A faulty fuel pump will cause an engine to stall, hesitate and perform poorly. Malfunctions with the actual fuel pump itself or its electrical components may lead to situations where the engine simply won't start. The Honda Civic's fuel pump is controlled by several electrical fuses. Blown fuses are an additional cause of a fuel pump malfunction and engine failure. Troubleshooting the fuel pump on a Honda Civic involves proper fuel filter maintenance, listening for noises when attempting to start the engine and checking the electrical fuses.
Attempt to start the vehicle. Listen for sounds of the engine attempting to crank. Open the hood of the vehicle and the oil cap. Crank the engine again and check for movement within the oil filler nozzle. Turn the car's ignition switch to the "on" position if there is movement within the oil filler nozzle. Make sure the check engine light comes on and off. Listen for a click relay sound when the check engine light turns off. Listen for a whining sound from the fuel pump.
Turn the Honda's ignition switch to the lock position prior to checking the fuse box. Turn off the headlights and any accessories that might be electrically powered. Check the electronic fuel injection main relay. Open the under-hood fuse box located on the driver's side, next to the brake fluid. Push on the two tabs located on each side of the box's cover. Consult the diagram on the lid of the fuse box to determine which fuse controls the ignition system. Check all other fuses as a precaution.
Check each fuse in the under-hood box by performing a visual inspection of the inside wires. Use a screwdriver to remove each fuse as necessary. Take the fuse puller from the back of the under-hood fuse box puller and use it to pull each smaller fuse out of the box.
Locate the interior fuse box underneath the car's steering column. Use the fuse box puller to check all fuses in the interior fuse box. Look for blown wires inside each fuse. Replace blown fuses with a spare or a replacement. Locate spare fuses on the back of the under-hood fuse box cover. Replace fuses with a fuse of the same rating in order to ensure that a repeat blowout does not occur.
Take the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer to perform computerized tests on the fuel pump if the fuses are determined to be working properly. Change the fuel filter if comfortable prior to taking the car to an authorized dealer.
