I have a 1988 honda civic LX and when its cold outside it has a hard time starting and sometimes it doesn't even start i have to hook it up to a battery charger and spay some starting fluid into the intake manifold and its starts sometimes but today it would even start i have checked the battery and all the common problem solveing things. i noticed today that the voltage almost drained when i tried to start it i think it might be the starter but not sure can anyone help out?

 

Does it have a carburetor or fuel injection system? If it's the carb type let's hope it's something simple like the choke may not be operating properly. The last models of the carburetor era were very complicated.

 

it is a duel point injection

 

Start then by checking the ECU for codes, I think that one will have one or more LED's on the ECU itself (which is mounted on the floor where the passenger's feet would be).

I think you're saying it'll crank at a normal speed, but just not start, so you have to crank a lot and eventually the battery runs down?

Also the main relay can act up at extreme temperatures, usually this is more of a summer issue but if you haven't resoldered it yet that would be a good preventative thing to do.

 

i checked the ecu and no code was givin

 

well the new starter is in and didnt work it. i checked voltage and befour i tried startin it this morning i had 11.68 volts but it is really cold outside today

 

In reading your thread, the reason that you decided to replace the starter isn't exactly clear. More specific details about your problem would help. I assume that currently the engine won't crank. Did you check voltage at the starter or at the battery? Did you check whether fuse 31 or 32 is blown (picture 1)? Did you reconnect starter wires B and S and the starter ground wire correctly (picture 1)? Is the ignition switch otherwise functioning properly (picture 1)?

Additional information in pictures 2-5 will also help you troubleshoot the problem.

 

11.6 volts with no load is a dead battery at any temperature. Either (1) the battery is defective, (2) the charging system isn't charging it fully, or (3) something is draining it while the car is parked.

Case (2) is easiest to test for, get the car started and measure the battery voltage while running, should be 14 volts or more. You can investigate case (3) by disconnecting the battery when you park and then see if it is still full in the morning. As for case (1), fully charge the battery with your charger and then see if it will crank strong. If it only cranks fast for a short time and then slows down, you need a new battery.