88 crx when trying to start it, the starter, or whatever, just spins, no cranking.
Could this just be the starter motor or could the engine have seized? If it is the engine how do you tell?
Jared

 

Is the motor turning over? Can you see the crank pulley turning when you try to start it? If yes, then I'm guessing its the main relay.

If no, can you turn the crank pulley over by hand (with a 17 mil socket on the pulley)? If yes, then it isn't a seized motor. Beisdes, The starter would make a bad sound if it was trying to turn a siezed motor.

If you can turn the pulley over but the motor isn't turning over when you try to start it, I'm guessing its the starter selenoid (sp) or something else inside the starter.

 

No, It isn't a solenoid. Being a former Ford owner myself, I know when a solenoid blows It just sort of clicks and doesn't do anything. My guess is that the starter has DNF'd.

 

The motor is not turning over at all. When I turn the key, I get a straight buzz from the starter. no crank. I also didnt look at the crank pulley( I will). So when the crank pulley moves, then the engines enternals are moving, thus the engine is not seized, meaning stuck???

Im a novice at this... Jared

 

the motion of the starter spinning causes the gear on it to move forward on the starters armature... so if you are sure that the motor is not cranking at all then its one of two things..
-either the gear on the starter is stuck so it can't make contact with the flywheel..
-or the flywheel has no teeth on that part to make contact with (grind much when craking before?)

OR

your motor is actually turning over and your t-belt snapped and thats why it sounds like its spinning so effortlessly (no cempression to fight against)
.... go watch the pullies like you said... if they go its either option 1 or 2..
hth

 

The bottom pulley would still go if its the T-Belt. The starter turns the flywheel which is just bolted to the opposite end of the crank from the lower pulley.

 

theres a wire on the bottom of the starter, the power wire i think or maybe its a ground wire....it has a lil clip that clips on to the bottom of the starter.....it came off on my hatch and my crx..and i got the same problem. No crank..no turning no nothing just clicking. Try that..that could be all it is. I felt like a dumbass after i found that out..LoL...but im jus tryin to help out. GOOD LUCK!

 

just replace the starter man if that doesn't work then i have no clue. it is probably the ring gear not engaging.

 

what did you do before this happenend? maybe your timing is off.. it just kinda spins and wines when you crank it.. have someone crank it.. take off the cam gear cover and see if the timing belt is moving.. if it is then i would say timing.. if not then your ouch.. change the starter and try a new one.. that will probaly work if it ran before..

 

Starters are $45 from a yard...no biggie. You can bench test your old starter like this...(super ghetto just to let you know) Youll need 2 people..1 person holds the starter, then hook up 2 wires to the positive terminals on the starter ( the nut and the clip) then hook up the wires to the + term. of your battery, hook a wire upto your - and drag it on the starter. Then youll know if its good. Youll get some sparks, and make sure to remove the + wires from the battery first when your done. The wire that clips on, changes from a dead wire to a power wire when you turn the key...thats how your starter knows to fire, check your connections and then the starter.

-Jake

 

this will take to people just twist off the oil cap and crank the car over as the other person looks in the crankcase, if **** moves its not the timing belt then it would be the starter if nothing moves then poof there went your timing belt.