help please!!!

[99civicchic]

so confused my 99 civic lx died on me while driving down the road. before when it would just die out i would put it in nuetral and it would start back up but this time all that it does is try to start. im not that great at explaining things. but my car has been down for over a week now and i have 2 year old twin daughters that i need to have my car for. i've done a lil research on what could be the problem and im thinking maybe the coil. ive had a diagnostic done and the only code it threw was p0420 which is an 02 sensor. someone please help!!!!!!!

 

[2slo4u]

i'd head over to honda and get a new o2 sensor for your car then, after installing it make sure to do an ecu reset by taking off your negative terminal for a few minutes

Honda of Fife has a good parts department. I get a lot of parts from them

 

[99civicchic]

well ive had to replace the o2 sensor b4 and that didnt stop the car from starting.

 

[lowandslowek]

po420
catalyst efficiency below threshold
i highly doubt that's your problem

 

[2slo4u]

could be your coil or igniter unit , (ICM) igniter control module..

 

[mitka]

Dumb question, when did you last change your air filter?

 

[RonJ]

Your engine has probably been misfiring for a while because it was in bad need of a tune up. The misfiring resulted in a lot of unburnt fuel in the exhaust and this fuel burned inside the catalytic converter and melted it, resulting in code P0420.

 

[00siboy]

Check your spark plugs and see what condition they are in. They could be fuel-fouled (black) if you have been misfiring. Or they may be worn down or have buildup. Spark plugs can tell wonders about what is going on inside your engine.

 

[blknpurple]

Does it crank at all? When you said you put it in neutral it would start, do you mean a rolling start? If it cranks but wont start, maybe a spark or fuel issue. If it clicks but no starts maybe your starter. If it starts but wont stay running maybe your alternator. If it tries to turn over but dies out, maybe your battery. Of course there are more reasons behind the listed issues, but these reasons are more common.

 

[99civicchic]

it turns over but no start. it turns over a lil fast too. battery is new. someone that im in school with also mentioned the plugs too. but it just seems like its not getting any spark.

 

[203CT]

take a plug out and put it in the spark plug wire..have someone turn the key over and see if there's spark.

 

[00siboy]

take a plug out and put it in the spark plug wire..have someone turn the key over and see if there's spark.

The spark plug can't ground if you do it that way. Have fun getting shocked lol. If its not getting spark, your plugs will be fouled. You need to start taking some things apart if you want to get to the bottom of this.

 

[2slo4u]

take a plug out and put it in the spark plug wire..have someone turn the key over and see if there's spark.

you have to put it to something metal to see if the spark is there or what color the spark is

 

[EK_GUY]

Lots of things to check for those symptoms, common things to check are: is fuel pump priming? If so, is it right pressure? Main relay could do that, cap and rotor is a pretty common one, happened to me just a couple weeks ago! Are your plugs bridged at .040? Are they getting spark? Unfortunately there are many things, your gonna have to do some troubleshooting or bring it into a shop!

 

[EK_GUY]

Ignition coil is another fairly common one but I believe that was suggested already! Gl

 

[00siboy]

you have to put it to something metal to see if the spark is there or what color the spark is

I know that there are a lot of people suggesting things all at once so I will try to break it down from where you should start.

1. Check spark. Buy a spark intensity tester (not very expensive, can be found many places). You plug it into the end of the spark plug wire one at a time, start the car, and if you have blue spark on each wire then you have good ignition. This does not necessarily mean that you have good ignition timing.

2. Check fuel pressure. This will require a fuel pressure tester, so if you don't have one you will have trouble diagnosing anything much further than this.

Hope this helps. Its just a start but the basics should be covered before you go and replace expensive parts that are not defective.

 

[kozy6871]

I've gotten the 420 code before, but mine was caused by a cracked exhaust manifold.

 

[dcboardr41]

could be your distributor, mine died while driving and we did the spark plug test and figured out the dizzy was messed up

 

[99civicchic]

ok well my next question is will someone come look at it for me? lol.

 

[RonJ]

If you are unable to do basic troubleshooting, then it's time to pay a mechanic.