CpntKyro

I have a 1991 civic dx sedan with a d16z6 motor from a 92 del sol si. One morning it just wouldn’t start, I’ve done a ton of research and possible solutions to my problem. So to make this short and sweet,
it has full power, everything turns on (lights, signals, amp, subs, radio, power seatbelts, everything) and as soon as I try to turn it over all I get is a single click from behind the radio.
So after I researched possible solutions I’ve done the following,

• full charge on the battery/new battery
• full power to starter and alternater and anything else I thought would be important to check
• new starter
• checked all fuses in the engine bay and under the steering column, All good
• Checked the Clutch Safety Starter Switch/ works as should and is all good
• Missing the rubber pad to depress the switch, used my finger to press the switch down and tried to turn it over, still did not work
• disconnected the switch and put a wire into both terminals to bypass switch, car still didn’t start

the wire trick was my last idea. Anyone else have any idea what could be going on?
thank you for any help.

goatharper

I just dealt with this issue myself so I will be interested in replies. I had no voltage to the starter solenoid, checked the clutch safety switch as you did, no help. I could hear the relay under the dash clicking as usual when I turned the key to "start" but no voltage to the solenoid. I ended up running a power wire from the battery to a switch on the dash and back to the solenoid, so now I have a cool boy-racer pushbutton starter. Works perfectly but I would much rather fix the issue. I read elsewhere that a certain relay is prone to cause this issue. Can't find the source now....

muellersfan

Unplug starter solenoid.

Attach wire to (+) battery post.

Touch other end of hot wire to starter solenoid pin.

Does starter crank engine?

Scotty23ef9

Does the main relay click behind the driver side defroster vent/dash area when turning the ignition to run position? If not try changing that relay.

CpntKyro

Sadly it did not start. Bad starter then?

CpntKyro

It does click but the location of the clicking is behind the center console, almost right behind the radio and more on the passengers side

muellersfan

Assuming the battery is not dead, the test result points to a bad starter or a bad transmission or battery ground.

goatharper

I recently replaced the brushes in my starter. Before I replaced them, a couple of times i managed to resurrect the starter by hitting it with a hammer. that knocks the dust off the faulty brushes and lets them work for a while longer. if you remove the starter ( an easy job) first bench test it: get a pair of jumper cables, attach them to the starter and apply voltage to the solenoid with a jumper wire. If the starter tests bad, the most likely cause is worn brushes. replacing them is a bit fiddly but can be done. Costs five bucks as opposed to buying a whole starter, and if you mess it up you still have a core to exchange. and you're out five bucks extra.

CpntKyro

The battery is good and still has a full charge, and if it’s a bad tranny wouldn’t my starter still try to turn over? Assuming of course that the starter is good. I don’t believe my tranny is bad because it shifts into all gears and if I put it in gear I CANNOT push the car. And if it’s a bad ground wouldn’t that keep my lights and stereo from turning on?

CpntKyro

Thats good information! I bought my starter from autozone with a lifetime guarantee, so I’ll just take it back to them and get a new one. I had my wife pick it up on her way home one day so I wasn’t there to ask them to test it before she paid for it, I’ve made that mistake with alternators before, I assumed it’s good because it’s new, get it home, and find out it’s bad due to bad diodes

muellersfan

Bad transmission ground or bad battery ground.

True for battery ground. False for transmission ground.

CpntKyro

Ohhh okay I understand

CpntKyro

So after getting a new starter, that was tested in the store while I watched 3 times to verify that it does work. I took it home, installed it, turned the key and absolutely nothing happened just like all the times before.

muellersfan

Does the starter solenoid receive battery voltage from the ignition switch?

Are the G3 transmission ground connections clean and tight?

CpntKyro

Yeah the starter is receiving power.

I couldn’t really find a diagram with all the ground locations for my car, but I believe this is where my G3 location is, correct? I traced where the ground wire goes, it’s hard to see in the photo but the ground wire come off the negative battery terminal down to the G3 location.

goatharper

What happens if you connect a jumper wire directly from the positive battery post and touch it to the solenoid terminal on the starter? If the starter turns, then your grounds are good. You can always do what I did: run a hot wire to a switch on the dash, and then a wire from the switch to the solenoid terminal. That bypasses the entire starter circuit and lets you start the car with the switch on the dash. Use a momentary switch, like a spring-loaded pushbutton, so you can't accidentally leave the starter engaged.

muellersfan

My mistake. 4th Gen Civics don't appear to have a G3 transmission ground. Check both G2 ground connections instead.