rdzona

Hello all, first post here, hoping someone has experience with this issue and can give me some advice.

This is a 2001 Honda Accord EX 4 cyl. Battery was replaced about 8 months ago and is showing 13.3 V across the terminals, so I'm pretty confident it's not the battery. I put a voltmeter across the positive and ground leads running to the solenoid.

Here's where it gets weird. When the ignition is off, I'm reading 12.8 Volts across those connections going to the starter solenoid. When I turn the key to start, it drops to near zero. This is opposite of what I would expect to happen. When the key is turned to start is when the circuit should be allowing voltage to the solenoid and starter, right?

I should note, that in the last week or two the ignition switch has been intermittent on starts. Sometimes it wouldn't start, then I would push the key in a little bit more and then it would start.

So does this sound like the ignition switch is bad? Starter/solenoid bad? Both? Could a faulty ignition switch damage the solenoid?

Any ideas are welcome.

Thanks in advance.

holmesnmanny

There is only one connection going to the starter solenoid. This will be switched power but only when the key is in the start position. When the ignition is on there is off and in the 1 and 2 position there will be no power going here.

The other wire is always hot. That's power for the starter itself.

Both connections get the ground through the starter/engine block/chassis/negative battery terminal, in that order.

I remember one time I didn't tighten the starter down enough to the block and it slowly backed itself loose over time so it wasn't getting a good connection to the block and my car wouldn't start. I cracked the hood and looked at the starter and seen it. Tighten it up, good to go again.

rdzona

This is what I suspected. As odd as it may seem, it is actually opposite on my car. Switched power is measured there when the key is off, only when I turn the key to the start position, then I see zero volts or very close to zero at least. I just can't figure out this makes any sense. The ignition switch has to be bad and somehow is sending voltage for the wrong positions of the ignition.

Then the starter was receiving continuous power when the switch failed and that's why it's no longer activating even though it's receiving power. Does this sound like a plausible explanation?

94 accord typeR

sounds like a main relay. this controls most of the major starting components of ur car. when u try to start the car the circuit board is fried and craps out. be sure to test before replacemant

Lost Again

Son, PLEASE understand what you are saying. I and several others have asked that you stop posting wrong/bad information.

Heck four months ago, when you got an Accord, you didn't even know how to tell what engine was in it....now you post random stuff.

I've have asked you DIRECT questions asking you to explain how you have come to the answers you are posting, I've yet to see ONE detailed answer from you.

PLEASE STOP.

To the OP, sorry about my rant but "94" has been giving wrong/bad info for a while and it needs to stop.

holmesnmanny

Thats really strange. I gotta think that the switch is bad or somehow someone did some sort of botched wiring job.