Honda civic y reg not starting

[Road Pest]

Hi,

Asking for help for a friend.

Engine turns over but doesn't start. It does jump start though, does that mean it's just a flat battery or could it be a dizzy cap, spark plug or coil issue?

Thanks,

Pest

ETA can you see the plugs spark by looking in the engine bay in the dark or would you need to take a plug out?

[EDLT]

If it starts with jump leads then its probably a flat battery. Finding out why it was flat would be the next thing on the to-do list.

[lionrampant]

Yeah that's a dead battery by the sounds of it.

[Road Pest]

Ta, will be off to shop to get a new one then.

[iamed]

Spark plugs are inside the engine. You can't see the spark without taking the plugs out.

If the engine turned over before the jump start then I doubt it's the battery. Sounds like the engine was flooded, then the battery was flatten trying to start it, and by the time the jump leads were fixed up the flood had cleared itself. The same thing has happened to me on a 10 year old Honda anyway!

Edited by iamed on Thursday 22 September 00:20

[davepoth]

I'd look at the alternator as well.

[Road Pest]

iamed said:

Spark plugs are in the engine. You can't see the spark without taking the plugs out.

You may have flooded the engine, which then had cleared itself by the time you got jump leads on.

True, seems to have been dying for a few weeks though, again pointing to the battery I think.

[The fatboy]

should be flattened battery, jump start it and let it run for at least 20 minutes

[Futuramic]

Road Pest said:

iamed said:

Spark plugs are in the engine. You can't see the spark without taking the plugs out.

You may have flooded the engine, which then had cleared itself by the time you got jump leads on.

True, seems to have been dying for a few weeks though, again pointing to the battery I think.

I'd suggest that either the alternator has stopped charging or the battery itself has given up the ghost. Try it with a known, good battery and see if it goes again. Even if it does; check the charging circuit with a multimeter. With the engine warm it should show a small charge flowing into the battery; if no then the alternator's probably had it. That can be caused by either the belt slipping which is easy to rectify or the unit itself needing overhaul (they do wear out). Again this isn't a particularly expensive fix as a second hand one won't cost much.

It could be either of those. It's even possible that the change in the weather has killed the battery. In colder conditions a weak battery can expire.