Rep Power: 0

My boyfriend owns a 95 Civic DX manual transmission. A few days ago the battery light started coming on only when the car was idle. We were on the way to pick up the kids from school so we kept going. Next the speedometer went out, then the battery light started staying on for a longer period of time and then the brake lights and radio went out. We spent a few days testing it. Battery was removed and charged, the car started for a few minutes then died.

Checked the VSS it's good, battery volts go up when started (key word is WHEN). Checked all fuses, When I checked the distributor it had oil in the cap and on the igniter unit. I cleaned it off, hooked it back up and tested the wires. The 2 running to the ingintion coil are getting power, the two that ran from the igniter out of the distributor did not. I have checked for breaks in the wire, checked the ECU but there has never been a check engine light on from the begining.

Today it miraculously started and drove around at full speed for about an hour then it started again. This time it had only got to the point of the battery light coming on before we got it home. When we opened the hood there was fuel leaking from the filter and oil in the distributor again.

Things I have noticed
-the rotor brush on the distributor has a spot that is corroded and rusting.
-The 3rd spark plug from the distributor is knocking pretty hard compaired to the others
-The problem started shortly after he added a fuel cleaner.
-obviously the distributor needs a new o-ring at the least to keep the oil from leaking in.

The fact that the car started today made me doubt my reading on the ignition unit which in turn makes me doubt all my other readings with the multi meter.

While we had it running we took it to the auto parts store and the test they did said the battery and alternator are fine.

Could anyone tell me what would cause all these things? Could the distributor cause all these problems with the speedometer and battery light? What would cause the fuel filter to leak?

I am the victim of layoffs and his car is my only means of transportation to find and job and to get my kids around. Please help!

 
Rep Power: 811

usually battery light means theres a problem with the charging system. almost always a bad alternator. but it sounds like the car has all sorts of other serious problems. a bad distributor could be sucking alot of power if its not timed or has a problem and youre pulling too much voltage. at least replace the rotor button which is usually the first to go bad. the cap you may be able to reuse but where is the oil leaking from, there should be no oil in the cap at all. usually leaking oil means you need a new distributor.

 
Rep Power: 0

Well we had to have the starter rebuilt, ran great for 2 or 3 days, then it happened again.

We were driving with the radio on, turned on the headlights and within 2 minutes the radio died, followed by the speedometer then the headlights. Check engine light came on, battery light comes on only when the car is idle. Battery was dead when we coasted into the driveway.

We charged the battery and it started again but the battery light still comes on. We pulled a code 43 off the check engine which implies its a fuel system problem but would that cause all these other problems? Or could it be that the fuel system wasn't able to draw enough power due to the battery dying?

We've tested the alternator on and off the car at Autozone and O'Reily's 3 times and each time they said the alternator was good. Could it maybe be the connection to the alternator? If so how can I test it to be sure?

I have looked all over the internet, and I have gotten everything from a bad O2 sensor to faulty wiring. I don't know what else to do.

 
Rep Power: 811

a simple multimeter or voltmeter can be used to check charging system voltage directly at the battery. with the car running, it should be around 14v. if not, the power is not getting from the alternator to the battery. make sure all connections on the battery and alternator are tight, and inspect the fuse box for loose wires.

 
Rep Power: 0

ok, i'm doing this from memory but this may help. First of all, the leaking fuel filter has nothing to do with the electrical issues. It is also correct that you need a distributor if oil is inside the cap. The seal inside the distributor is bad and can't be replaced without superior skills, tools and resources.
Check your fuses again carefully, in the underdash fusebox. If memory serves me it's #15 that I suspect. If its blown (or even if its not) check the wiring harness that runs from the passenger side strut tower across and under the intake manifold. Look carefully right where it crosses the intake manifold bracket. You may see bare wires that are shorting on the bracket at times. The wire that usually gets rubbed through provides power for the vss, o2 sensor, and i think it turns on the charge light as well. Many of those cars suffer this problem eventually and few people know to look at this.
Hope this helps!