My 1990 Civic has been not running for awhile. I did some repairs and
finally got it to start but it putts out.

i think it’s a fuel problem. Is it true that gas gets old and gooey and can
cause clogs?

 

yes and no
gas most definitely can go bad supposedly the ethanol blended gas goes bad faster. it will change color to a darker yellow almost orange and have a more pungent odor. as gas goes bad it loses some of its octane rating and wont ignite and burn correctly. getting goey totally depends on storage conditions and the ethanol blend %. ethanol and water dont mix well when sitting. left sitting too long in a very moist environment it can develop a slimy substance. the big problem is regardless to the quality of gas and the quality of your fuel filter there will still be small sediment if left sitting long enough this will settle and that tends to clog things up.

now that your specific question has been answered a bad fuel pump or clogged fuel filter could be your problem. have you attempted any diagnostics or did you immediately come here when it didn't stay running? your fuel pump should emit a slight audible sound when the key is turned on. up at the engine somewhere on the fuel line should be a valve you can press in on the visible point with the key on fuel should come out. if fuel doesn't come out you have a bad fuel pump or a clogged filter.

 

drakon543. Thanks for your reply. I changed the distributor cap to start and replaced the coil in the distributor.

I guess I can change the fuel filter because I have no idea when that was last done. I was also going to try cleaning the fuel injectors. I’m hoping it’s not the fuel pump but I’ll test that too.

 

if its similar to the 6th gen the fuel pump is pretty easy. might have an access panel right under the back seat and the fuel pump is right there.

 

Thanks again for the positive feedback. I’ll let you know how it goes the next couple of weeks as I work on this...

 

dunno about positive im told im a grumpy sob post any updates when you get them

 

Haha. Your funny...you know what they say about a*holes and opinions...everyone has one.

to me you are not a grumpy sob. I will post again as soon as I have any news.

its been raining the past couple days and I have been unable to do any work on it.

thanks again for you advice.

 

also once you have the old filter out have someone cycle the key on. if the pumps working it will shoot some gas out.

 

Great tip! Thank you!

 

As far as the fuel filter removal goes, do I detach the fuel filter from the bolts and hose that sit into it and then check for fuel to come out of those hoses? To test fuel pump.

i don’t hear a whirl sound when I turn the ignition but my hearing is shot. That’s why I’m also trying this test you recommended.

thanks