I've got the 90 Civic DX and have just gotten around to checking the spark plugs. I have slow starting. It takes 10-15 seconds crank time sometimes to start. Sometimes if I kill it like by dropping the clutch too quick from a standstill, after it's warm, it won't restart for a few minutes. Just turns over, with no start. The plugs are pitted and worn on both electrodes. And there is quite a bit of oil in the spark plug cylinders that drop down to the plug hole from the top of the valve cover (where the long plug boot goes) I guess this is why my oil level drops to bare minimum after a change.

Is the oil in the plug boot cylinder an easy diagnosis? And would new plugs help the delayed starting?

 

Oil gets there by leaking through the crack between the valve cover and the top of the "cylinder." A valve cover gasket set has 4 rubber seals to seal that place. It's not a lot of oil though. Probably you're burning a little or leaking it out one or both of the crank seals.

Resolder your main relay if you haven't already. The slow starting sounds like a fuel issue. You could also click the key on and don't start then back off and back on a couple of times to prime the fuel pump. If the check valve (in the pump) is bad, the fuel will drain back out of the lines while the car is parked. That really doesn't affect anything other than making it slow to start.

 

About all I got of that is new valve cover gaskets and resolder main relay something. What main relay? You got me hooked, just go a little slower. MY exhaust is clean no blue or white smoke at all, even right after I looked at the plugs.

I'll check to see if the fp primes. I should have before, but i'll get it tomorrow am

 

You can search on the main relay issue, it's a very common problem. The relay is a box about 1.5 x 2.5 inches mounted to the side of the car above the hood release handle (inside) with an 8 wire plug on it. Remove it from the car, pry the plastic box open, and resolder the connections on the circuit board inside.