Honda Car Forum

I have 92' honda civic. Have been driving this car since last 4 years
and just completed 150,000 miles.


Today morning, I started the car, it made some cranking noise, but I
thought it was due to cold weather. I drove the car for 3-4 miles and
when I stopped at signal light, car just cut dead. I tried starting it
again, but it won't start. I don't think it battery problem as
head-lights and stuff just works fine.


I have changed timing belt, tranmission,battery last year. I have also
got oil change recently. Have been putting regular gas on it and not
more then 600 miles/month.


What could be the problem? And what could be the cost of each of the
following?
- loose relay/alternator connection - $$ ?
- dead coil in spark-plug? - $$ ?
- some timing belt issue? - $$ ?
- or soe more grave problem?


Its old car and I don't want to sepnd too much into repairing..where do

I start from?

You want to check for spark, most likely.

No spark, then igniter or coil (both parts of the
distributor) are prime candidates. Each part costs about
$90. Installation is about another $90. See
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#startrun for other
strong candidates.

If you're handy, most of the problems listed at the above
site are not difficult DIY repairs.

Please consider giving the age of the spark plugs, ignition
wires, distributor cap, and rotor. Also, are all these parts
OEM?



<shah.hk@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1135117017.822874.91120@z14g2000cwz.googlegro ups.com...
> I have 92' honda civic. Have been driving this car since
last 4 years
> and just completed 150,000 miles.
>
>
> Today morning, I started the car, it made some cranking
noise, but I
> thought it was due to cold weather. I drove the car for
3-4 miles and
> when I stopped at signal light, car just cut dead. I tried
starting it
> again, but it won't start. I don't think it battery
problem as
> head-lights and stuff just works fine.
>
>
> I have changed timing belt, tranmission,battery last year.
I have also
> got oil change recently. Have been putting regular gas on
it and not
> more then 600 miles/month.
>
>
> What could be the problem? And what could be the cost of
each of the
> following?
> - loose relay/alternator connection - $$ ?
> - dead coil in spark-plug? - $$ ?
> - some timing belt issue? - $$ ?
> - or soe more grave problem?
>
>
> Its old car and I don't want to sepnd too much into
repairing..where do
>
> I start from?
>

The mechanic I paid $60 to diagnose the problem told me that its
distributor problem and it will cost $525+Tax to repair.
Can I just change the igniter or coil separately? You mentioned that
each would cost $90. So even with changing both, It wouldn't cost more
then $300.

I feel, I am getting ripped here
any help

-H

First, ask the mechanic exactly what he's going to install.
In particular, you want to know if you're getting

-- a new distributor housing
-- a new coil
-- a new igniter

"CivicGuy" <shah.hk@gmail.com> wrote
> The mechanic I paid $60 to diagnose the problem told me
that its
> distributor problem and it will cost $525+Tax to repair.
> Can I just change the igniter or coil separately? You
mentioned that
> each would cost $90. So even with changing both, It
wouldn't cost more
> then $300.

I agree that $300 is a good approximation IF only the
igniter and coil were being changed. The guy should be
willing to take into account the diagnosis charge, as well.
So you'd pay like $240 more for JUST a new igniter and coil,
tops. Or that's what seems reasonable to me, as far as
charges go. That's not bad.

HOWEVER, and it's a big one, it is not IMO completely out of
line for a shop to find a bad igniter but also notice, on
this really, pretty old Honda, that the distributor housing
O-ring is old, there's some indications the housing bearing
is going bad, the wire harness is looking beat, etc. Plus,
often the rotor set screw female side starts getting strip.
On a car this age, if the shop only replaces the igniter, a
comeback is a pretty good possibility. For example, a bad
igniter can have detrimental effects on the coil (or it's
the other way around). So a whole new housing, plus new
igniter and coil are, in my estimation, a good idea for a
car this age. Your car will run like a champ with it,
assuming ignition wires, plugs, cap and rotor are in good
repair.

I thought I got taken for a ride in spring 2003 back when a
shop installed a new housing (because of rotor set screw
problems). Cost me $472 JUST for a new housing, cap, and
rotor. They reused the old coil and old igniter. I was back
a week later with the real problem: A failed coil. I was
miffed at the time.

In hindsight, knowing the distributor wire harness was
pretty beat, and I think oil was leaking down the
distributor yada shaft, and the bearing might have had not
much more life, I think it was a good investment. It wasn't
handled well, but then they don't have time to explain all
these details to consumers, especially since most consumers
don't have a clue about electro-mechanical yada anything.

They were pricey, as well. Point being, that, given the
price you quote, your mechanic may be being more reasonable.

My 91 Civic had 138k miles on it in spring 2003. It's been
almost three years, and the car has not seen a shop since,
though I'm watching it myself closely these days. I actually
installed--myself--a new igniter back in 2003, 'cause the
guys at the shop were saying I should, given the bad coil. I
just didn't want them doing it. :-)

Take a look at www.slhonda.com 's parts site to see the
exploded view of the distributor and what are probably the
best prices for genuine Honda parts that you can get. Maybe
consider printing out the drawing and labeling the parts,
then taking it to the mechanic and having him tell you what
he's going to replace.

Make sure he's using genuine honda (= OEM) parts. Non-OEM
distributors distributors tend to have short lives.

Updates are welcome.

> I feel, I am getting ripped here

No, not yet. Let us know what he's going to replace.

> any help

One other thing: I just checked the two online OEM Honda
parts sites that I use a lot, and both quote a much lower
price for your 92 Civic's distributor compared to a 91
Civic's distributor.

For a 92 Civic LX, www.slhonda.com wants only $271 + maybe
$10 shipping for I'm pretty sure the distributor housing,
coil, and igniter. All OEM. The housing by itself goes for
$97 for a 92 Civic.

A 91 Civic's housing is about $280(!) at the same site, as
well as the other site I use.

I don't know why the 91 and 92 have such big price
differences, but use the prices at the site above to help
your decision-making. That $500+ charge now certainly looks
like a ripoff, any way it's cut.

"CivicGuy" <shah.hk@gmail.com> wrote
> The mechanic I paid $60 to diagnose the problem told me
that its
> distributor problem and it will cost $525+Tax to repair.
> Can I just change the igniter or coil separately? You
mentioned that
> each would cost $90. So even with changing both, It
wouldn't cost more
> then $300.
>
> I feel, I am getting ripped here
> any help
>
> -H
>