Caroline wrote:
>
> Dunno about the codes (engine flooded now?) but based on a lot of
> reading here and experience with my own 1991 Civic LX sedan, the
> leading causes of early 1990s Civics not starting (but the distributor
> rotor turns) are:
>
> 1.
> Failed distributor ignitor. How old is the current one? They last
> maybe 100k miles. The following sites are helpful on the subject:
>
> http://www.markl.f9.co.uk/howto/elec...er/igniter.htm
>
> www.autozone.com click on the links to the free repair guides. Put in
> your car's info. Go to engine electrical, distributor, etc. for some
> checks you can do on the ignitor.

I believe that the original poster noted that he had spark. A failed
ignitor would yield a no spark conditon, correct?

> 2.
> Failed main relay. But you say you hear the fuel pump running, so I'd
> lean towards 1. Also, it's usually an intermittent problem: The car is
> drivine for awhile, stopped, then won't start for awhile, then after
> sitting it will start.
>

I'll second the main relay. The symptoms described by the original poster
are classic for a failed main relay, i.e., park it, let it set 5-15 minutes,
then no start.

> Updates welcome, for the archives.
>
> Good luck.
>
> "vincin" <vincin63@yahoo.com> wrote
> > I'm working on my buddy's civic and having some trouble figuring
> > what's wrong. The car was running ok until he came out of the store
> > and it wouldn't start. After having it towed to my house I started to
> > check things over. His mechanic said it was the timing belt. Sounds
> > like all mechanics. I pulled the distributor and tried to start the
> > motor to see if the rotor turned. It did. I'm guessing that the timing
> > belt is ok.

Just knowing that the cam turns will not tell you if the belt slipped a
tooth or two. You may want to verify the mechanical timing.

> > I pulled the spark plug to check for spark. I got spark. I checked the
> > fuel pump inside the gas tank and can hear it running. I checked the
> > fuel lines coming into the manifold for flow and pressure, Its OK. I
> > finally read the codes off the computer. I got a #16) fuel injector
> > system & #17) VSS error code.

If I remember correctly, Code 16 often indicates a failed main relay.

> > Now the kicker is when I try to start the car it just turns and turns.
> > Now if I pump the gas pedal as fast as I can the motor all but
> > starts. As soon as I stop pumping, the engine dies. I then put some
> > gas into the carburetor and tried starting the motor, no luck with that.

Where did you put gas? There is no carburetor on a '91 Civic.

> > This 91 civic hatchback DX has about 160,000 mile and the 91 model has
> > a PGM-FI system on it. Any Ideals....
>
> (Carburetor and PGM-FI? That's a post-o, isn't it?)

Eric