside the car not on any main fuse relay out side. As for there being a mouse the thought was far from my mind becasue my wife just told me that the car was not telling her what speed she was going that the needle didn't move. I'm guess it was just faulty speed sensor. But I have never heard of it melting like that. For now I just taped up the wires and replaced the fuse. I'll replace the speed sensor soon but my dilema now is finding the plastic plug with at least a 3-5 inch of wire to reconnect. I mean the speed sensor plug comming from the harness. Anyone know where i can find one,but again I might have one some where just have to find it. Well if not still let me know if you guys know of some place I can find one

 

Go junk yard and cut one off from the same model car. I am sure there is "U-Pick" junk yard type thing in your area.