So my friend has an LS in a CRX. Converted to OBD1, blah blah blah, all the usual stuff.

Anyway, since it has been getting colder, it has stopped cranking when he goes to start it.

I pulled up the schematic from the Honda ETM and reviewed the conditons for the starter to spin.

It has 12V at the wire coming from the battery, and when he turns the key to start, he has 12V at the small signal wire going to the starter. It is obviously grounded because it grounds through the block. I already checked the block to chassis grounds.

So, if the starter has power, has ground, and has the "go" signal from the ignition switch, why the hell wouldn't it at least crank?

I couldn't think of anything else that would prevent it from cranking... Very frustrating with all the BS he and I have been through with this car.

 

I had the same prob. with my LS swapped '91 hatch. I could send power from the main +12V cable to the starter solenoid connector and the car would start. The wire from the ignition showed 12v when in crank position but wouldn't activate the starter. I ended up ghetto fabbing a relay and it worked fine after that. I deduced that there was just not enough current from the ignition switch to trigger the starter solenoid. The relay increased the current. If you have a SPDT relay here's the wiring config. pin 85=ground; pin 86= wire from ignition switch(starter signal) pin 87= +12V(positive battery post) pin 30=starter solenoid input. Good luck

 

try tapping the strater solenoid with a hammer or something?

it has worked for me before, just need someone you trust to either hit the starter while you hold the key turned. or vice-versa

 

Well, he had the starter tested at Autozone, and they said it was good.

Plus, when he hits it, I can hear the starter slick.

 

wiggle the starter wire with the key turned?

corrosion around the star washer on the starter wire post?

 

check all corrosion. run a wire from b+ to the s terminal. see if it cranks over than. other than that, just be sure that the start FOR SURE grounds through the block and not an insulated ground.

 

Your contacts inside the starter are fried. Just like mine were last winter. In the bitter cold (-20C) she simply would not crank. Luckily I live on a hill and parked on the hilly part at work to avoid changing it in the cold. Easiest solution, swap the starter, cheapest solution, buy new contacts and replace them. Ghetto solution, open the starter up and bend your contact outwards. I did that and bought me 2-3 months before having to replace them. I found them at the Toyota dealership.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ludesrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Your contacts inside the starter are fried. Just like mine were last winter. In the bitter cold (-20C) she simply would not crank. Luckily I live on a hill and parked on the hilly part at work to avoid changing it in the cold. Easiest solution, swap the starter, cheapest solution, buy new contacts and replace them. Ghetto solution, open the starter up and bend your contact outwards. I did that and bought me 2-3 months before having to replace them. I found them at the Toyota dealership.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well, he already replaced the starter with one from a friend that he knows is good.

 

How is the condition of the signal wire then (the one that slides onto the starter). If it is in poor condition your starter might not be getting the signal to turn on. Aswell, you could test to see if it's in good condition by running a volt meter to it while someone hold the key in the start position. If you have that signal, you have power, and you have ground and you are 100% sure the starter is good, well, sell the car cause she's cursed .

 

Well, I took the signal wire off, and put the neg. lead of the voltmeter to the neg batt terminal, and the pos on the little spade connector. When he put it in start, it read batt voltage.

 

BTW: I can hear the starter make a click noise when he tries to start it, but it obviously doesn't spin.

 

did you think to check how many cold cranking amps the battery is rated at?? because if your buddy has the simple "red top duralast piece-o-shat" battery that autozone sells, chances are its junk...jargon...bogey...
i've went through three of those batteries recently for various reasons and it hasnt even dipped below 34-35 deg. at night yet here in MI...the last one i actually just took back today had a broken terminal..it wasnt connecting with the plates...and that particular battery was only 3 weeks old.....
his battery may not have quite enough ooomph to turn the engine over...idk, its just another thing to check

 

if your multimeter reads 12v. at the battery/starter that is your problem. it should read at LEAST 12.4-12.6v.

 

Well, his starter's signal wire is actually at 11.2 V. His battery is at 12.2 V.

My battery was at 12.9 and my signal wire was at 11.9, so I figured the 1 volt drop was normal.

Maybe 12.2 just isn't enough to spin the starter at all?

 

12.2 is pretty low. that may cause it not to crank if its colder outside. charge the battery or replace it to see if that helps 12.2 shows the battery is only charged about 25 percent.


Modified by 1990si at 10:02 AM 11/14/2007

 

and for the record, 1 volt is too much. .1 is acceptable.