1995 honda civic

[stevo]

I noticed the spark plug wires were arcing at the distributor. They were actually loose.
The car was missing terrible then it shut off and wont restart. Does anyone think coil damage? A cracked cap probably would at least spark a little. Should hear a little ignition.

[Jacksnap]

Arching usually happens when the distributor is cracked and/or the plug wires/boots are worn. Distributor cap cracks are very hard to see and some are not visible to the normal eye. I'd replace the cap and get at least a set of OEM equivalent wires with boots. It helps to seal the ends of the wires with a dab of dielectric grease inside. The grease often is packed with the wires. Also, at least clean the plugs since the misfiring will resault in a dirty plug.
The cap cracks often happen from water splashing on the cap or water getting inside the cap.