Hey everyone,
I got a 1993 Civic DX with a d15 non vtec. I was just telling my wife what a great buy this car was (as it approaches 200,000 miles) and it still runs so frikken good!

We'll I spoke to soon because about ten minutes after that statement (the car must have been listening) Im driving along and it feels like the car just ran out of gas....Slowly bogging down to an eventual shut down. I was just was scratching my head like..... No check engine light came on..No oil light came on....I didnt overheat....I have a half a tank of gas....wtf just happend?

My initial reaction was..."Fuel Pump" Has to be the pump the way it died and just wont fire but turns over perfect.

But then I was reading on here before posting about a main relay or somthing located above the hood release handle under the dash. Could this be my culprit? I didnt have a chance to listen for the pump engaging yet. But I had some problems over the summer that I never checked out too, and I feel like those problems may be related.

During the summer I would wake up ,start the civic and drive to work. No problem right. Well somtimes if I came back out to the car 15 minutes after I shut it down. It would start and low idle then stall....Then it wouldnt start at all.....Then if I let it set for 10 minutes it would fire right up and everything was cool.

You guys have probly heard this issue before and thats why I came here.

I appologize if this problem is not in the correct forum also, But it seemed the obvious place to post.

 

To me that sounds like the Relay. My old Accord use to do that all the time.


TRY THIS AND SEE IF IT HELPS

 

The first types of problems to consider in this situation are with the fuel supply system (main relay, pump, filter) and the ignition system (coil, igniter unit, cap, rotor, plug wires).

As you say, start by listening for the normal hum of the fuel pump engaging when you turn the ignition key to the ON position (no start), and also determine whether you have spark at the plugs.

If you don't hear the fuel pump engage, then check whether fuse #31 in the under-hood fuse/relay box or fuse #18 in the under-dash fuse/relay box is blown. These two fuses serve the main relay circuit.

If you don't have spark at any plugs, you may want to test the coil and igniter unit in the distributor.

For more feedback, post the outcome of any of your troubleshooting tests.

 

I got pictures of the relay and where its located.

I will definitly keep you posted on what I find tomorrow.

 

So my main relay is good.

I get all three clicks as im suppost to and the fuel pump does work.

No fuses are blown.


Im on to ignition troubleshooting. Plugs,wires,etc..

Whats the eaisest way to test for spark?

 

Sometimes relays have poor soldering and they will eventually cause your car to shut down. They kind of over heat and act up. I hope the following link will help you out
http://techauto.tripod.com/mainrelay.htm





92, 93, 94 and 95 Civic Main Relay Removal Procedure





A main relay should look like this



or this.


The main relay is to the left of the fuse box, wedged up against the left above the hood latch in a tight spot.
[ol][*]Remove the coin box (for a better view.)[*]With a 10 mm socket or wrench., reach deep inside and at the top of the relay there you will feel a bolt.[*]Unbolt it. (If you cannot unbolt then you may alternatively:

remove the internal relay assembly. See drawing D below. Press your thumb against a the right relay case wall then pull the right internal parts out then press again on the left relay case wall then pull the rest out. The main relay is live so you should disconnect the car battery since you may accidentally short the relay or other nearby parts. The symptom of a short is when your car won't start after you replace the main relay.[*]Otherwise, bring the relay down and unplug the connector by squeezing the lock flap then separate the connector from the relay.[*]If you damage the tab, you may be able to flatten the tab back to shape.[*]See installation at the bottom of this page. [/ol]







[/align]




Introduction: The Honda or Acura turns over but won't start in hot weather is a symptom of a main relay going bad. This is the result of the poor solder application from the factory. As a consequence, raise areas on the joint indicate a "dry joint" which can lead to an open circuit. The dry, open circuit is the main cause of no start. This is partly caused by the buildup of heat on the terminals which expand, contract and subject to vibrations. It is likely that a layer of hard oxide has built up inside the solder joint. The layer of hard oxide has to be removed by desoldering. Other than this, there are no known mechanical problem with the main relay.

If you've suspected that the main relay is your problem, follow steps A thru C. Or if your car is over 8 years old, you may skip directly to step B.
[ul][*]
Step A) Diagnose the problem by using your sense of sight, smell and sound. This can be done by following the main relay basic troubleshooting below, usually performed when the car won't start. [*]
Step B) Once confirmed that the main relay is dead, remove the main relay and desolder the weak joints and apply a fresh rosin core solder. The instruction on how to do this can be found below. Or if you like other options see Solutions.html [*]
Step C) Finally, install the main relay and test drive the car. The car should restart and idle on even the hottest day. [/ul]

For this repair project you will need a main relay and a set of proper tools:
Where can I find the MainRelay?
Honda/Acura Acura Honda/Acura






a 15-30 watt soldering iron (or 600F - 700F) *


a Rosin core solder (Rosin is less corrosive) and


a solder wick (copper braid) (wicks/braids are bit tedious and usually wasteful on large jobs, but the wick is a good choice for this project.) or


a Desoldering pump(usually requires many attempts) or


a Desoldering iron (simple to use, How to use, see step 1.)Start by carefully prying the main relay:
Clip----->Stick a flat small flat screw driver in the crack.

 

Well no spark.

The ignitor coil inside the distributor is BAD.


We will see if thats the problem.

 

And were off!

The coil was my problem...Thanks for you guys help.