All i hear is a clicking noise when i turn the key over, sometimes the car will start other times it wont. Anyone know if this could be a bad starter or alternator?

 

Are you hearing mutiple rapid clicks or just one click and no crank?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Slamaccord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are you hearing mutiple rapid clicks or just one click and no crank?</TD></TR></TABLE>

each time i turn the key over its one click and no crank

 

it could even be the battery...

 

Have your battery load tested first off. If comes up good follow through with the rest.

Sounds like a bad starter to me. Make sure your battery connections aren't coroded.
Double check your grounds. Check your 12v power wire connection to your starter.

If all connections are tight. I'm gonna have to say its a starter.

 

I had the same problem not too long ago with mine. What you are hearing is the solenoid on the starter activate, but the starter motor itself isn't working. Mine started doing it once in a while, then got worse, and eventually I couldn't even start the car. I purchased a new starter and installed it myself. It was about $200 Canadian with my old starter traded in.

 

Battery, dude, battery. If it's clicking when you turn the key there's not enough juice to engage the starter bendix.

 

It's either the battery or the starter solenoid.

I would first get someone to jump you and see if it starts fine ~4 times in a row. If it always starts without a problem while jumped then you have a dead battery.

If it doesn't start, or if it starts sometimes but not others, then it's your solenoid. On Hondas the solenoid is integrated into the starter and cannot be replaced unless you remove & disassemble the starter. However, it's not that tough of a job (if you have a Helms) and it only takes about $30-$40 (US) in parts - remove the starter, open it up, replace some bits, clean some contacts, put it back together, install on the car, and you're pretty much done. Of course easier still is to drop even more cash ($150-300) and replace the starter.

But first you should figure out whether it's battery or solenoid, preferably without spending any cash.