Crx/b16

Time-line...

Car would be hard to start, turning over several times before starting, upon starting would *crunch* (the sound you get from trying to start a motor that's already started...) - this occured for prob. up to 2 months before i would think, progressively getting worse.

Eventually, stopped turning over, and i actually saw smoke come out of where the spark plugs are, there is oil around them.

Took starter off, brought to machine shop, tested it, its good, took home, tested it myself as well (deteched from motor), the gear spins and pops out.

Tried to jump the starter directly from battery. It clicks, sparks, motor does not turn over. Sounds like it may be spinning though.

Checked my grounds, checked battery power, all are good, stereo lights etc... come on at the key#2 position.

Disconnected the pos. lead and other cable with starter attached to motor, tried to jump it in the same way i successfully saw it spin and pop out when detached from motor. Again, sparks, a click, maybe spinning... motor does not turn over.

Checked the all fuses under steering wheel, and in engine bay.

Other suggestions not yet tried.

Replace main relay (although i believe this should not affect the motor from starting when given direct power to starter...)

Replace clutch switch, the small sensor that is pressed in when the clutch goes down back behind steering column (agian... prob should not affect a direct jump to starter).

I'm getting stumped.

Suggestions?

 

I just tried to get spark from the sparkplug wires, and nothing...

could my motor be spinning from the starter still, and just not know it...? Or would i def. hear it spinning and trying to start with no spark...?

 

if your engine is spinning, reguardless if it has spark or not, you will hear it. it will sound the exact same as normal trying to start it, just no fire. now, the spark plug/oil/smoke issue sounds like a totally different problem not related. my guess is the last 2 months you have eaten up your flywheel and right now, the starter is sitting in a place where there is no teeth. you could either, take the starter back off and look, OR you could push the car, disengage the clutch(just like pushstarting) and then try again to start it.

DEFF get the oil out from around the plugs, this can ground out the plugs. go invest in a valve cover gasket kit the little round gaskets are most likely leaking. OR make sure the valve cover itself is tight (stuff happens, forget to tighten things)

 

i just pushed it down the drive way (full expecting to have my car stuck there...) and it started up... in reverse. drove it back up the drive. turned it off, tried to start it again... nothing.

I do remember seeing the gear inside the tranny, and it looked fine to me, although at the time i wasn't inspecting it, but nothing popped out as "oh ohhh"

 

my buddy had a similiar problem, he claimed he had a bad starter, so he bought a new one and he called me up to install it and when I was aligning it against the thread, I looked straight at the flywheel and the teeth were all stripped. No wonder it wouldn't line up and grasp and spin it. I had him get a new flywheel with clutch kit too cuz 167K miles is alot and I installed and put in the old starter and it cranked over and started fine. But since he didn't want the same problem in the future I installed for him the NEW starter and now he is still driving that civic with now 171K miles

 

i took the starter off again, the teeth on the fly-wheel are fine.

I think i'm gonna replace the main relay.

My dad went out and bought a clutch-switch (whatever you call that button the clutch pushes on...).

I dont think that'd be the problem though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kevinoneill &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i took the starter off again, the teeth on the fly-wheel are fine.

I think i'm gonna replace the main relay.

My dad went out and bought a clutch-switch (whatever you call that button the clutch pushes on...).

I dont think that'd be the problem though.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Main relay.hhhmmm don't replace it. Fix it and save some $$$. open the case and solder the contact points and clean the surface of corrosion

 

Sounds to me like you have a problem with the flywheel just as has been stated before. there are many teeth have you looked at the flywheel all the way around?

 

Changed the main relay, nothing.

I've seen the fly-wheel in 2 locations. Once before I got it to start by rolling it, and once after. I feel pretty confident the teeth are fine.

Someone suggested the coil in the distributor...?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kevinoneill &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Changed the main relay, nothing.

I've seen the fly-wheel in 2 locations. Once before I got it to start by rolling it, and once after. I feel pretty confident the teeth are fine.

Someone suggested the coil in the distributor...?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, replace the whole dizzy or get a new coil. Also check for fuel too!

 

the flywheel has like 100 teeth on it just because you looked in two spots dont mean anything. jack the front up so both wheels are off the ground take the starter out put the car in netural and have someone spin the crank pulley look in the starter hole and inspect all the teeth.

 

Someone suggested maybe a weak solenoid on the starter? Maybe its engaging the fly-wheel but not strong enough to turn it...

Only thing against that is, the guy that tested the starter, it was showing "good" voltage. I'd assume if it looked weak he'd of said so...

 

I'm getting fuel, the car will start if i roll it and pop the clutch.

My heads starting to hurt thinking about all this stuff.

I really don't think the teeth are stripped. The spot i can see now, about 1/5 maybe of the fly wheel is all fine, the motor would atleast turn of a little until it got to the stripped teeth... no?

If the dizzy was shot... would it still start by rolling and popping the clutch???

 

True the engine will still crank if teeth are damaged on the flywheel and will probably be noisy.

Its definatly not your distributor, ignition or fuel system.

A bad starter will sometimes stay engaged after starting this may have been early signs of your starter going bad. You had the starter tested by 1 guy whose to say he's 100% right. Sounds like it might be bad.

 

does anyone know if the starter has to be from an obd-0 b-seres engine, or will any b-series work?

 

pretty sure its any b series.... but its got to be a 5spd starter if yours is 5spd, and an auto if yours is auto

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kevinoneill &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Car would be hard to start, turning over several times before starting, upon starting would *crunch* (the sound you get from trying to start a motor that's already started...) - this occured for prob. up to 2 months before i would think, progressively getting worse.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Maybe you heard the crunch when the starter reached missing teeth on the flywheel?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kevinoneill &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
If the dizzy was shot... would it still start by rolling and popping the clutch???</TD></TR></TABLE>

Dont waste money on a new dizzy, if it starts by poping the clutch then you do not have an ignition problem.

As it was mentioned before, taking that your battery is healthy, the problem seems to be the starter or the flywheel missing some teeth.

 

It's starting to annoy me now haha

Had the starter checked by a 2nd shop, its good...

i still wanna switch it out though.

 

my car wont start i had the battery tested all good had the started tested all good and had alternantor tested all good. all lights will go on but car wont start until i get a jump start so i dont know what it might be...

 

hey im having the same problem.... my car doesnt start when i try too start it inside, but when i go out side and use two wires to connect too the battery and starter than it'll start.. but when i go back inside it wont start.... the battery is good and the starter is good. how i know this because it started when i connected the battery too the starter.. it cant be the dizzy or the fuel relay.. anyone help???

ps. im using this because i just started a new profile and it wont let me post a new thread untill 15 days...

 

is your starter making a ticking noise when trying to start it with the key?

 

well... nope, when im in the car it wont do anything... but when i go outside i can start it fine... i use one wire too connect the starter and the battery and it start right up.. but when i go inside and try too start it, nothing happen....

 

I had this problem before. It somehow resulted with the battery. It can be your dizzy and timing.

 

I would think its either a bad earth, a fuse or the connection on the the starter.

start by checking fuses

 

my battery is good, i test it on my brother crx... and i check all my fuse already... everyday i go try to fix my car i relook at my fuse all the time.. i bought a new starter from the shop and put it in and still nothing happen.. like i said, if i wire a end of the wire too the starter and tap the other end too the battery than it'll start up fine.. but other than that than it wont start..