Jay
05-15-2001, 03:52 PM
First Post
Last night I started my civic in the driveway in order warm it before I went out. I got a phone call and was on the phone for 10 min or
so. I went back outside and the car was off. I tried to start it. It would turn over (I don't remember if it fired at all at this point) The car was VERY low on fuel and
parked on an incline, so I assumed that it may have run out of gas. I poured approv 1.5 lt of 2 month old gas I had on hand. Still wouldn't run. I then added
about 5 Lt of fresh gas. Then the car would start and barely idle at 1000 rpm, but as soon as I would step on the throttle the car would die. The exhaust also
smelled sweet and weird. And the car was back firing out of the exhaust and the intake when you would pump the gas to try to get the car to rev up. I removed
all the plugs, cleaned them and re-gapped them (The car burns oil and I thought that at idle they may have been fouled). Eventually the car would run at idle
but as soon as I try to open the throttle it would die. Now the car won't start at all. It will not fire a cylinder.
My thoughts for possible cause:
1) The fan is broken, the car overheated and something is seriously busted. (I think unlikely)
2) I ran out of gas and now there is air in the fuel system, perhaps only in two cylinders.
3) I ran out of gas and somehow sucked some dirt from the tank into the filter, plugging it. (This was the dealers thought)
PLEASE HELP WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS I ONLY HAVE THREE DAYS TO FIX IT AND WANT TO AVOID THE DEALER.
Second Post
SO It is not ignition. I installed a new cap, rotor, and plugs. Still no change. There seems to be adequate spark. (I looked at the plugs sparking as I turned over
the engine)
The old plugs were badly sooted and smelled like gas. The fuel pump makes the "wirrrrr" sound when I turn the ignition on, so it seems to be doing something.
I did buy a fuel filter but have been trying to avoid installing it unnecessarily.
Possible scenarios:
1) The combustion chamber is severely flooded with gas from trying to start the car with sooty plugs (The plugs are out now, I hope It will dry out)
2) The fuel pump is not effective because (a) it inhaled the filter bag (b) it inhaled dirt (c) it burned out running dry
3) The fuel filter is clogged
4) There is air in the fuel system
5) The fuel relay is gone (I don't even know how this works) OHHHHH I WAS MESSING AROUND NEAR THE FUSE BOX FIXING MY PEDALS PERHAPS I
MASHED A WIRE THE RELAY IS DOWN THERE??????
Thoughts please guys?
Any ideas??
Last night I started my civic in the driveway in order warm it before I went out. I got a phone call and was on the phone for 10 min or
so. I went back outside and the car was off. I tried to start it. It would turn over (I don't remember if it fired at all at this point) The car was VERY low on fuel and
parked on an incline, so I assumed that it may have run out of gas. I poured approv 1.5 lt of 2 month old gas I had on hand. Still wouldn't run. I then added
about 5 Lt of fresh gas. Then the car would start and barely idle at 1000 rpm, but as soon as I would step on the throttle the car would die. The exhaust also
smelled sweet and weird. And the car was back firing out of the exhaust and the intake when you would pump the gas to try to get the car to rev up. I removed
all the plugs, cleaned them and re-gapped them (The car burns oil and I thought that at idle they may have been fouled). Eventually the car would run at idle
but as soon as I try to open the throttle it would die. Now the car won't start at all. It will not fire a cylinder.
My thoughts for possible cause:
1) The fan is broken, the car overheated and something is seriously busted. (I think unlikely)
2) I ran out of gas and now there is air in the fuel system, perhaps only in two cylinders.
3) I ran out of gas and somehow sucked some dirt from the tank into the filter, plugging it. (This was the dealers thought)
PLEASE HELP WITH ANY SUGGESTIONS I ONLY HAVE THREE DAYS TO FIX IT AND WANT TO AVOID THE DEALER.
Second Post
SO It is not ignition. I installed a new cap, rotor, and plugs. Still no change. There seems to be adequate spark. (I looked at the plugs sparking as I turned over
the engine)
The old plugs were badly sooted and smelled like gas. The fuel pump makes the "wirrrrr" sound when I turn the ignition on, so it seems to be doing something.
I did buy a fuel filter but have been trying to avoid installing it unnecessarily.
Possible scenarios:
1) The combustion chamber is severely flooded with gas from trying to start the car with sooty plugs (The plugs are out now, I hope It will dry out)
2) The fuel pump is not effective because (a) it inhaled the filter bag (b) it inhaled dirt (c) it burned out running dry
3) The fuel filter is clogged
4) There is air in the fuel system
5) The fuel relay is gone (I don't even know how this works) OHHHHH I WAS MESSING AROUND NEAR THE FUSE BOX FIXING MY PEDALS PERHAPS I
MASHED A WIRE THE RELAY IS DOWN THERE??????
Thoughts please guys?
Any ideas??