Honda Car Forum

Help me out. My 91 civic hatchback with the 1.5 motor wont start. Cranks up fine so its getting power...just keep cranking though. I can smell gas so i THINK its getting gas. If it helps last week this car, although seemed to be running fine, failed emmissions test. Thanks

see if the horn is working, if it is working, maybe it starter issue if not is battery flat

try checking the spark plugs and the distributor,sorry if this doesnt help.

Your coil or the ignitor is bad. You smell gas because the spark plugs are not firing the mixture of air and fuel. Put a test light on the negative wire to the coil or in the output from it. If it flashes, the coil is getting the signal to fire and is not firing. If it doesnt flash when you crank it over, the ignitier is most likely at fault.

Odds are it is in need the igniter unit in the distributor. Tune-up can't hurt seeing as it just failed an emission test. If not mechanically enclined, buy a new distributor and put it in before the tune-up. Most new distributors come with a cap and rotor and this means you will not need to buy these on top of the additional tune-up parts. Not a hard job and only takes about 15minutes with basic tools.The fact that you smell gas means it is not a fuel problem.

If you have a manual shift car, it might be the neutral safety switch.