Why won't our 2002 Honda Civic start?

Our 2002 Honda Civic EX, 1.7 liter, it's inconsistent about starting. We have replaced: battery, battery connector, cam sensor, crank sensor, spark plugs, ignition coils, timing has been checked and so have the heads. Pressure test was good. It cranks but won't start.

Have you checked the fuel pump

There's nothing more expensive than replacing parts blindly without diagnosing the problem. FAIL. Get the fuel pressure tested. The fuel pressure regulator may have failed

Next time it won't start spray some Starting Fluid in the Intake to see if it's a Fuel or Ignition problem. A car that old may have a bad Ignition Switch too. You could check that with a Test Light.

Check your oil first just to see if it's there. Cars burn oil and low oil level will prevent it from starting.

Listen for the fuel pump buzz when you turn the key to the on position, and check for spark at the coil or test the coil to start with.

Figuring out if you have fuel at the injectors is pretty simple if you release the pressure at the line, fuel should come out (use a rag to catch the fuel).

If you have fuel at the fuel rail you can rule it out for the most part and move on to check for ignition problems. Though a clogged fuel filter can send fuel up sometimes just not enough, etc. Anyway if you have fuel rule it out and move on.

Try to look in the valve cover through the oil fill hole and see if you can see the cam turn when you crank it. Put your hand over the exhaust and crank it, if the air doesn't get warm you probably don't have ignition, if there's no air coming out you might need a timing belt/chain or cylinder head rebuild.

Inconsistent about starting? Crank? No crank? Slow crank? Codes? What are the code numbers? Is it getting spark? Is it getting fuel? These are the tests that should have been done prior to throwing all that money in it.

Did you check the ignition fuse?
Did you check the fuel pump fuse?

Look for an electrical problem. I would start (no pun intended) by replacing the ignition wires. There may be a break in one of the wires or maybe an ignition switch problem. - inconsistent starting.

Take the tube off that runs from the air filter to the throttle body. Open the throttle plate and shoot a small blast of starting fluid into the throttle body. If it starts for a few seconds replace the fuel pump.

Get under fuel tank, have friend turn on ignition. Buzz or Whine? No? Get new fuel pump./regulator.

BTW, shotgunning parts is ignorant, especially when you can get codes read free at Auto Zone. This is like buying a string of old, used cars, and hoping one doesn't give trouble. I knew a Nut case that Did this--wasted $$ , expected Me to i fix them with my Bare Hands. He could have saved that $ and bought One, Good car. My parents were raised in the Depression., I was taught not to waste things.

That car, and its engine, is 17 years old and since you haven't listed an odometer reading then it is of unknown mileage to me (but possibly/likely high mileage given its age). Have you or a shop tested compression in all 4 cylinders yet? An old, worn out engine will fail to start or be hard to start if the compression is low in the engine due to regular, accumulated wear from something like SEVENTEEN YEARS' WORTH of regular use. Car engines don't last forever, even if the car happens to have a 'Honda' badge on the grille.

If the engine compression tests ok in all 4 cylinders, I'd suggest you cut your losses and get the car to a competent professional shop to be diagnosed by someone who actually knows what they're doing. Whatever is wrong has, repeatedly, not been properly diagnosed by whoever has been diagnosing it if you've dumped THAT many different parts into the engine and it still isn't running properly. Stop throwing your money/time away and pay a competent shop to diagnose and fix whatever is actually wrong if it even makes financial sense to fix whatever is wrong… Good luck.

Your Honda Civic sounds like its not Getting fuel to your Engine clean replace your fuel lines and replace your fuel pump