Honda Car Forum

Recently, my '83 Honda Civic FE refused to start.

A squirt of starting fluid in the carb did nothing. Hence, my attention
turned to ignition failure.

Changing the distributor did not fix it.

Changing the coil did not fix it.

Cleaning the (NGK) plugs barely allowed it to start. Once warmed up, it
would run and start OK.

Yesterday, I replaced the new coil wire with the old original OEM coil
wire and............. Started right up as it did this morning!

In fact, the car is running better than it ever has (while in my possession).

BTW, I have learned a lot from the postings here from the regulars and
others as well.

Thanks,

JT

"Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> Recently, my '83 Honda Civic FE refused to start.
>
> A squirt of starting fluid in the carb did nothing.
> Hence, my attention
> turned to ignition failure.
>
> Changing the distributor did not fix it.
>
> Changing the coil did not fix it.

Please clarify: Was it the original OEM coil you changed,
and then below, you say you put this same, original OEM coil
back in?

> Cleaning the (NGK) plugs barely allowed it to start. Once
> warmed up, it
> would run and start OK.
>
> Yesterday, I replaced the new coil wire with the old
> original OEM coil
> wire and............. Started right up as it did this
> morning!

Is the new coil aftermarket?

So you think the cause was... ?

Elle wrote:
>
> "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> > Recently, my '83 Honda Civic FE refused to start.
> >
> > A squirt of starting fluid in the carb did nothing.
> > Hence, my attention
> > turned to ignition failure.
> >
> > Changing the distributor did not fix it.
> >
> > Changing the coil did not fix it.
>
> Please clarify: Was it the original OEM coil you changed,
> and then below, you say you put this same, original OEM coil
> back in?
>

Original coils - nothing special


> > Cleaning the (NGK) plugs barely allowed it to start. Once
> > warmed up, it
> > would run and start OK.
> >
> > Yesterday, I replaced the new coil wire with the old
> > original OEM coil
> > wire and............. Started right up as it did this
> > morning!
>
> Is the new coil aftermarket?
>

No "new" coil, just another Honda coil


> So you think the cause was... ?

Coil wire

JT

As always, great to hear about this '83 Civic. Gotta be the
oldest Honda running in the group.

"Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> Elle wrote:
>>
>> "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
>> > Recently, my '83 Honda Civic FE refused to start.
>> >
>> > A squirt of starting fluid in the carb did nothing.
>> > Hence, my attention
>> > turned to ignition failure.
>> >
>> > Changing the distributor did not fix it.
>> >
>> > Changing the coil did not fix it.
>>
>> Please clarify: Was it the original OEM coil you changed,
>> and then below, you say you put this same, original OEM
>> coil
>> back in?
>>
>
> Original coils - nothing special
>
>
>> > Cleaning the (NGK) plugs barely allowed it to start.
>> > Once
>> > warmed up, it
>> > would run and start OK.
>> >
>> > Yesterday, I replaced the new coil wire with the old
>> > original OEM coil
>> > wire and............. Started right up as it did this
>> > morning!
>>
>> Is the new coil aftermarket?
>>
>
> No "new" coil, just another Honda coil
>
>
>> So you think the cause was... ?
>
> Coil wire

Goin' to look at another '82 parts car on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it is
a DX...

JT




Elle wrote:
>
> As always, great to hear about this '83 Civic. Gotta be the
> oldest Honda running in the group.
>
> "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> > Elle wrote:
> >>
> >> "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> >> > Recently, my '83 Honda Civic FE refused to start.
> >> >
> >> > A squirt of starting fluid in the carb did nothing.
> >> > Hence, my attention
> >> > turned to ignition failure.
> >> >
> >> > Changing the distributor did not fix it.
> >> >
> >> > Changing the coil did not fix it.
> >>
> >> Please clarify: Was it the original OEM coil you changed,
> >> and then below, you say you put this same, original OEM
> >> coil
> >> back in?
> >>
> >
> > Original coils - nothing special
> >
> >
> >> > Cleaning the (NGK) plugs barely allowed it to start.
> >> > Once
> >> > warmed up, it
> >> > would run and start OK.
> >> >
> >> > Yesterday, I replaced the new coil wire with the old
> >> > original OEM coil
> >> > wire and............. Started right up as it did this
> >> > morning!
> >>
> >> Is the new coil aftermarket?
> >>
> >
> > No "new" coil, just another Honda coil
> >
> >
> >> So you think the cause was... ?
> >
> > Coil wire

We had 72-ish Civics in the commune in the seventies to replace the fleet of
Honda 600 air-cooled sedans that we started out with. They were fairly
economical, but not nearly as durable as the present offerings.

Earle

"Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote in message
news:44FAF2F7.5488C694@GrumpyvilleNOT.com...
> Goin' to look at another '82 parts car on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it is
> a DX...
>
> JT
>
>
>
>
> Elle wrote:
> >
> > As always, great to hear about this '83 Civic. Gotta be the
> > oldest Honda running in the group.
> >
> > "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> > > Elle wrote:
> > >>
> > >> "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> > >> > Recently, my '83 Honda Civic FE refused to start.
> > >> >
> > >> > A squirt of starting fluid in the carb did nothing.
> > >> > Hence, my attention
> > >> > turned to ignition failure.
> > >> >
> > >> > Changing the distributor did not fix it.
> > >> >
> > >> > Changing the coil did not fix it.
> > >>
> > >> Please clarify: Was it the original OEM coil you changed,
> > >> and then below, you say you put this same, original OEM
> > >> coil
> > >> back in?
> > >>
> > >
> > > Original coils - nothing special
> > >
> > >
> > >> > Cleaning the (NGK) plugs barely allowed it to start.
> > >> > Once
> > >> > warmed up, it
> > >> > would run and start OK.
> > >> >
> > >> > Yesterday, I replaced the new coil wire with the old
> > >> > original OEM coil
> > >> > wire and............. Started right up as it did this
> > >> > morning!
> > >>
> > >> Is the new coil aftermarket?
> > >>
> > >
> > > No "new" coil, just another Honda coil
> > >
> > >
> > >> So you think the cause was... ?
> > >
> > > Coil wire

My first encounter with a Honda car of any sort was (I believe) a 600 in
Koror in 1969. Damned thing never had any worthwhile brakes but
otherwise, it sure took a lot of abuse as a rental car..

JT




Earle Horton wrote:
>
> We had 72-ish Civics in the commune in the seventies to replace the fleet of
> Honda 600 air-cooled sedans that we started out with. They were fairly
> economical, but not nearly as durable as the present offerings.
>
> Earle
>
> "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote in message
> news:44FAF2F7.5488C694@GrumpyvilleNOT.com...
> > Goin' to look at another '82 parts car on Tuesday. Unfortunately, it is
> > a DX...
> >
> > JT
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Elle wrote:
> > >
> > > As always, great to hear about this '83 Civic. Gotta be the
> > > oldest Honda running in the group.
> > >
> > > "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> > > > Elle wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> "Grumpy AuContraire" <Grumpster@GrumpyvilleNOT.com> wrote
> > > >> > Recently, my '83 Honda Civic FE refused to start.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > A squirt of starting fluid in the carb did nothing.
> > > >> > Hence, my attention
> > > >> > turned to ignition failure.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Changing the distributor did not fix it.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Changing the coil did not fix it.
> > > >>
> > > >> Please clarify: Was it the original OEM coil you changed,
> > > >> and then below, you say you put this same, original OEM
> > > >> coil
> > > >> back in?
> > > >>
> > > >
> > > > Original coils - nothing special
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> > Cleaning the (NGK) plugs barely allowed it to start.
> > > >> > Once
> > > >> > warmed up, it
> > > >> > would run and start OK.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Yesterday, I replaced the new coil wire with the old
> > > >> > original OEM coil
> > > >> > wire and............. Started right up as it did this
> > > >> > morning!
> > > >>
> > > >> Is the new coil aftermarket?
> > > >>
> > > >
> > > > No "new" coil, just another Honda coil
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> So you think the cause was... ?
> > > >
> > > > Coil wire