My '97 civic will not start.
It's cranking, and cranking, and cranking.... but will not catch.
Whenever i try to start the thing it will sit there cranking, and then smell very strong and rich with gas....
From what i can tell my plugs are possibly not getting a spark....
So i am in the middle of taking off my distributor, but does anyone maybe have any other ideas or have had this problem before?

 

Any CEL codes?

Verify the lack of spark. Click link below.

If there's no spark, remove the coil and ICM from inside the distributor. Resistance test the coil and have the ICM tested at an auto parts store. Also look for any damage inside the distributor during the process.

 

Yeah, the coil and ignitor was going to be my first step
Taking them to go get checked that is.

And thanks for the link, i'll take a look at it and give it a try!

 

if your coil/igniter is bad replace both at the same time. i just had my igniter die and the new igniter, i guess operating where it should finally, killed my coil within 2 hours. Plus, they are $100 each at autozone, but if you buy a whole new distributor, its only $140 with a returned core. great deal if ya ask me. if you need help testing/installing any of this pm or post here

 

Make sure the timing belt is OK, if the distributor doesn't rotate in the first place, there will be no spark. This is easily checked by taking the oil cap off and watch that the rocker arms move when you crank.

 

alright, thanks guys.
And one thing that i failed to mention...
not sure if this changes anyones opinion, but before my car completely just died, it ran really horrible...
it would drive like it was starving for gas, or from getting too much gas.
Now, i'm just throwing stuff out there and trying to put the pieces together, but i'm thinking that my plugs were possibly not sparking at random times, obviously causing my car to drive bad, until finally, they aren't sparking at all...

 

once you check out the possible symptoms already suggested and if they are all working properly, the next logical place is to look at your fuel delivery system.

Possible causes:

Clogged fuel filter - easy replacement
Fuel pump - double check that it is humming when you first turn the key
Fuel pressure - double check that this is up to spec
Clogged fuel injectors - this could also be a cause

 

You need to test a few things before any conclusion can be made.

Most likely scenarios are no spark (weak/bad coil, cap and rotor problem, etc.) skipped/ stripped timing belt, or fuel problem.

The easiest way to check the fuel system is to disconnect the fuel return hose-- loosen the gas cap first to relieve pressure, and direct the hose into a container. Then turn the key on but don't crank, and see if fuel comes out. If it does you can be rather confident the pump and filter are OK.

 

Check for spark first and get back to us.
Pull out a spark plug, stick a long screw driver down it, place the metal part of the screwdriver 3/4" away from metal but not touching. Then crank the car and you should see a blue/white spark jump to the metal 3/4" away. Easiest way to do this with one person is lay it flat on top of your engine. (The plastic handle of the screw driver keeps the metal of it off your engine. This way you can see under the hood and make sure its sparking while cranking it yourself.

 

i had already checked for a spark, and got nothing... as far as i can tell, my car used to have a hard time getting a spark, but would get lucky every now and again.... which was causing my car to run HORRIBLE.
Then, finally my car just died while running, which.... i would assume, was my spark plugs finally not getting a spark, thus, not allowing my car to start, but while cranking (injecting fuel) no spark was there to burn the gas... causing my engine to smell VERY rich with gas.