Keeping your fuel system clean requires regular maintenance, such as replacing fuel filters. Fuel filters help keep your fuel clean of dirt and rust particles. A dirty fuel filter can damage your engine and cause your fuel injectors to get clogged up, so you should change your fuel filter every 25,000 miles or whenever you get a tune up.
Find your fuse box and disconnect your fuel pump relay. This will decrease the pressure in your gas line. Turn the ignition. If your car does not start, go on to the next step. If your car does start, allow it to idle until it burns the remainder of the gas in your gas line.
Open the hood of your car and find your fuel filter. On a Civic of your year, it should be located underneath your hood on the passenger's side of the car along the upper firewall near the blower motor. You will be able to identify it is a round canister with a black tube sticking out of both ends of it.
Use a 14mm wrench and a 19mm wrench to remove the bolt that secures the black tube to the bottom of the fuel filter. Use the 19mm wrench to hold the washer steady while using the 14mm wrench to loosen the bolt. You can also use two adjustable wrenches.
Use a 17mm socket wrench to loosen the bolt on top of the fuel filter. Use either an 8mm wrench or an adjustable wrench to remove the bolts that are holding the fuel filter frame to the firewall.
Use an 8mm wrench to remove the last remaining bolt on top of the fuel filter. After you have removed this bolt, take the fuel filter out of the fuel filter frame.
Replace the old fuel filter with a new filter and secure it in place with the 8mm bolt you previously removed. For a 1992 to 1997 Civic, you can use an OEM fuel filter with a part number FF696. Your new fuel filter should have come with a new set of washers. Use these to secure the 8mm bolt.
Secure the fuel filter frame back to the firewall. Reattach the black tube to the top and bottom of the new fuel filter. You will need a 14mm, a 17mm wrench and a 19mm, although any one of these wrenches can be substituted with an adjustable wrench.
Reconnect the fuel pump relay and turn on your engine. Go back and inspect the fuel filter for leaks. If you find a leak, turn your car off and retighten the bolts on your fuel filter.
