Cranks but won't start, battery light ON, oil light OFF

General engine questions/issues that aren't specific to the other categories
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Cranks but won't start, battery light ON, oil light OFF

By BaTzEG92
- Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:09 pm #279631 Hello all. I have a strange issue with my 1992 hatch (D15) which started a few days ago. Some background details:

1. Last Thursday, I took a left turn pretty quick, and mid-turn I saw my oil light turn on, just for the duration of the turn - once I straightened out, the light went off. I just chalked this up to oil sloshing around, but I'd never seen it before when taking hard turns.

2. This Saturday, I was making a slow left turn (from a stoplight) and just after the turn, she stalled (while it was snowing, no less :cry: ). Cranked strong but wouldn't turn over, battery and oil light stayed on while cranking. Got pushed into a parking lot by a cop, checked oil level and I was a little more than a quart low. Topped the oil off, cranked, nothing, waited a few minutes, cranked again and she roared to life, idled strong, and got me home (20 minute drive).

3. This morning, I went to go to work and had the same symptoms as Saturday - oil/battery light (initially) stayed on while cranking, won't turn over. After 3 or so cranks, the oil light went OFF but the battery light stayed ON. I tried jumping it, but that's apparently not the issue as it didn't turn over while jumped.

Did some quick research before getting a ride to work and saw that it could be:

Damp electrical components
Bad alternator
Bad electrical grounds (between battery and alternator, thermostat and main relay, etc).

Are any of those likely, and if so, would they be intermittent to where it worked Saturday and not today? If not, any ideas as to what I should check/troubleshoot next?

Any help is much appreciated :-)
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By aceboogie
- Mon Oct 31, 2011 3:03 pm #279633 I had kinda the same problem then i realized i had a bad o2 sensor and after the quick fix she worked perfect.
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By BaTzEG92
- Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:06 pm #279637 Appreciate the replies, guys.

Can the O2 sensor actually cause that kind of problem?

And as for the main relay, I replaced that this past spring, was marked as an official Honda part but I guess A) it could still break or B) could have been sneakily packaged. I will check later to make sure it is securely wired and that solder looks good.
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By aceboogie
- Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:53 pm #279640 well the o2 does cause burning oil so that could be a reason for the low oil light to come on once in a while. I had to put two quarts in my car almost every other day after i drove. A bad o2 can also cause random stalling and poor fuel economy. So it could be burning out your oil and gas making it hard to actually start. My 94 civic ex would sputter and never want to start either even when i had gas.
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By BaTzEG92
- Mon Oct 31, 2011 11:04 pm #279665 Two quarts of oil every other day? You must have had a constant cloud of smoke behind you haha.

Tried again (just got home from work) and after I crank, the oil light goes off for 3 seconds (battery light stays on) and then oil light comes back on.

I'm going to go try the old Main Relay to see if that's the issue (though that usually causes problems in hot weather, not cold, but it's easy to try). After that I figure I'll pull the dizzy cover and make sure the rotor is clean and a'movin'. After that....well, not sure :?

By BoostedEg8116
- Tue Nov 01, 2011 2:01 am #279679 i had someehat of same problem an it was main relay an fuel pump
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By BaTzEG92
- Tue Nov 01, 2011 3:08 am #279684 Both relays (old and new) click when ignition is on, and neither one seems to do the trick. And I can hear fuel running in the fuel rail.

That said, I pulled all 4 plug wires from each plug, stuck an old plug into the wire and grounded against a motor mount - no spark while cranking. Unfortunately I don't have a voltmeter, but I stuck a test light into the yellow/black plug of the harness on the distributor and it did not light while the ignition was on (not sure if it should have, I'm weak with electrical stuff).

I replaced the distributor about 6 months ago, that shouldn't be the problem, but what should I check if power isn't getting to the distributor anyway? I'd hate to think about a bad wire in the harness somewhere...

What really throws me is that I got home fine on Saturday, turned her off and then boom, this morning it doesn't work - what changed while it sat in the driveway for 2 days?
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By teal_dx
- Tue Nov 01, 2011 5:15 pm #279745 Did you replace the Distributor with a new or used one? If new, was it OEM or from a parts store like Autozone?

Sounds like maybe a faulty coil or ICM.

Cheap parts are prone to trouble - always go for OEM Honda :thumb:

I'd check all of your grounds first since that's quick & free.

You never had a check engine light on when the car was running right?
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By BaTzEG92
- Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:09 pm #279763 Thank you for the input, Teal :thumb:.

I replaced the distributor with a remanufactured one, from Autozone :? (money was tight), this one here, actually - http://tinyurl.com/3pzvfkf.

Does the test I tried make electrical sense, in which I hooked the test light to the distributor harness with the ignition on? I'm not ruling out the distributor as the cause, but if the harness isn't getting power... (edit: I realize I'm a dope, proving my electrical ineptness. I checked the power to the harness via the black/yellow when it was disconnected, thus it wasn't grounded. Unfortunately, I don't think a test light will detect voltage like a voltmeter will - need to buy one of those.)

And no, I did not have a CEL on at any point. As of last night, I set the ignition, CEL goes off after 2 seconds, main relay clicks, battery/oil light stay on, then while I crank the oil light goes off but battery stays on.

I will be sure to check the grounds as well - I'm familiar with the battery's ground, alternator and valve cover - what others should be checked? (Edit: I found this picture [http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii320/RonJ_HCF/picture_3401.jpg] from this link [http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1998336]). Does that look correct?
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By teal_dx
- Wed Nov 02, 2011 4:11 am #279797 That diagram looks correct to me :thumb:

Know anyone locally with a civic?

See if you can trade Distributors with them for 5 mins. Just be sure to mark where they are before you take them off so you won't have to re-time the motors after.
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By BaTzEG92
- Thu Nov 03, 2011 1:37 am #279915 Grounds all check out. None of my immediate acquaintances own a Civic, unfortunately.

As for getting an OEM distributor (30100-P06-A02) - where should I be looking? I've Googled the hell out of the part number and "Honda Parts" and every site/store I find says the TEC is discontinued. Unless any brick+mortars sell OEM Honda parts.

Side note - is TEC the brand, or another name for distributor? Timing Electronic Control?
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By BaTzEG92
- Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:44 pm #280059
teal_dx wrote:Did you replace the Distributor with a new or used one? If new, was it OEM or from a parts store like Autozone?

Sounds like maybe a faulty coil or ICM.

Cheap parts are prone to trouble


Chalk another starting issue up to a faulty ICM. Took the distributor back to Autozone, ripped out the ICM and had them test it - toasted. Got a replacement under warranty, reinstalled it (had some problems getting it to kick over after doing so, timing was out of whack) but voila, a running Civic.

Thank you all for the assistance :thumb:. I hope it doesn't happen again but if it does I may just buy an OEM ICM and start there, then ask for my money back from Autozone.
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