ok, im going to be honest, i know next to nothing about cars. im a computer guy. but i have an 89 civic dx, and this is my current problem at hand:

when i try turning on the car, i push in the clutch, and try to start it up, but all i hear is a click. sometimes if i keep trying to turn it on and pull out the clutch and push it in a few times, it will start up, but right now it's in my driveway and it's not budging. ive asked many people, and some say "its the connection to the battery" some say "it's the soleoid" and some say it's the clutch switch, but i think i read that the 89 civic doesnt have a clutch switch? i also completely cleaned the battery posts and the terminals, and i can use the battery power with no problem, so it's not dead.

i really love this car. it's only got 125k miles on it, and i really would like to keep it running, but at $58 an hour for labor, i cant afford it. im still only just a college student trying to pay off loans. any suggestions? thanks a lot

 

Sounds like a starter to me. Have you tried push starting the car? Pull your starter out and take it to autozone to have it tested.

And since it seems like you may not know how to do this let me assure you it's very simple. There are two bolts that hold the starter to the transmission and two wires that connect to the starter. One wire is held on by a nut and goes to your battery, the other is just a little wire that slides onto a terminal and connects to your wiring harness. Make sure to disconnect your battery before attempting to remove the wires or the starter.

 

yea, that's the only way i can get it to start it to push start it. right now im on flat ground and i dont have any friends with me, so i cant do it, but do you know if they would charge me to test it? also, does advance auto parts do the same service?

 

i've never heard of advance auto parts... you'd have to call them and ask. At autozone the service is free and if you buy a new starter from them you get a lifetime warranty on it. I've gone through three starters from them; they aren't quality, but free is free. I can swap a starter in about 15 minutes now.

 

i think that autozone and advance auto parts might be affiliated, so they probably do it. ill call and ask. what's the price for a new starter? and ive been told switching the starter shouldnt be too difficult because it's only got 2 bolts in it, unless i was told wrong

 

take a broom stick or similar and lightly tap the little solenoid attached to the starter. then try and start it. do this a few times.

if it eventually starts then the starter solenoid is shot and u need an entire new starter.

 

that's actually kind of weird because my dad just called and suggested the exact same thing. but i called advance auto parts and they do free testing, so ill probably take it over there and get it checked out. so are there any approximate prices for a starter? and do i need to buy a whole brand new starter? or can i just get a re-manufactured one?

 

If cost is really an issue you might want to get a start out of a similar car at the salvage yard. With that, however, you run the risk of it happening again.

At autozone (according to their website) you can expect to pay about $80 for a starter. Be sure to bring in the old starter though for trade or else you'll have to pay an extra $25. The lifetime warranty is nice however.

 

at advance auto parts, there's a starter for my car for $65, and it has a lifetime warranty. would this work?

http://www.partsamerica.com/Pr...set=A

 

I didn't check the link but as long as you entered your car information right and the starter is in fact for your car there wont be any problems... even if it looks a bit different than the old one you took out. Most honda starters are pretty similar anyway so it'd be hard to get one that wouldn't work.

 

ok good. ill need to remove mine and take it to get tested then. but where under the hood is it? (i told you i didnt know anything about cars) in my haynes manual, it says it's on the lower part of the engine, but is it in the back or front?

 

Circled in red..

 

If you know where the tranny is imagine looking at it from the passenger side (looking towards the driver's side).

Once you've got that image in your head imagine the point slightly off to the left of the circle of bolts that connect the tranny to the block. That is where you will see the starter.

Or just look at this picture (the hole at the top left is where the starter fits into):


Please note: your tranny will most likely not be blue

 

lol it kinda looks like a pop can mine was half green half silver it will have two bolts and when it comes out there will be a gear on the a stick lol thats the starter

 

it sounds like a starter issue what you can do for future refrence you can get somehting hard like a pole or a broom stick beat the starter why somebody else trys to start.