I_wantaDOHC

So I have this 95 Civic. The car ran fine, then after a few days of snow, and not driving it, it wont start. I just put in a brand new starter and new spark plugs. When I crank the car it makes a whining sound, like the starter motor is running, but it is not starting. I pulled the plugs, dried them off, (covered in gas) and checked for sparks. They are pretty dim and the sparks are orange. From trying to start the car so much, I think the engine is flooded with gas. I really need to get my car started and running. Any help is appreciated!

ezone

Battery: Charge it up
Spark: Need to be able to jump about 1/2 inch gap. Color is not relevant.

Plugs need to be dried off or replaced

Cylinders need oiled, dump about a tablespoon of engine oil down each plug hole, then crank it over without the plugs in it for about 15 seconds.

Reinstall plugs

Hold gas pedal to the floor and crank it. Crank for 15 seconds then let it sit for at least a full minute to let the starter cool off.

Should start sounding more normal for cranking pretty soon, then start trying to fire

It's gonna smoke like hell once it runs.

I_wantaDOHC

I tried what you said. I heard a couple of pop noises and saw black smoke. It sounded like it wanted to start, but didn't. I tried starting it around 10 times, but the only the first 3 times it sounded like it wanted to start. What should I try next?

ezone

I'm guessing it's probably still flooded. It can take a lot of trying to get it cleared out and running again.

Are the plugs still wet with gasoline?

Is the compression low from flooding, or has it come up again? (Does it sound like it should while cranking, or does it still sound weak?)

(The sequences of cranking until you hear compression coming back, then hearing it try to fire, and knowing whether to release or floor the gas pedal takes some experience. It's damn hard to explain.)




Once it runs, drive it until it's up to operating temperature.

If you start an engine, you better plan on driving that sucker a while. Flooding frequently happens when someone starts the engine and moves the car in the driveway (or similar) then shuts it off before the engine is warmed up. The next time you try to run it, it won't start (flooded).

I_wantaDOHC

Yeah the plugs are still wet, and it sounds pretty weak. The times it made that popping noise, it sounded a little weaker than how it should, but a noticeable difference compared to how it was. I don't know much about cars and engines yet, but learning more everyday. Sorry about the short, uneducated replies. haha

ezone

Well, when an engine "floods" for whatever reason, the raw fuel washes the oil film off the cylinder walls and the rings lose their ability to seal.....this results in loss of compression. The loss of compression is why the starter sounds so different. (Weeeweeeweeweewee instead of ruhruhruhruhruh ..... LOL)


Holding the gas pedal to the floor while cranking is supposed to cancel the fuel injection so it stops squirting even more fuel in.... and hopefully the cranking will dry some of the raw gas and bring back some of the compression.

Wet plugs do not reliably ignite fuel. They need to be dried off and if fouled they may need replaced.

Adding oil to the cylinders helps get compression back that much faster, gets fresh oil on the cylinder walls to help the rings seal again.


Once there is SOME compression again, hopefully it will try to fire on whatever fuel is still remaining in the cylinders.

So maybe it starts firing, first one at a time, then a couple, then none. Again.
This is where it gets real tricky, it's hard to know if the engine needs more or less fuel. This is where experience is needed.

If it lost compression again, keep the gas pedal flat on the floor.
If it's still got compression, let up off the pedal and see if it tries to fire again.

I_wantaDOHC

White smoke is now coming out of the intake manifold.. I'm not sure what to do about it.. I bought the car for $800, is it worth fixing?

ezone

Intake? From where? You mean exhaust? You first said exhaust.

You got it running now?

Remember, I told you this:
Let it smoke. It's gotta burn off all that oil that was spilled on the exhaust, and burn all that oil out of the exhaust.

It's gotta get the exhaust HOT in order to burn it all off and out.