4doorRS5spd

I have a 96 Accord Lx, and I think my starter might be dying, but I'm not sure.
Also, how can you tell if your battery is going to totally die? That could also be my problem.

Is there any difference between the symptoms of the two? I have never had a starter go out, or a battery for that matter (except for the occasional dead battery I have had to jump.)

Here's the story...
I installed a new radio yeasterday, and when I backed the car out of the garage before instalation, it started like a champ. So, I backed it out into the driveway ans installed the radio. After instalation, I let the radio play a little with just the power on, but not starting it. (Key in the second position). It sat there afterward for thirty minutes after I went inside. (The car was off, key was out of the ignition.)
I then, went to go to the store, so I tried to crank the car, and it was like the battery was really low. It didn't want to crank, so I jumped it off my Altima, and the Accord cranked right up. So, I drove around for twenty minutes or so to the store and parked and shut the car off. After I got back to the car, I tried to crank it to leave, and it was very slow to crank, like the battery wasn't charged yet, but it did crank.....although it didn't make the typical "Honda" starter noise that you hear when Hondas crank up. So, I drove around for maybe an hour and went back home.

A couple of hours later, I went to crank it up, and it started basically normally, so I shut the car off and tried it again, to see if it would happen twice. I cranked it, and it was very slow to crank, just like at the store and no classic "Honda" starter noise, but it cranked. I let the car run for about five minutes and went back in.

Today, I tried to crank it again, and it was still slow to crank, but it did start, without that classic "Honda" starter noise.

I have no idea what it is. Could it be a battery that is starting to go bad, could it be the starter, or could it be something else I haven't thought of? Note* the battery in the car now was the battery in the car when I bought it in October of 1999.

Any help/input/info would be very appreciated. Thanks.
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97accordex

Does not sound like starter.

Sounds like u have a short to ground and are discharging your battery.

ArchAngel Sabastian

you can go to any local parts store and get your battery and alt checked to see if they are charging properly.

4doorRS5spd

You know, a while back I found that the negative terminal on the battery and the exposed copper part on the neg. battery wire were getting this corroded blue crap on it. I just kept brushing it off. It doesn't get corroded like that anymore though.

Bklyn TSi

yeah dont' sound like starter.. i had the same problem a while back, thought it was the battery, but it was actually the starter. at first car would start half the time but the other half, it just makes a click noise and wont' turn over... a couple of days after that it just makes the click sound and sits there... then you'll know it's the starter.

4doorH22

For like 15 bucks or something any gas/service station can check your charging system. IIRC Accords put out at least 90 amps.
Did you install a basic headunit? Perhaps you installed some electronics on an always-on circuit instead of a switched circuit. Either something is draining your battery, or/and the battery is about to die. They can last as little as 2 or as much as 5 years. I'd say average is 3 to 4 years.

ArchAngel Sabastian

i would like to take this time to note... again that most parts stores will do it for free
if you can find a guy workin whos not to lazy

4doorH22

Oh yeah, a parts store will do it for free if they think you'll be buying a battery from them.

4doorRS5spd

Yeah....it was a basic head unit.....a Sony in-dash cd player that is rated at 35WX4 channels. Just your basic cd player. I think I did everything right on the install. You see, my previous radio was stolen recently, and I replaced it with the Sony which I had just sitting in my garage. The thieves fortunitly left the Accord's wiring harness, so I bought the matching harness for the CD player (the Sony was previously installed in a AE92 Corolla GTS, and Toyota harness's plastic connectors are different than the Hondas'. So, I just plugged it in and plugged up the antenna and it works just like the Clarion did. Also, it's not constantly on because I can't turn on the power to the radio if the key is not turned in the ignition.