It was a really weird because my wife went to pick up our kid from an evening class. Then I got some calls from a phone number I didn't recognize and I didn't answer. Then I got a text that sounded like it was my wife with information she would know, and said she forgot her phone (and implied borrowing someone else's). Indicated that her car wouldn't start and could I pick them up?
So I get there, and the hood on my wife's Civic is up, although the prop rod isn't in the right place. I'm pretty sure that my wife put it up that way. She says that other people told her there was probably something wrong with the ignition, that they could smell gas and apparently looked at the ignition to see that it was sparking. And I'm all skeptical because this is a distributorless ignition with a coil on plug design and no way to just pull the boot and see if it sparks on the valve cover like I'd seen years ago demonstrate by a mechanic. Someone even apparently tried to jump it, although when I got there the battery seemed strong (a 4 year old Deka that even went through months sitting unused and occasionally charged manually) where I could tell the battery and starter were fine without the clicking sound of a starter that just isn't getting enough juice. But somehow someone else convinced her that the battery had an issue because "the battery light was on" when she tried to start it. Only - all the indicator lights turn on when trying to start before they turn off and only stay on if there's an issue.
So I figure we need gas, although my wife seems skeptical. But I know she runs on fumes all the time and has just gotten lucky. I didn't want to buy a new can but remembered I kept an old gas can at my parents' place to help them out with power equipment. Not the new kind to reduce evaporation, but an old-school Blitz plastic can with a spout that just pulls out and potentially leaks a bit. So I go there with the family and my dad shows me two cans, including the one he bought (seemed just like the one I bought) that has a little gas. Only I'm not going to put in 2 year old gas, but take my old can that seems dry.
So we go fill the can up as a gas station, get back to her car, and I pour it in. It hesitates for a few seconds (I guess since the pump was dry) and then starts up nice and strong like it usually does. My wife drives it home and I find a place to stash the can.
But still - there were several people who were telling my wife things such as it needing to be fixed or that somehow it wasn't sparking when there was no way to tell. And I knew that even if one coil was bad, it would still start but sound odd. And she was ready to call for a tow, although I think AAA roadside service would have probably tried giving some gas first.
So I get there, and the hood on my wife's Civic is up, although the prop rod isn't in the right place. I'm pretty sure that my wife put it up that way. She says that other people told her there was probably something wrong with the ignition, that they could smell gas and apparently looked at the ignition to see that it was sparking. And I'm all skeptical because this is a distributorless ignition with a coil on plug design and no way to just pull the boot and see if it sparks on the valve cover like I'd seen years ago demonstrate by a mechanic. Someone even apparently tried to jump it, although when I got there the battery seemed strong (a 4 year old Deka that even went through months sitting unused and occasionally charged manually) where I could tell the battery and starter were fine without the clicking sound of a starter that just isn't getting enough juice. But somehow someone else convinced her that the battery had an issue because "the battery light was on" when she tried to start it. Only - all the indicator lights turn on when trying to start before they turn off and only stay on if there's an issue.
So I figure we need gas, although my wife seems skeptical. But I know she runs on fumes all the time and has just gotten lucky. I didn't want to buy a new can but remembered I kept an old gas can at my parents' place to help them out with power equipment. Not the new kind to reduce evaporation, but an old-school Blitz plastic can with a spout that just pulls out and potentially leaks a bit. So I go there with the family and my dad shows me two cans, including the one he bought (seemed just like the one I bought) that has a little gas. Only I'm not going to put in 2 year old gas, but take my old can that seems dry.
So we go fill the can up as a gas station, get back to her car, and I pour it in. It hesitates for a few seconds (I guess since the pump was dry) and then starts up nice and strong like it usually does. My wife drives it home and I find a place to stash the can.
But still - there were several people who were telling my wife things such as it needing to be fixed or that somehow it wasn't sparking when there was no way to tell. And I knew that even if one coil was bad, it would still start but sound odd. And she was ready to call for a tow, although I think AAA roadside service would have probably tried giving some gas first.
