1999 civic problems

[Long-C]

I have a 1999 civic ex and a couple weeks ago I was coming home from work and it overheated on me. By the way it's my gas saver not my main vehicle, but anyways there's a hose underneath the distributor cap the goes from the motor to this thing on the firewall. I had to take the distributor off to get the hose clamp off and when I put the distributor back on I think I got it out of time because now it won't start. It will crank but won't start. I don't have a manual with the car so can anyone tell me how to get the distributor back in time with the cam I believe is what it connects to. I attached a picture of the part I pulled off that needs to be back in time, I'm pretty sure it's the distributor though. Thanks in advance

 

[daperez13]

No picture attached.

The distributor only goes in one way. If you did not mark the position on your distributor, then you will need a timing gun to re-adjust it to the recommended ignition timing. If you removed the spark plug wires, it's possible that you did not put them back in the correct firing order. Get a manual or look it up on-line, it will make your life a whole lot easier.

If the car overheated, there's a chance you blew the head gasket and you may have antifreeze or oil in the combustion chambers. This will prevent the car from starting and more work will be involved in resolving the issue. Don't panic through, if you are mechanically inclined or have a relative or friend that is, it can be done in a garage with some tools. A reputable shop that can check/resurface your head will be extra insurance.

 

[Long-C]

I didn't remove the plug wires they are in the spots they should be in, so that's the only way to check the timing is with a gun? There isn't a mark or anything like that?

 

[Long-C]

I don't think it's a head gasket because the car only has 140k miles on it and I've had it since 100k miles and the only thing I've done in it is drive it to work and school, all highway driving

 

[Long-C]

But the weird thing is after I put the distributor back on and got everything put back together, I started the car and it fired right up. I let it idle for a few mins then hit the gas and it died, it acted like it flooded out and died. And I haven't got it to start since.

 

[daperez13]

I didn't remove the plug wires they are in the spots they should be in, so that's the only way to check the timing is with a gun? There isn't a mark or anything like that?

You can try centering the distributor by marking the furthest points of travel in either direction and then placing your center mark in between those two marks as a starting point, then adjusting the distributor in either direction until he car starts to smooth out. Still, it should ultimately be checked with a gun to be sure it's within spec. Try an auto parts store, they usually rent tools out for free. Or maybe someone else will chime in with a different approach.

 

[daperez13]

I don't think it's a head gasket because the car only has 140k miles on it and I've had it since 100k miles and the only thing I've done in it is drive it to work and school, all highway driving

It doesn't matter how many miles the car has, you can overheat a vehicle within the first 50 miles off the dealer lot and cause damage. If the car overheated and you did not stop immediately at the first sign of it, there's a good chance the head gasket will blow and allow coolant and/or oil in the cylinders.

A quick way to check this is by looking at the oil dipstick and verifying that there is no coolant in it. If you notice a watery substance or sludge in the dipstick, chances are you blew the head gasket. Another way is by doing a compression test on all cylinders and comparing them to the manufacture's specifications.

 

[daperez13]

But the weird thing is after I put the distributor back on and got everything put back together, I started the car and it fired right up. I let it idle for a few mins then hit the gas and it died, it acted like it flooded out and died. And I haven't got it to start since.

It could be that the cylinders are flooded with gasoline and now the spark plugs won't ignite. Try cleaning them out or replacing them and see if that helps. If the car is completely out of timing, the pistons could hit the valves and cause even more damage. You would definitely hear the engine knocking or really bad noises if that was the case, however, removing the spark plugs and turning the engine in it's intended direction by hand should verify this.

 

[Joe Mason]

It could be that the cylinders are flooded with gasoline and now the spark plugs won't ignite. Try cleaning them out or replacing them and see if that helps. If the car is completely out of timing, the pistons could hit the valves and cause even more damage. You would definitely hear the engine knocking or really bad noises if that was the case, however, removing the spark plugs and turning the engine in it's intended direction by hand should verify this.

The valves would not hit the piston in this situation. For that to happen, the timing belt would have to have been removed and the cam gear set improperly.