I have a '97 Honda Civic vtec 5 speed manual.

It decided to not start. Will not turn over or anything. So far I have checked the battery...good. Took the starter down to Autozone and he tested it twice to make sure it was good...and it was. Next I checked the current from the battery to the starter and it is good too. I am lost!

When I turn the key everything powers up and I can hear the fuel pump engage, but nothing with the starter. No turnover, clicking, or anything!!!

Anyone have any ideas of what I should check next??? Again...lost!

Thanks!

Dayne.

 

Do you have an alarm install?? if not, then I would suspect the ignition switch. BTW check all you fuses, including the big one in engine compartment.

 

Thanks! I don't have an alarm system installed so I know that is not the problem. I am not sure if it is a fuse because I removed the battery when I took out the starter to test it and when I put it back in it started up one time. I would think the fuse would cause it not to start at all again...Now it is back and not starting.

 

Test the battery and starter in place by jumping a wire from battery + to the small terminal on the starter. (Expect the engine to turn so make sure it is in neutral with the brake set) It's common for worn-out starters to become intermittent before failing completely.

If that works OK find the black with white stripe wire from the key switch, this is the start function and it should power up when you turn the key all the way to start. Check the switch on the clutch pedal by jumping it. It is the switch at the top of the pedal, the one nearer the bottom is for the cruise control not the starter.

 

Thanks mk378! I will try that next. I went to autozone and got a new ignition switch to test that. Installed it and same thing happened so I know the switch is good.

Couple questions:
Does it matter what type of wire I use to jump from the battery?
Do I want to do this with the battery still connected to the starter?
I see two connections from the battery to the starter...the larger one is from the + and there is a small black slide on connection (looks like a speaker wire slide type connector). Are you referring to the small one that slides on?

 

I realized too that I did not check the fuses in the engine. Just checked under the driver side and the one that said starter was good. Do you know which fuse it is under the hood?

 

I jumped a wire from the battery to the starter. It turned over and worked. I then tried to start the car and it tried to start, but it was sluggish. Tried again and more sluggish. Third time I turned the key nothing..

Then tried to jump the battery to starter again and it just clicks. Tried to start the car...nothing. Is this a bad starter or am I looking at more issues?

Anyone have ideas of what to do next?

I have now checked all fuses and that is not the issue.

 

Sounds like the battery has run down, or you have a bad connection. Take the terminals off of the battery posts, clean them up, and put back on securely. If it still is dead, use a battery charger or jumper cables to another car and try again.

 

I have tested the battery at autozone and myself. It checks out good. Tried with jumper cables and no luck. Cleaned the battery connections and no luck either. Had the starter tested too...could the starter test good at autozone, but still be going bad?

 

Measure voltage at the starter (from the big wire to starter ground) while trying to start. If the voltage stays up above 9 but the starter doesn't turn, the starter is bad. If you don't get enough voltage, the battery or the connections / wiring / grounds is the problem. This can be differentiated by measuring at the battery, on the lead posts that are part of the battery.