sparknblaze

Situation:
Accord has been having trouble starting for the past couple of months. When it first began, I would turn the key and would hear a click, but usually by the 2nd or 3rd repeat turn it would engage the starter, turn over and I'd be on my way. Over the past couple of weeks, it has gotten progressively worse to the point that I would be sitting for about 5 - 20 min trying to get it started. I got fed up and bought a new starter but took it to my mechanic who did a test on my existing starter only to discover once he sent current straight from the battery to the starter that the problem was not the starter.

Once he did this I thought the problem was fixed as he readjusted the wire on the starter and it was back to starting on the first turn. But since then it had gone back to prolonged periods of not wanting to start.

Ideas...

Stats in case they're needed: 95 accord wagon with 94 USDM H22. Originally an auto but converted to 5 speed.

Duane_in_Japan

It appears that you have a bad connection either in your ignition switch or at the starter solenoid contact. Did you wire in the clutch switch so the car will not start unless you push the clutch pedal down, this switch also could have a weak contact.

You can bypass each step of the circuit the same as your mechanic did directly to the starter, you just jump back towards the ignition switch one step at a time. The next issue will be, will the problem show its face while you are testing.

sparknblaze

I have no neutral safety switch installed. I take it I will need a testlight to do this test you speak of...

Duane_in_Japan

No Sir, make a jumper wire with a fuse in it if you can for safety but not mandatory. I would say that all you have is the ignition switch and the starter solenoid then, and of course the wire in between the two along with its terminal ends. Jump from the B+ hotwire on the back of the ignition switch, without going to start position, straight to the single small wire terminal on the starter with the ignition input wire still connected. If it starts easy, then try the ignition switch like normal and see if it acts up. If it does not start with the ignition switch then jump it one more time.

Then bypass the ignition switch by jumping from the B+ terminal to the start terminal, if it starts easy then try to start with the key like normal, if it does not start then you need an ignition switch assy. If it does not start via bypassing the ignition switch then the wire going to the starter solenoid is the problem, possibly just a weak connection at the solenoid terminal or a weak connection at the ignition switch. You may need to cut the terminal off and build your own corrosion free terminal end to fit back onto the starter. Hope there is enough wire available to do this if needed.

What ever test you do, you will need to get a no start via the key and a retest of the jump wire or bypass wire, sometimes things just wont act up while you are trying to prove a malfunction.

sparknblaze

Thanks for the input. I will try and swing this. I didn't think there was any faulty wiring on account that I would hear a noticable click from under the hood each time I would try and start it which lead me to believe that it was the starter itself. Only thing disproving this theory was that I could send current straight from the batt to the starter and it would turn over like new.

P_Adams

If it cranked slow once the starter responded, you may have had issues with both the battery Positive and Negative terminals may be corroded and offering a high resistence connection.
I'd pull off both cables and clean, lube and reattach them to the battery and see if there is an improvement.
Hopefully, you're long past having a factory radio, cuz you'd need the security code to get it working again.

P