94 Hatch won't start

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Mooky_Stank

Mooky_Stank

Hatchback Lover
I just had a B16a put in my 94 CX Hatch, it ran for about 2 weeks and now it won't start. I took the starter in and Autozone tested it and said it was bad, after two failed attempts to get the correct one from them, I finally just had mine rebuilt. Now the car will still not start, it doesn't turn over, it doesn't click or anything. My mechanic suggested that it might be the clutch sensor, but I'm at a loss, and don't have money to take it to him for him just to fix something simple. Also when the car starts up (when it did) it seems that the engine is struggling to stay on, and occassionaly it will sputter and die. My uncle had suggested something with the timing, but I have absolutely no idea what to do about that as a problem or how to fix it. Any help would be appreciated.
 
How comfortable and competant are you with electrical testing? I can guide you through some tests that might help. Do you have a DMM(digital multimeter or voltmeter,not analog). The clutch sensor sounds like a definate possibility for the no start. For the running rough we can adress that problem once its running. Let me know what you think you can do and ill try to help.
 
also check your starter relay, if its not clicking or anything then your not getting power even to the starter solenoid. Switch the starter relay out with a known good relay just to eliminate that really quick.
 
Does sound like a timing issue? Could be a fuel problem as well if it were sputtering? Interesting I must say. I don't know but what type of fuel are you running? And was it just the starter that was bad or do you have like a bad spark plugs and distributor? As for the clutch, if you look at it under the dash there are 2 sensors, check them, cause they are so the car will not start in gear ect. Anyway z my 2 cents.. someone elts be along and completely dust me on that bro!
 
I don't really have any idea what I'm doing with electrical testing, and no I don't have a DIMM, I had read about that though, but it was in pretty much a different language to me. And as for the starter relay, where is that at? I don't know a whole lot about cars and I appreciate you guys helping me, as for the timing aspect, if it is something wrong with the timing, then I am completely screwed, lol. I can fool around and figure out the starter, relays, and other stuff, but I'm not even gonna try and mess with any of that shit. And as for the sputtering and stuff, it's a JDM engine so I probably need to replace the plugs, and see if the fuel injectors are icky.... I'm just lazy, lol.
 
Ok dont worry about timing or anything else. If your car does nothing when you turn the key it has nothing to do with timing. This is an issue with one of the following: battery, ignition switch, starter relay, starter solenoid, starter or the wiring between these. Once we find out why it wont even turn over then you can adress other issues. Look in all your fuse boxes and become familiar with them. The plastic box looking things in there about an 1"squared are relays. Read the top of the fuse box and it should tell you which one is for the starter. Either replace that one with a new one or find another from the fuse box that is the same and switch them. Let me know what you get. If this doesnt do anything then you will need to get a voltmeter of some sorts some how and I will help you with more.
 
NOTE: the clutch switch will also cause this but you need a volt/ohm meter to really diag it.
 
starter with no click, could be ignition switch? starter relay?, try to bypass the starter and see if it cranks, you can do that with just a wire from battery to starter, if it does crank then the relay or switch could be toast
 
Well I checked the fuses and relays and they all checked out. Whenever I looked at the diagram on top of the box inside the engine bay there wasn't a relay for Starter, there was one for Ignition, so I switched that one with another one and still nothing. Whenever I turn the key everything comes on, accessories, radio, etc. but when I try to crank it, it makes a single click like it's trying to send the signal, but then nothing else happens. I'm gonna take it by my mechanic and see if he can diagnose what the problem is and then I'll try to fix it... with you guys' help of course :D.
 
Hey sounds like your Ground to ya Batty is not on tight enough. My Ex did that awhile back. Would Click once everything would die.. No clock No nothing. try tighting down the + and - on the batty... :p
 
Ok, my Dad helped me and we figured out that it is the Clutch sensor. Apparently the little plunger just got old and crumbled. So now we've got to figure out what the hell to do, because it's like a 3 inch hole, and hard as heck to get to. I was wondering if it would be possible to take the sensor and just splice the two wires together that go into it and just bypass the whole damn thing.
 
You can bypass it doing that but its not a good idea. That switch is there for safety reasons. If you think you can get by without then bypass it. But I would recommend replacing the switch its not that expensive.
 
Ok, what happened is the little plastic stop that pushes the button in on the clutch sensor had just disentegrated. So when I was pushing the clutch in the little button was just going into a hole. And about bypassing it, I always push my clutch in anyway, and I always make sure that I have it in neutral before I crank the car, regardless of whether or not that sensor is there. For the time being I took a nickel rapped it in duct tape, and taped it over the hole. Lol, I know it's ghetto, but until payday that's all that I can do. And now I question whether or not my starter really was messed up or if the guys at Autozone acted like they hooked it up and nothing was actually wrong. I don't know maybe I just expect the worst from people. I really appreciate all of you guys' help, now I just have to pinpoint what is causing the car to sputter so bad when it is first cranked. Thank you all.
 
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