A 'cranks but does not start' condition, on your 1.5L Honda Civic, can leave you scratching your head and wondering what has gone wrong. You might be asking yourself: Is it the fuel pump? Or is it the ignition coil? Or is it a busted timing belt?, etc.
The good news is that diagnosing a 'cranks but does not start' condition is not that hard. Finding the source of the no-start involves 3 basic tests. In a nutshell: One is a spark test, the other is a fuel pressure test, and the last is a compression test.
In this tutorial, I'll explain the process behind troubleshooting a no-start and I'll show you where you can find the specific 'how to' tutorials for each test.
Contents of this tutorial:
You can find this tutorial in Spanish here: Cómo Probar Un Arranca Pero No Prende (1.5L Honda Civic) (at: autotecnico-online.com).
APPLIES TO: This tutorial applies to the following vehicles:
- 1.5L Honda Civic: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995
Difference Between A No Start And A No Crank Condition
You've probably heard the phrases; 'my car doesn't crank' or 'my car cranks but doesn't start' and may be wondering what exactly they are describing. Here's a brief description that help you make sense of this tutorial:
Cranks but does not start condition: Means that your Honda's starter motor is cranking the engine but the engine is not starting. This is usually due to a fault in the ignition system, or in the fuel system, or there's an engine mechanical problem (like a blown head gasket, etc.).
Does not crank condition: This means the engine doesn't crank when you turn the key. In plain terms, the engine won't turn over at all. The usual culprits are a weak or dead battery, a failed starter motor, a bad ignition switch, a faulty neutral safety switch, or in some cases, a seized engine.
If your 1.5L Honda Civic refuses to crank, the first thing you need to do is verify that the battery has a full charge. If the battery is run down, recharge it. Once it's fully charged, confirm that the alternator is actually keeping the battery charged.
If the battery checks out good (meaning it isn't drained and isn't the cause of the no-crank), then your next stop is the starter motor. A faulty starter won't spin the engine at all. The tutorials below will show you how to test both the alternator and the starter:
- How To Test The Alternator (1992-1995 1.5L Honda Civic).
- How To Test The Starter Motor (1992-1995 1.5L Honda Civic).
No Start Condition Basics
What makes troubleshooting a 'cranks but does not start' condition easy is knowing that your 1.5L Honda engine needs 3 specific things to be able to start. These are:
- Air.
- Fuel.
- Spark.
When your Honda Civic cranks but does not start, it's because one of these 3 things is missing from the mix.
So, troubleshooting the problem requires that you check for spark (with a spark tester), check fuel pressure, and if necessary, check the engine's health with a compression test.
In the next subheading I'll go into more detail as to what you have to test.
STEP 1: Checking For Spark
The ignition system is usually the culprit behind most 'no-start' conditions. The basic core components of the ignition system that fail and cause a no-start are:
- The ignition control module (ICM) -called the igniter.
- The ignition coil.
- The distributor cap.
- The distributor rotor.
Checking a no-start condition should start with a spark test. Making sure that all 4 cylinders are getting spark. This involves attaching a spark tester to a spark plug wire and having a helper crank the engine. If the spark plug wire sparks, then the test is repeated on the next 3 spark plug wires.
The purpose of this spark check is to make sure that all 4 spark plug wires are feeding spark to their respective cylinder.
If spark is present at all 4 spark plug cables, then you can eliminate the ignition system as the culprit behind the no-start condition on your 1.6L Honda Civic. Your next diagnostic test step is to make sure that the fuel pump is OK: STEP 2: Checking For A Lack Of Fuel.
If you get a no spark test result on all 4 spark plug cables, then further testing is needed to find out the exact component that's causing the no spark issue. A no spark problem is usually caused by:
- Bad distributor cap.
- Bad ignition coil.
- Bad igniter.
The following tutorial will help you test the ignition system to see if it's behind the 'no-start' condition on your 1.5L Honda Civic:
- How To Test The Igniter, Ignition Coil Accord, Civic, CRV, and Odyssey (at: easyautodiagnostics.com).
STEP 2: Checking For A Lack Of Fuel
If the ignition system, on your 1.5L Honda Civic, is creating and delivering spark to all 4 cylinders, then the next step is to check the fuel pump.
A failed fuel pump or a bad fuel pump relay (located in the Main PGM Relay) that's causing a 'no fuel' condition will result in a 'cranks but does not start condition'.
Checking the fuel pump involves making sure that fuel is reaching the fuel injectors. You can confirm if fuel is missing (or not) by:
- Checking fuel pressure with a fuel pressure test gauge. Fuel pressure should be at leas 35 PSI.
- Spraying starting fluid into the throttle body and then having a helper crank the engine (to see if the engine starts).
The fuel pressure gauge is connected to one of the fuel filter's banjo bolts with a fuel pressure test adapter that must have a 1.0mm thread pitch. This adapter is usually labeled as: 6mm adapter or Honda M8x1.0 banjo bolt (or Import M8x1.0) adapter.
You can find a detailed explanation on how to test the fuel pump here: How To Test The Fuel Pump (1992-1995 1.5L Honda Civic).
NOTE: The accuracy of the starting fluid test, to check for a lack of fuel, depends on having spark at all four cylinders.
If your tests show that your Civic's engine is getting spark (all four cylinders) and the fuel pump is good, then the next step is to check the engine's internal health: STEP 3: Checking Engine Mechanical Condition.
STEP 3: Checking Engine Mechanical Condition
If your diagnostic test have confirmed the presence of spark and a good working fuel pump, then the next step is to check your Civic's engine compression.
Testing the engine's compression is probably one of the most overlooked test when testing a hard to diagnose no-start.
If a compression problem is behind your 1.5L Honda engine's problem, the cylinder's value will be at 0 PSI. A 0 PSI compression test result usually indicates:
- Broken timing belt.
- Blown head gasket.
- Blown engine.
A compression value of 120 + is usually considered normal for these older 1.5L Honda engines. You can find the engine compression test explained in detail here: How To Test Engine Compression (1992-1995 1.5L Honda Civic).
The other things to check are for a broken timing belt and a blown head gasket. The following tutorials will walk you thru those tests step by step:
- How To Test For A Broken Timing Belt (1992-1995 1.5L Honda Civic).
- How To Test For A Blown Head Gasket (1992-1995 1.5L Honda Civic).
More 1.5L Honda Tutorials
I've written quite a few Honda 'how to' tutorials that may be of interest to you. You can find here: 1.5L Honda Civic Index Of Articles.
Here's a sample of the tutorials you'll find in the index:
- How To Test The MAP Sensor (Honda 1.5L).
- How To Test Engine Compression (1992-1995 1.5L Honda Civic).
- How To Test The Throttle Position Sensor (1992-1995 1.5L Honda Civic).
- How To Test The Igniter, Ignition Coil Accord, Civic, CRV, and Odyssey (at: easyautodiagnostics.com).
If this info saved the day, buy me a beer!
