Honda Civic problem w/pic

[narzy]

My Honda is having issues sometimes it refuses to start, everything will crank but it just won't fire up, It happens more frequently in warm/hot weather but is rather unpredictable, eventually the car will start and run alright but not great.

It also seems to have lost power, it doesn't have the get up and go it once had I haven't noticed any weird sounds but don't really know what to look for as I am an engine newb. I can take a car to a gas station and change its oil and that is about it.

The car also seems to run rich, the car smells 'sweet' like unburnt gas when running. It doesn't get the gas mileage it should, I used to get about 325mpg out of the car on a tank (10 gal) now I get between 250 and 275.

I've had the spark plugs checked and everyone who has looked at them says they are fine but I haven't inspected them myself.

My guesses are that it might be the timing, fuel mixture, or maybe misfiring plugs but in all honestly I'm clueless. I read another thread that somewhat fits my symptoms that indicated it might be the fuel pump, if that is the case how to I find out for sure? and how much do they cost?
Picture of the Engine

 

[Zenmervolt]

The first thing that concerns me is that you mention a "sweet" smell. Usually it's coolant that is described as having a "sweet" smell when burnt. This could just be a differentiation in how you're describing it, but that set off a red flag for me.

Assuming that you're not burning any coolant, I would look into the fuel filter (if it has never been changed, it ought to be regardless) and the PCV system. The PCV valve on older Hondas was a 60,000 mile part, but was often ignored. When it fails, mileage drops and power can be affected. It's also possible that there is a problem in the EGR/Evap system, which could explain why it's worse on hot days.

My guess is a combination of a clogged/busted PCV valve and a clogged fuel filter, but you should watch your coolant level closely for a while just to be sure.

ZV

 

[Black88GTA]

The "happens more frequently in hot weather but will eventually start" part sounds almost like a textbook main relay problem. I don't know about your Civic, but I would bet it has a main relay that controls the fuel pump - very similar to the one in my '89 Prelude. From the engine pic, I can see your car has a "PGM-FI" system - mine has the same, although the engine looks different - so I bet yours has an almost identical fuel system...

Anyways my main relay went bad over the summer. If I let the car sit in the sun and went to start it, it would crank and crank, but not start. Once the inside of the car cooled down somewhat and the relay itself cooled off (it's under the dash) the car would fire up. Here is a writeup on how to fix it on a Prelude - if you can find yours, try following the same steps and see if it works. It did on mine.

This is how you can tell it's bad on a Prelude (yours may be similar):

Go to a quiet area. Turn the key to "ON" but don't attempt to start the car. Watch the dash - you should see a fuel light come on for a few seconds, hear a faint hum, then hear a couple clicks as it goes out if everything is operating normally. The hum is the pump priming. If you hear nothing, your main relay is likely the culprit.

Or, I could be FOS and the fuel system on your car is completely different 😛 But it's something to try, and it will only cost you a little time. Good luck...


EDIT: What is the year / trim level (LX, DX, etc) / engine size in your car? I guessed at it being an '88, and found the diagram showing where the main relay is here. It's part #22 in the picture.

 

[narzy]

Originally posted by: Black88GTA
The "happens more frequently in hot weather but will eventually start" part sounds almost like a textbook main relay problem. I don't know about your Civic, but I would bet it has a main relay that controls the fuel pump - very similar to the one in my '89 Prelude. From the engine pic, I can see your car has a "PGM-FI" system - mine has the same, although the engine looks different - so I bet yours has an almost identical fuel system...

Anyways my main relay went bad over the summer. If I let the car sit in the sun and went to start it, it would crank and crank, but not start. Once the inside of the car cooled down somewhat and the relay itself cooled off (it's under the dash) the car would fire up. Here is a writeup on how to fix it on a Prelude - if you can find yours, try following the same steps and see if it works. It did on mine.

This is how you can tell it's bad on a Prelude (yours may be similar):

Go to a quiet area. Turn the key to "ON" but don't attempt to start the car. Watch the dash - you should see a fuel light come on for a few seconds, hear a faint hum, then hear a couple clicks as it goes out if everything is operating normally. The hum is the pump priming. If you hear nothing, your main relay is likely the culprit.

Or, I could be FOS and the fuel system on your car is completely different 😛 But it's something to try, and it will only cost you a little time. Good luck...


EDIT: What is the year / trim level (LX, DX, etc) / engine size in your car? I guessed at it being an '88, and found the diagram showing where the main relay is here. It's part #22 in the picture.

It is a 94 DX (hatchback) I don't know the engine size, that is why I posted the picture. I checked the coolant level, it was really low so I topped it off and will monitor the levels over the next few days / weeks. Gas has a sweet smell to me so that is how I describe it but I wouldn't know what burning coolant would smell like. I will replace the fuel filter and try and take a look/replace the PCV valve if I can get to it.

 

[alpineranger]

Borrow a leakdown (if you have an air compressor) and compression tester from autozone. Do the compression test first. You want to rule out head gasket failure before you do anything serious like change things in the fuel system.

 

[nwfsnake]

Honda engine: 1.5L 1493cc L4 MFI [D15B7] 102 Hp, 98 Ft-lbs

 

[narzy]

Originally posted by: alpineranger
Borrow a leakdown (if you have an air compressor) and compression tester from autozone. Do the compression test first. You want to rule out head gasket failure before you do anything serious like change things in the fuel system.

you were dead on. The head gasket has blown there is oil in the area around the 2nd spark plug from the left in the picture. Bummer, I was hoping it was something simple. Head Gaskets are like 500 to 1000 bucks to get replaced aren't they? Are their drop in engines that might be worth investing in?

 

[DOTC]

do it yourself 😀 but yeah, shops usually charge a nice chunk for head gaskets. 🙁 If you can spend the money and time to drop in a new motor.. a head gasket is nothing.

 

[Arkaign]

If you haven't done the timing belt, do it at the same time you do the head gasket. Oh, and don't forget filters, hoses, belts, and a water pump. The extra hoses/filters/belts won't cost much, and won't take much time to do, and the timing belt is a PITA, but it's one of those things you don't want to skip.