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2000 Civic LX does not crank start. Starter turns. Does not crank does not fire up. Thought it was probably the timing belt, but inspection of the top part looks fine. I did not try to see if spark plug wires would Arc to engine before taking off valve cover. Never had any symptoms to suggest the flywheel is stripped. I guess it could be the starter solenoid? If it's not a strip flywheel, not a fuel issue, not Spark, what else could it be, anything? Help! 300 miles to get home this weekend.

 
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Do you mean the starter motor is turning but engine does not turn with starter?
Does it sound different?

 
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I think the starter is engaging the flywheel and the starter does turn, but the engine isn't turn[ing] over. Distributor cap was damaged. Replaced it. Still doesn't turn over. Sounds a lot more like it wants to now . Coil pack maybe? Bout to check if I'm getting spark.

 
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All plug wires are getting spark.

 
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is the starter motor spinning faster by sound?
If so, it could have lost its teeth to engage the flywheel

 
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Nah. It's engaging the flywheel. It's getting spark. It won't start with starting fluid, so I'm gonna rule out fuel. The rotor turns when the crankshaft pulley is rotated, so everything from the starter to the distributor seems to be working. I don't think it ever jumped time. I also pried open the exhaust while trying to start it and smoke came out but it still wouldn't turn over, so it seems an exhaust obstruction is unlikely(?). Three out of four spark plugs WERE loose AF, so maybe it has been suffering from poor compression for a while (but not now).

It did _almost_ turn over after 6 hours of fiddling, but it just rumbled and grumbled and never turned over. Prior to not starting Wednesday, it similarly rumbled and hesitated before starting maybe three times in the last month. But it has always started after no more than a second of hesitation.

Any other ideas? could the coil pack be bad and causing this even though I'm getting spark?

 
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Hunh, this statement means the engine is not turning...
Do you mean the engine is rotating but not firing up?

This does matter when you are looking into a computer screen reading a post... Confusing statements using names that does not correspond to things actually happening will only confuse people trying to help.

 
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letting that aside, from older posts, you had a 05 hatch until this new thread, so let's skip that too.
you now have a 2000 civic

a distributor engine does not have coil packs, forget checking them.

you have checked:

• damaged distributor cap - replaced
• checked for spark
• checked fuel? "It won't start with starting fluid, so I'm gonna rule out fuel"
• "Thought it was probably the timing belt, but inspection of the top part looks fine" - have you checked the bottom part to see if timing is correct? "I don't think it ever jumped time" is not enough
• "so maybe it has been suffering from poor compression for a while (but not now). " - check it

 
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"you mean the engine is rotating but not firing up?"
The engine is bolted into the car via the engine mounts and neither are rotating. However the starter is rotating the flywheel, and the crankshaft, crankshaft pulley, camshaft, and rotor, are all rotating as they should in response to the starter turning the flywheel. I'm getting a hint of ignition, but the engine does not turn over. (turn over (of an engine) start or continue to run properly."the engine turned over when we tried it with the starter handle")

This thing does have _a_ coil pack in it. Its the transitional design between the old cylindrical ignition coils that were usually mounted on the wall of the engine compartment and the newer cars with a coil pack on each spark plug. Not really my forte, but that's the design. Hence my being clueless about problems with them.

I'll recheck the other stuff. Thanks, seriously.

 
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For 99% of people "turn over" means cranks. So you have a crank no start condition for future reference. As opposed to no crank, no start.
might need a new igniter or coil. Buy oe parts, dont get cheap parts from the parts store. There's videos on how to check the coil and the igniter

 
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oh, darn, true.
For some reason my mind went straight to the individual coil packs on top of the plugs.
the cars with distributors i had were all the single coil

 
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Interesting. I've always understood it to mean what the dictionary folks said it means--that it cranks, ignites, and continues to run. 🤷 I will look for those videos!

 
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Let's organize things a bit, should help on finding what else to try:
Symptoms:

• engine turns
• not firing up

Checked items:

• Engine timing - "Thought it was probably the timing belt, but inspection of the top part looks fine." - you will take a look into camshaft/crankshaft to confirm engine timing is correct fully.
• "All plug wires are getting spark." - OK
• Sparks in plugs - are they strong? potentially change for new plugs?
• "Distributor cap was damaged. Replaced it." - Maybe try another rotor too? You can try a scrapyard one, use site car-part.com to look into scrapyards nearby. Heck, you can get a whole distributor just to test.
• "The rotor turns when the crankshaft pulley is rotated, so everything from the starter to the distributor seems to be working. I don't think it ever jumped time." - Check distributor timing anyway?
• "It won't start with starting fluid, so I'm gonna rule out fuel." - does the fuel pump prime when you turn key to position II? I think on older cars there was an easy way to test if fuel is getting to the front - test anyway?
• Potential plugged CAT - "I also pried open the exhaust while trying to start it and smoke came out but it still wouldn't turn over, so it seems an exhaust obstruction is unlikely(?)." - OK, that should be enough to test.check this one out
• "Three out of four spark plugs WERE loose AF, so maybe it has been suffering from poor compression for a while (but not now)."" - as mentioned before, you were going to check
• "could the coil pack be bad and causing this even though I'm getting spark?" - potentially? as the distributor, get some in junkyard to test?

Things not tried yet

• exhaust checked, so remove air filter too to test? Although if you used starter fluid, you already have opened the throttle body?
• igniter - test , same as coil
• have you removed the distributor wires to plugs? If yes, recheck if order is right?
• if flooded, leave without plugs to dry cylinder for a while
• there is always a potential for ECU going out, not many in the 6th gen, but common on the 7th gen. If you have a friend with similar engine, you could try using it? or scrapyard one

 
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Checked items:

• Engine timing - "Thought it was probably the timing belt, but inspection of the top part looks fine." - you will take a look into camshaft/crankshaft to confirm engine timing is correct fully.

i put it at TDC and confirmed the rotor was in the cylinder 1 firing position.

• "All plug wires are getting spark." - OK
• Sparks in plugs - are they strong? potentially change for new plugs?

I cleaned them with a wire brush. They look fine. Can check strength of spark when I have a helper.

• "Distributor cap was damaged. Replaced it." - Maybe try another rotor too? You can try a scrapyard one, use site car-part.com to look into scrapyards nearby. Heck, you can get a whole distributor just to test.

I did buy a new rotor but the nut is so tight on the old one that I'm gonna need an easy-out to remove it. Old one appears in good condition.

• "The rotor turns when the crankshaft pulley is rotated, so everything from the starter to the distributor seems to be working. I don't think it ever jumped time." - Check distributor timing anyway?

Not sure how I'd do this beyond previously mentioned.

"It won't start with starting fluid, so I'm gonna rule out fuel." - does the fuel pump prime when you turn key to position II? I think on older cars there was an easy way to test if fuel is getting to the front - test anyway?

Maybe i could remove the fuel rail to do this? Fouled injectors? I remove the line that goes from the fuel filter to the rail and it has gas in it up to that point.

• Potential plugged CAT - "I also pried open the exhaust while trying to start it and smoke came out but it still wouldn't turn over, so it seems an exhaust obstruction is unlikely(?)." - OK, that should be enough to test.check this one out

This thing (D16Y7) 1-piece manifold- catalytic converter. I previously opened the exhaust downstream of that. I disconnected the manifold and wedged it open. Also removed the plugs and let the chambers dry out. In this state it almost fired up initially but just burped and nada.

ree out of four spark plugs WERE loose AF, so maybe it has been suffering from poor compression for a while (but not now)."" - as mentioned before, you were going to check

No pressure guage unfortunately.

• "could the coil pack be bad and causing this even though I'm getting spark?" - potentially? as the distributor, get some in junkyard to test?

Things not tried yet

• exhaust checked, so remove air filter too to test? Although if you used starter fluid, you already have opened the throttle body? Yes
• igniter - test , same as coil

is this a thing? YouTube said if you're getting spark past that then rule it out. gotta get thay easy-out to remove the rotor to test.

• have you removed the distributor wires to plugs? If yes, recheck if order is right? only ever remove one at a time
• if flooded, leave without plugs to dry cylinder for a while done
• there is always a potential for ECU going out, not many in the 6th gen, but common on the 7th gen. If you have a friend with similar engine, you could try using it? or scrapyard one Ack. If only.

I drove this thing 300 miles two Fridays ago and drove around town earlier this week. It has been running fine. Aside from rumbling and hesitating momentarily on start I've had no symptoms.

This thing does need a head gasket (like every old Honda) but it's been stable. Never a sign of water in the oil, and no sign of new oil in the coolant. It leaks oil to the exterior and eats about a quart per month. I did add about a half quart too much oil before my last long drive a week ago, and now it's just about right--withing range but maybe a half pint low when cold.

• Could an obstructed exhaust have made it jump a tooth on the timing belt? It couldn't be further off than one tooth, judging from the rotor position (assuming I'm right about cyl 1 being up and the rotor being in cyl 1 firing position when crankshaft is at TDC). I can't imagine how else that might've happened, and the crank-no start condition did appear after running fine and being parked.
• So, how to further test fuel--should i pull the rail?
• Is it warranted that I remove the head cover and timing chain cover to double check the timing?
• Compression? Is that really a likely candidate?
• Could the bad head gasket have caused this? I put a probe in to check for fluids in the combustion chambers while I had the plugs out and it came out clean and dry on every cylinder.

FML. This was only supposed to last as long as it took me to fix the EP3, but the EP3 has had one problem after another. Was gonna buy a new car this week while I'm in a city, but the nearest place that has it in stock is back home in BFE. I definitely did something to ****-off the car gods.

 
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Okay. So now I'm not getting spark to any plugs. Hooray for things that can be fixed.

 
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It would require a timing light


Unsure if this is the same in the 6th gen, it is not there in the 7th gen (filter is in the tank)

OK, so likely not the case

huh-ho... this is a whole new can of worms... Is your overflow reservoir full of coolant? That is how headgasket breaches do in these D-engines from 6th to 7th gen.
mine would also let coolant seep in to cylinders when engine stopped...
Confirmation method

not likely

 
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forgot
try a different camshaft/crankshaft sensor.
They must be OEM, aftermarket are known to not work or fail in weeks

 
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Do the fuel injectors operate off the cam sensor? There's no CEL. Does the ignition module respond to the CPS? Could this explain everything? Wow.

 
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how it was programmed, is a black box, only honda knows. so don't know the answer to that. get a couple from junkyards, denso or NTK, and try them

 
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I'm going to have to find an angle grinder to put a slot in the set screw for the rotor to try to get it out with a flat head before I can test the ignition module and coil, but I checked overflow Reservoir. There's no oil in it and there hasn't been for a couple months. But the coolant level has been stable with the reservoir half full for that long. Now the Overflow Reservoir is empty, and there is no external coolant leak. So that does not bode well. I'll do the pressure test later.

Someone in some Facebook group said something about a aftermarket head gasket they were a big fan of. Is there something you all would recommend or should I just go OEM?

also, if I use pressure to clear any water out of the cylinders and manage to get it started, you think I'm good to take that thing on the road, or should I err on the side of caution?

 
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Ouch, the pressure test is just to confirm, but if empty, 90% chances it is the gasket.

if felpro, mixed reviews on 7th gen cars. I chose OEM, difference was not big considering the work required.

The gasket might be letting coolant seep into cylinders when not running, but it makes harder to start, not stop it, so just a factor.
If engine not overheating, it means small breach.
After I diagnosed as gasket, I still drove for 6 months. After that, drove from Quebec to TN (1200 miles) and started working on replacing in my own garage.
Luck of the draw, it could have really blown bad in the way back.
If it overheats, then it's to the shop.

 
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I might do the test later today after I get some hours on the clock. I didn't see any water in the cylinders when I put a probe in them. So, maybe I can get home if loss on compression isn't too bad. But, now I have the loss of spark to contend with. (Why can't I have just one problem at a time?! Ugh.) I had spark after I changed the rotor cap. Now, nada. 🤦

I wonder if I could've broken something when I was using a hammer and screwdriver to break the set screw free.

 
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Honestly i would grab a complete distributor from a car in the junkyard and throw it on

 
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Word. I think it would be damn near impossible to find a junked 6th gen with a motor still in it. I just ordered one from ebay. Salvage yards tend to yank the motors to sell as a unit if they arent destroyed.

 
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So, I blew compressed air into the cylinders. It was impossible to get a perfect seal with the materials at hand, but I didn't see any movement in the coolant level in the radiator. So the leak can't be that bad.

I also checked to see that the fuel pump is working by loosening the line on the filter and turning the key. All good. I then used air to blast the fuel out of the filter, rail and the line between the two. In case my problem is bad fuel, I wanted all that out and I poured fresh gas into the filter and poured a couple gallons into the tank. After I get spark, we'll see if that makes a difference.

 
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Conclusion: new distributor. Vroom vroom.

 
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A junkyard one?

 
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ebay. 50 bucks.

 
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But an oem one? Not aftermarket

 
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Just a POS aftermarket one. Apparently works. This car isn't a keeper. I just gotta unload it and get back to work on my EP3. i did order an OEM head gasket for it though.