The Honda Civic was introduced in 1973. The 1996 Honda Civic came equipped with a 1.6-liter in-line four-cylinder engine in the base model. The 1996 Civic was also available with two other versions of the 1.6-liter, known as the VTEC and the VTEC-E. The ignition coil on the 1996 Civic is responsible for sending the proper spark to the spark plugs. Hitachi and TEC both manufactured coils for the 1996 Civic. Testing procedures vary between the two different types of coils.
Open the hood of the Civic, and set the hood prop. Remove the negative battery cable from the battery, using a 1/4-inch drive ratchet and socket to loosen the tie-down nut. Remove the two mounting screws from the ignition coil cover, with the ratchet and socket.
Inspect the ignition coil. If the black/yellow and the white/black wires are held on with screws, then you are working on a TEC ignition coil. If the wires are simple pull off and push on connectors similar to a speaker wire, then you are working on a Hitachi coil. Remove the two wires on a TEC ignition by simply pulling them off. Loosen the screws on the Hitachi version, then remove the wires. These are the A (positive) and B (Negative) wires for the coil.
Turn on your ohmmeter and set the dial to ohms, which is the upside-down "horseshoe" shaped selection. Insert the positive probe from the ohmmeter onto the A coil post. Insert the negative probe onto the B post. These posts are the primary windings. The primary windings on the TEC coil should have a resistance between 0.63 and 0.77 ohms. The Hitachi primary winding resistance should be between 0.45 and 0.55 ohms. If the reading on either type of coil does not fall within the given ranges, the coil needs to be replaced.
Test the secondary winding resistance of the ignition coil by removing the spark plug to coil wires. Set the wires apart from one another so you do not get them mixed up.
Attach the positive probe from your ohmmeter onto the post marked with a "+" symbol. Attach the negative probe to the post marked with a "-" symbol. The secondary winding reading on the TEC coil should be between 12.8 and 19.2 ohms, while the Hitachi should be between 22.4 and 33.6 ohms. If the ohmmeter readings are not within the given specifications for either coil, the coil needs to be replaced. If either type of coil test provides positive results, proceed to testing the spark plug wires and the ignition control module.
Reassemble the coil and install the cover in the reverse manner in which you removed the parts. No torque is needed on any part of the coil, and adding torque can break the coil or its associated parts. Install the battery cable and tighten the cable until it is snug. Turn the cable tie down nut a half turn farther to acquire the 9 foot-pounds necessary for proper torque.
