Hi! I'm new here, and I'm not sure I'm doing this right. But here goes. I have a 1997 Civic LX. I bought it used 2 years ago. Haven't had any real problems with it. It has about 145,000 miles on it. Does anyone know if my car has a fuel reset button on it? If so, where is it? I think/thought I had run it almost completely out of gas on my last trip to town, and when I went to start it the next day, it wouldn't start. It sounded like it wanted to start, but, just didn't have enough gas. I put some gas in it, though I didn't have much on hand, probably about a half gallon or less. I tried again but it still wouldn't start. Today, my son told me he thought that I probably needed to push the fuel reset button. He had done this on his old Thunderbird last year, & said the reset button was in his trunk. But I can't find one in my trunk. Anyone can help?

 

I don't believe there is such a thing on a Civic. There's a trip meter reset on the gauge cluster, but that's it.

Go to your car and turn the key to the ignition 2 position, just before you turn a little further to start it. Listen for a low hum from the back of the car. That'll be the fuel pump priming. If you don't hear that, we'll need to troubleshoot further.

 

There is no reset button on your Civic. Mostly Fords had those-- the system was intended to turn off the fuel pump in case of a crash. But sometimes a hard bump would trip it and it would need to be reset.

Put at least 2 or 3 gallons in the tank and try again. And do like Hobo said, click the key several times before you crank, this will prime the system without running the battery down. Depending on the angle the car is parked on, 1/2 gallon is not likely to be enough to reach the pump.

 

Thanks Hobo and mk378! I did as you suggested and turned it to #2. I heard the low hum from the back. I "primed" it several times, and tried to start it. It sounds like it wants to start, but doesn't. Could I have run down the battery on my many earlier attempts to start? Could I have somehow damaged the starter trying so many times? I remember a few weeks ago it wouldn't start. I had gas in it then, almost half a tank. After a bit, it started. Maybe the starter was on its way out then? Maybe I'll try to jump it if my son can get out here today?

 

Did you put more gas in yet? I wouldn't count on 1/2 gallon being enough.

If the battery has run down a simple jump start should be all it needs. When the battery is OK and you hear a click from the starter but it doesn't turn that is probably the starter going bad. All the lights in the car stay on but it clicks and doesn't turn, yet goes after you try again. That will get worse and worse until it won't ever start.

 

When you turn the key to ON(III)/Start, does the starter fail to crank the engine or does it crank fine but the engine does not start?

Is the check engine light (CEL) on?

 

mk378 - haven't put more gas in yet. I live way out in rural area & am waiting for my son to come from about 80 miles away to bring me to get more gas. I get more than a click when I try to start it. It sounds like it wants to turn over. But I don't want to try too much until I get more gas - don't want to do any (more?) damage to starter.
RonJ - It sounds like it is cranking the engine, it just won't start. The CEL light is not on.

 

Check for spark at the plugs. Click Spark link in my signature.

 

Thanks, RonJ! I will have my son check the spark when he comes (won't be til Monday, though - has car trouble of his own!). Thank you for the spark link - I wouldn't have known how to do that without it!

 

Well finally got a guy from towing co. to come try to jump the battery. It wouldn't start. He said it (obviously) wasn't the battery, but didn't think it was the starter either because it wasn't making a "clicking" noise. He removed a cable from the battery that wasn't attached to anything - it had something to do with the sound system. He said it was sparking & could cause a fire. Also, there is a cable from the distributor, running to the battery that also has to do with the radio/sound system. This is something the people/kids who owned the car before me had put in. I can't call the tow company for 72 hours to haul it to a mechanic per my insurance plan. The guy said it sounded like it was out of gas, but I did put more in it and the gauge reads not quite 1/4 tank. The noise is not the chugging noise I associate w/low battery, but it is kinda clacking.