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Hello, I tried to start my 98 Civic EX today and it just wouldn't turn. I know it's not the battery or alternator mainly because they are both new but also the other symptoms I am having. About a week ago I had a guy at work ask me if I was burning oil because I had some black smoke come out of my exhaust. Obviously that scared me at first so I went and checked my oil and it was fine. I have already figured that is not the problem. I have also the past 2 weeks or so, had my rpm gauge be wonky. Just jumps around all over the place. Also a lot of misfires. Press the gas and the car hesitates a bit before the car moves. I also have poor fuel economy which makes me believe the black smoke coming from my exhaust and my poor fuel economy are linked. I had thought maybe I had a bad igniter coil but I was reading on a different forum that 98 civics do not have igniter coils.

TL;DR

-Bad Fuel Economy
-Black Smoke from Exhaust (Which I don't see it but apparently the guy at work does).
-RPM Gauge all over the place
-Car is hesitant when I go to accelerate.
-Hasn't had a tune up since I bought so I have no idea the last time it got some plugs, wires and new cap and rotor.

Thanks for the help guys and sorry this post is so long.

 
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Oh and I didn't add this in the OP. There are no dash lights on. No check engine, nothing.

 
Rep Power: 518

Your steering is broken?? Sounds effin dangerous.

Does this mean the starter does not engage at all?

HINT: The word you chose is ambiguous and incorrect for the problem at hand.
Use terms like "Crank" and "Run", in phrases such as "Won't crank", or "Will crank but won't run".

It's gotta do the first before the second can happen.
You can have a new battery and run it dead, just leave the headlights on for a few hours.

Starter inop is its own problem.
Starter operation is treated as completely independent of all other issues, until you figure out why it does not work.. THEN the cause might be associated with other problems....but one has to know the answers to both before one can make that association.

Black is associated with fuel. Oil smoke is usually blue.
General association will be ignition related, my first suspicion is loose or mis-connected igniter wire terminal connections. See this bulletin for info: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/p0420/A05-027.pdf

Yes.

The tach jumping needs figured out first.

"Igniter" and "coil" (ignition coil) are 2 separate parts. You ran the names together, there is no such animal.

 
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Well then I guess I am sorry for using bad terminology. Let me clarify.

It will crank but not turn over.

I understand you can run a battery dead by leaving lights on or any other thing in the car that would cause the battery to drain, what I am saying is that they are new and I know that I did not leave a light on. Other reason I know they are fine is because I was driving her, pulled in my drive way, turned the car off, when I turned her off, the car shook a little bit and didn't feel right so I tried starting her up right away and when I did she would crank but not turn over.

And I know that ignition coil and igniter are two separate parts. It was late and I screwed up, sorry.

Anyway, so I tried starting her up this morning and this time she did start, it sounded rough but she did start. Thanks for the reply. Sorry my terminology didn't meet your standards.

 
Rep Power: 518

Effective communication is important.
(I'm guilty of poor communication sometimes too.)

I had no clue what your "turn" problem is, as I tried to point out in the reply. Sometimes my sense of humor is mistaken for me being an azzhole.
Sometimes I'm just an azzhole though.

I could have skipped the entire first half of that reply, had I known.


The phrase "turn over" is just as bad when people use it by itself. Ambiguous and grossly misused.
Sorta better. At least I have an idea of your complaint this time.

Sounds like it's not a starter or battery issue at all now.

Anyway.....
Ok then, I'd say to start with the most obvious running problem first.

You described an apparent ignition related problem with the tach jumping, that's an obvious issue.

The signal for the tach comes directly from the igniter.

The link I gave had the bulletin about a problem, and tells what to do about it. It may or may not be the actual cause of your tach jumping, but more than once I have seen your same tach complaint associated with the same loose fitting terminals on the igniter.

An ignition problem can certainly stop the engine from running.
So can many other problems.

Fix what you know is broke first, then see what happens.
There could always be more issues, but I'd fix this one first.

HTH

 
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Yeah no problem. Thanks, appreciate the help, I am going to go take a look at the link.

 
Rep Power: 156

find someone who has the same engine (should be a d16y8) and put their distributor on your car and see if it fixes it. Let us know what happens after that.