Cougar

You stated that the engine would still start up after it died. This to me means something other than the battery or charging system is at fault. I would suspect the fuel pump relay or possibly the ignition system is the cause of this trouble. If the trouble happens again check for spark getting to the plugs. Spraying starter fluid into the intake will show up a fuel problem. Other electrical possibilities are the ignition relay and switch. Also make sure the fusible link connections are snug and making good connection.

You may have the positions of the ignition wires mixed up on the disty. The rotor turns CCW I think. Firing order is 1-3-2-4. If you set the wiring positions by using the TDC of #1 cylinder hopefully you aren't 180 out of the compression stroke.

Connie, From the testing we have done so far I am not real convinced that something in the wiring harness is causing this trouble and that replacing it would end the problem. I would have to do more testing before I would suggest replacing it. Even if the trouble was due to a problem in the harness all that would need to be done is to run a new wire to replace the bad lead in the harness. If you are still willing to test things out on this further I think the best thing I can suggest doing is working with you over the phone. Hopefully you have a cordless or cellphone phone (and a headset would really help)that will allow you to be at the car while I can talk you through the testing. Trying to solve the trouble this way isn't working out too well. If want to do that and have some time to test let me know and I will give you my phone number. I don't think it will take more than 15 minutes to pin down the trouble using the phone.

A bad alternator can cause a current drain problem. Both the main lead and the 'S' lead of the alternator are hot to the battery at all times. A shorted blocking diode in the alternator will cause this kind of trouble. We have already established the fact that the current drain is tied to the alternator but three different ones have caused the same trouble.

Since you tried replacing the battery and the starter I assume the starter isn't working and the engine isn't turning over. Try starting it in neutral if that is the case. There is an inhibit switch for automatics. It is near the top of the transmission and may just need adjustment. If you are hearing a clicking when you try to start it then the starter solenoid contacts may need to be replaced.

Well unless the current drain is passing through the 'S' lead and the alternator regulator circuit I can't explain it. Since the 'L' lead appears to be a fairly high resistance at least it doesn't appear the leak is going back that way. That only leaves the 'S' lead to ground and a good alternator should not be a problem.

I agree Ed, the bottom wire should have some voltage on it when the ignition switch is ON. It would be interesting to know if the charge warning light comes on when the ignition is turned on since that wire is tied to the light. I thought some back feeding may be going on to that wire but Connie stated that the wire was showing a high resistance. Something is not right on that wire at least.

Well then I only have one more thing for you to do. I would like you to see if the field lead has a problem on it. I think this is the small white/red wire going to the back of the alternator. Here is the test: First connect all the wires back up like they should be normally. Then turn the ignition switch to the ON position without the engine running. Then use your voltmeter to measure the voltages with respect to ground on the two wires going to the back side of the alternator and tell me what the voltage is at each of the two wires.

If you haven't tied to start the car by using some starter fluid I recommend you try that. I suspect that the injectors aren't opening for some reason. Be sure to check all the fuses also if you haven't done that already.

Connie, Hold off on the crusher. Edrach and I have been conversing back and forth about this and think we have the problem figured out now. Ed seemed to recall in one of your earlier posts that you stated that the wires going to the back side of the alternator may have gotten reversed. So before you send it off reverse the two wires going to the plug and see what happens. Having the wires reversed makes perfect sense for this problem to happen. One of the wires ties to the battery and is hot at all times. The other wire is switched power through the ignition switch and charge warning lamp. So if the hot wire gets tied to the other field wire position of the alternator the rotor will be energized and draw several amps. Normally that won't happen until the ignition switch is turned on. This is what made us think the alternators were bad. We were not aware that really the wiring to the alternator could be wrong.

The error codes indicate a problem with the circuit wiring so before you dig into anything I recommend you first verify the wiring between the ECU and the sensors is ok.

Both of the codes you gave show a problem with the circuit to them, not with the sensors. If I remember correctly isn't it possible to mix the connectors up with themselves or other connectors? If that is so, try swapping the connectors.

Welcome to the forum. To see if you just have a fuel delivery problem spray some starter fluid into the intake. If the engine fires up you have confirmed it. If the engine doesn't fire remove the disty cap and make sure the rotor is turning when you try to start it. A broken belt can cause the shaft of the disty to not spin. I think you can access the wiring to the pump under the rear seat on the passenger side. If you need to test and make sure the pump is getting voltage you can do that there. Some designs use a switched ground design to the pump through the ECU.

Bad Brian, Are the tires on the car all the same and evenly worn. If not the trouble may be with them. As far as your Civic is concerned, have you checked to see if the coil is getting power to it and the minus side of the coil is pulsing (with a test light connected) as you crank the engine? If you haven't checked the operation these things yet then the coil may not be the trouble.

Maybe after you change out the plugs and tighten them the correct way cylinders 1 and 2 will work like they should. Since the plug was loose then the grounding wasn't as good as it should be and now will work better. Always use NGK plugs for best results.

You might take the car to an alignment shop to make sure the wheels are tracking ok. If that is good then maybe things will be ok regardless of the wreck. The car is never the same as a undamaged one though but the price is good. Dealer service records are a big plus. Premium gas, yes indeed but not a real biggie and you don't have to use it all the time. Check the Owner's Manual.

That is a steal of a price for a set of wheels. Hopefully someone will pick those up.

What the mechanic stated is true for the older H-4 motors. There is a timing chain in the H-6 that lasts longer than the belts. The engine also requires high octane gas to run like it should. If the car hasn't been previously damaged it sounds like a very good buy but it sounds to me that the car has something from the past history. If you haven't checked Car Fax it may be a good thing to do. Hopefully this car doesn't come with a Salvage Title. When you see deals like this you have to wonder why. Then again, good deals do happen. As always, buyer beware.

It sounds like you got a lot of bang for the buck along with fixing the problem Howard.

Good deal Howard. Thanks for the update.

The shop was talking about the DC ground for the radio. They don't realize the antenna needs a good ground bond also to work like it should. You should be able to just use a piece of wire to check the radio out. Get a 10 to 20 foot piece of wire and cut back the insulation on one end about a half inch. Then remove the antenna connector from the radio and install the wire end to the center pin connection. Then see how the signal comes in.

Glad the story turned out well.

I was refer to the plug you connected to get the engine running. The plug you worked on sounds like it wasn't what I was refering to. The NO START problem you had may have been due to a faulty fuel pump relay. They can be intermittent. It may be a good idea to replace the fuel filter also. I would start with those things at least.

There are some plugs with a single wire under the dash that should not be plugged together unless the test or diagnostic modes are needed.

From what you say Howard I would have the shop clean the chassis ground connection at the base of the antenna. It sounds like some corrosion has taken place and the grounding bond isn't as good as it should be. The body of the car acts as the ground plane for the antenna and is a very important part of the antenna circuit so a good bond to it is necessary. The added resistance to ground allows the noise to be picked up along with reduced signal level. They will have to remove the antenna to do that and clean the base area of the antenna and the chassis. This is a pretty common trouble.