accord96lx

I just had a the honda dealer tell me the reason for the car not starting sometimes is that my starter is bad and its $400+ to have them install one. I was looking for how to replace it myself and whether or not a remanufactured or new makes the most sense.

I was going to find local NAPA or Advance to get the Starter since the core charges and all vs RockAuto and having to ship it to them.

Is there a specific brand that anyone has had a good experience with?

ej7attack

your intermittent issue sounds like it could be a bad connection, faulty battery wire or a dead cell in the battery.
I had a civic with the same problem once. replaced the starter, same issue. replaced the battery, problem solved. may not be the same for you but its worth a shot to buy a battery first if yours is old.

accord96lx

Its a fairly new battery and it did check out at 12.5v on the no load test. Wouldnt that mean its a good battery?

ej7attack

yes

holmesnmanny

starters rarely actually go bad and yours is especially new ... if they traced it to the starter odds are its only the starter contacts that need to be changed out .. $15 or so from ebay, amazon or larry b's starter contacts

accord96lx

As far as I know the starters the original to the car, I havent replaced it and I bought the Accord with 41k on it. Would that seem more likely that its the starter and not the contacts?

holmesnmanny

if u go to larry b's website should be pics of what bad starter contacts look like .. u can take off the starter and open it up and compare ... make sure urs is a denso tho .. look on it and see if mitsuba then it wont be swapable

holmesnmanny

its really easy to open it up just take a pic when u do for reference to put it back together but its really easy

accord96lx

Starter switch replacement didnt fix the intermittent starting, so I am getting a new starter from Advance since mine is a Mitsuba.

Is there a replacement part for the rubber boot that covers the connector wire to the starter? Mine dry rotted and broke off.

jvr

I had a semi-intermittent starting issue too so I thought it was a connection problem or a bad battery, but my buddy said the starter was making a very slight clicking/grinding noise that it shouldn't have made, so I got a new starter at oreilly for $85 and installed it myself... Problem solved. It was super easy, I can't believe I ever would've paid someone to do it! $400 sounds like an insane amount for that much work, maybe I should get into the auto mechanic business lol.

So don't be scared to replace it yourself, I bet it'll be easier than you think.

holmesnmanny

The most important thing is to find out if you're getting power to that starter wire. I believe in another thread you said it wasn't getting there so there is an issue before the starter. This doesn't rule out the starter, because it could also have a problem but it's highly unlikely for there to be a problem with a starter and a problem before the starter. Even if there is a problem with the starter you would still need to make sure that there is no issue before the starter.

You could have an issue with the starter relay or the neutral safety switch if you have a auto tranny or the clutch switch if you have a stickshift.

accord96lx

Double checked this morning with the light up voltage tester. I had the clip on ground and placed the pointed tip on the metal connector that is at the end of the wire connecting to the starter, and the 1st two turns of the key the starter did not crank but the light did come on. So it sounds like the starter then right, since it is getting power?

holmesnmanny

As of that test, yes, that is correct. Is that what happened the last time you did that test, which you said it wasn't getting power ? Were you just mistaken when you said the light didn't light up ?

accord96lx

I'm pretty sure the last time I touched the point of the tool to the tab part of the starter as it was connected vs. touching the clip at the end of the wire. So it wasnt lighting up since I had it placed on the starter tab vs the clip.

holmesnmanny

lol last time u said it was on the connector and not the starter ... given this new info your starter contacts are probably bad $15-$20 from larry b's starter contacts or maybe amazon or ebay might have a starter contacts kit

jvr

How do you know it's just the contacts and not the starter itself? If it was the starter motor, would his first test have lit up the multimeter light still? Ie would it still show the starter getting power at the contacts even if the starter motor was completely out or beginning to fail and not cranking? I'm not questioning your conclusion, just trying to learn.

chrisnick

Be aware automatic and manual transmission starters are different. It's about a 30 minute job to replace the starter, I've done it a couple of times on a few different Accords of various generations in about the same time.

holmesnmanny

the starter contacts are inside the starter and denso starters tend to last a very long time ... normally just the contacts wear out and the result is intermittent starting ... dont think u can change the contacts on a mitsuba starter tho

its all about if the lil wire going to the starter is getting power

ej7attack

pull the starter apart, clean it up and re-assemble. worked on my odyssey with similar issues. in my case, the part that the contacts hit was very dirty thus not getting a good connection. i suspected it to be original to the vehicle. anyway cleaned it all up and put it back together and problem solved. may not be the same for op, but if his test check out its worth a shot before getting a new one.

to bench test the starter, run power to the signal and power connections and ground out on the body. that will tell you if its working.