twowhldoug

Hi;
I have a 2003 CRV(my first honda car).It has 150k on it,runs well.I like the little crv but it has a once in a while problem.About 3 mornings out of 5 it will turn over slow as if the battery is about to die.The battery checks good as does the charging system along with the starter motor also checking as not too much draw.This past week one morning i thought it would not go i would have to use another way to get to work.But after trying it several times it did crank up.I let it run for about 3-4 minutes,tuerned it off and tried a restart to have it spin over just fine.Again we checked the battery which again checked very good,along with the charging system and starter motor draw.Am i having a strang event,or is the starter motor going bad?From what I can find on the internet this is an ongoing problem for these cars.I would like to repair it(as to not get stuck) but am not sure what to repair.Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Doug

lazlong

Sounds like you may have a parasitic draw. There are several threads on honda-tech about that or youtube has several good vids on how to do it. This guy makes really good vids:

LDForget

a lot of youtube videos are pretty shitty, but that one is bang on. good example.

twowhldoug

Thanks for the input.The battery doesn't loose any voltage overnight.The problem only happens on the first start up of the day(about 3 out of 5) and if the temp is at or below 46 degrees.Once it starts up you can park it all day at work and it is fine at the end of the day etc..When the overnight temmps are 50 or above it doesn't do it.I am concerned that it will not start when i need it to.i would just put a new starter on it but they are very costly to just give it a try without knowing it is bad(it also checks good as for as can be tested).
The car I have been driving for the last 9 years was a 1997 Nissan Altima.It last year developted a no start problem that was only on occasion and only at the end of the day after it set in the parking lot at work(nowhere else).I treid to find the problem only to have everything check good(like the crv).I finnaly narrowed it down to only sunny days.And only warmer days.I found that for about two hours near the end of the day the sun would shine in on the key switch area of my car.This would trigger the event of no crank.If there was no sun,all was fine.i came to find out that all of the first gen Altimas have this problem(with age) with the key switch.To replace it meant almost complete removal of the column.I instead installed a momentary micro switch button by the key switch to over-ride it and turn the starter when the problem came up.Worked out fine.
I was wondering if the 2nd gen crv's have some kind of strange problem(the slow crank at times thing)that happens with all or most of them.And if so if someone has figured out a cure,or work around like I did on the Altima?

Almighty-Si

This is pretty common with cars in colder climates. Fluids get heavy when left in cold climates for long periods of time. It takes a bit for them to get pumping but once they do (heat from them being pumped and engine temp) they flow easier.

Also when you have the battery load tested, it should read at or higher than the rating of the battery. Example...if the battery is rated for 410CCA, when load tested I find them to be actually putting out more (at or around 480CCA). If you load test an older battery it can some times pass but the CCA rating will be lower (350ish CCA) and will have an effect on output. Even though it passes the test I would look into replacing the battery simply because the battery is getting weak and why risk getting stuck.

As long as your cars charging system, battery and cables are in good condition I wouldn't worry about it.

twowhldoug

This is not a cold climate induced problem.My wifes pilot doesn't have the problem nor did my Altima and my 1991 Miata also doesn't do it.As I said before the CRV doesn't always do it.Just sometimes.46 degrees is not cold.This vehicle has something happening or about to happen.I used to live in N.J. and many times it would be below freezing for days and my cars would turn over slow in the morning.I used to use mobil1 in them in the winter to help them on cold starts.The crv uses 5W20,The pilot uses0W20 and in the miata i use 10W40.The only one with the problem is the crv.Something is up with this car.I will eventually get to the bottom of it,but I had hoped to catch a break and find someone who has had a similar problem.Sometimes a problem is everywhere but not many people know it.It just makes me nervous that it will catch me off guard and leave me stranded somewhere.

jasondthurston

Twowhldoug, were you ever able to find the source of the problem? I'm helping a friend with an 08 CR-V with pretty much identical symptoms to yours. I won't get a chance to put hands on it for another week or so, but figured I would do a little research beforehand. Thanks!

Stuff783

If anyone has figured this out, I'd live to know what the answer was. I am having the same problem and I don't live in a cold climate. I have a new battery and starter. The first start of the day feels like I'll be stranded. The rest of the day is much better, but not perfect.

jasondthurston

NAS_OCSICNARF

It sounds like a poor battery to me. Have you tried swapping in a new battery to see how it behaves over a few days?

benh

IT Is the starter ! I just did my starter last month For this exact same issue ! Exact Symptoms! I jumped to conclusion and replaced the battery first! Maybe you have Got a dud starter from the parts store!

NAS_OCSICNARF

It could actually be the starter, too. I remember a while back my CRV was acting up on start-ups but can't remember the exact symptoms right now. Try to borrow a battery and see the reaction, otherwise maybe get a new starter?

rowtiear

I had the same problem with my 03 crv. The starter finally gave up at about 320 k While changing it I noticed the engine ground was broken off down below.
I changed the starter and fixed the ground and had no more issues. I now have an 06 crv experiencing the same problem (140k) The first thing I looked at was the engine ground and sure enough it too was broken off. I fixed that but the problem persists. In the morning I start it with the car starter and it cranks maybe 3-4 rotations very slowly, then powers out as if the battery is dead the car starter pauses for about 30 seconds and tries again. The second attempt it turns over much faster but sometimes doesn't start. The third attempt it cranks over as normal and starts right up. I'm not sure if the starter is the problem or something else at this point. The battery is on its second winter but I have never run into a situation where the battery gets stronger every time I crank it. Another observation is that this problem goes away after the temperature drops below about 0 Fahrenheit..

motora

Check motor oil viscosity, you need thinner (maybe) . I went from 20w50 to 10w40 for winter, helps. (High visc because my engine was losing 1 qt. every 2-4 weeks with 5w30).

venn

Hi there, I had a similar problem on my 03 CRV at 240Mm. Trouble shooting it was very puzzling, had me checking all over. The starting was inconsistent, and I was trying to link it to warm engine, humidity, etc. There was no pattern. I ruled out the battery and the alternator, so decided to replace the starter.
When my curiosity forced me to take apart the old one, the area where the brushes are was full of debris. I think the debris is old brush material. As the brushes wear, the "dust" just stays in there, causing who knows what problems, possibly causing a short circuit.
It is a bit of delicate work to do this, as the intake manifold has to be removed. There are lots of wire connectors, 2 coolant hoses, etc. Not something I would want to do twice.
I suggest this to you in case this might help you or others.

Punkaddic

same here ! My oem starter failed around 275 000 km and it was mostly on cool mornings. It actually cranked slow for like 3-4 months before it actually failed then it was easier to diagnose after i had the battery tested. It's actually not that hard to change but you do have to remove the intake manifold, it was a lot easier than expected