I have a 1990 Honda Civic that used to be my parents, but now it's mine. We've had this problem for a while, where the car won't turn over to start up.

It used to be really bad in the winter. Sometimes the key would even get stuck in the ignition if it was really cold. But now it frequently does not turn over.
Once I drove to the store, and when I came back out to the car to leave, the engine wouldn't turn over. I didn't flood the engine, but I sat there for 5 minutes trying to get it to turn over. I quite for a moment or two, then I starting trying again. But what finally did it was when I turned the wheel a little bit so that it was perfectly straight, the car started up.

My mom said that when she got the car, it did the same thing even when it was new. She says it's because it's an automatic, but that wouldn't make any sense. Every other car my family has has been an automatic, and none of theirs do that.

Is this normal, to have to park perfectly straight or have to turn the wheel to get the engine to turn over? If not, what can I do to fix it, or is it even fixable?


If you need anymore information on what's been done to the car, let me know.

 

You're not talking about the steering wheel lock, are you?

 

To be honest I'm not sure.
The only thing I know that has fixed it has been to turn the steering wheel to straighten it out. But that's the only thing I can imagine it being, but I'm not totally sure. It's happened twice within the last two weeks.

 

Are you sure turning the steering wheel straight isn't a coincidence? It doesn't really make sense.

When you say it won't turn over, you're talking about the engine not starting and not the key not being able to turn, right? The reason I ask is because you mentioning the steering wheel makes it sound like the steering wheel lock is related to this.

 

Yeah, the key thing was in the winter. Sorry, should have made that more clear. We got the key fixed, by cleaning out the sensor by the parking break (I'm pretty sure that's where it was)

They are unrelated.
I am not sure if it's a coincidence, that's why I'm on here trying to figure it out. I just think it's odd that every time it does that, straightening out the wheel gets the engine to start. The key does turn all the way, it just doesn't in the winter occasionally, but it's not an issue now.

 

Oh ok. Well hmm, you got me stumped. lol

 

How cold does it get where you live? Somewhere in the arctic?? If the key is getting physically frozen in the ignition it must be pretty cold... Have you ever changed the fuel filter? Does the engine crank when you try to turn it on? It could also be the battery or a bad starter motor. What have you done to try and fix this problem?

The only correlation I could possibly see between the steering wheel being strait and the car starting is possibly an electrical issue with a connection in the ignition switch. But that sounds ridiculous to me. I doubt the wheels being strait has anything to do with the car starting, but check the connections anyway. You'd have to pull the steering column apart and check for continuity while turning the steering wheel and see if you lose connection.