I recently did an auto to manual swap on a 96 Civic EX Coupe following notes from a couple of threads on here. I tried to start it the other day and got nothing. The fuel pump primed but absolutely nothing from the starter. I am going to check the battery to see if it is just too dead to start it, but I was wondering what other ideas you guys might have as to why it won't start. Others I came up with were that the jumper I did for the wires that go to the clutch safety switch didn't work, battery too dead, bad starter. I am inclined to think it isn't the starter because it worked for the last guy who built the motor. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks in advance.


Modified by HondaIsBueno at 10:42 AM 4/7/2008

 

make sure the "Park" switch is wired right as well. An Auto won't let you start your car if the shift position isn't in Park or Neutral. I did my Auto to Manual last year in march and all is well. The guy didn't cut any wires, he ended up leaving the whole shifter/slider mechanism right by the shifter which is pretty cool. It's really small so you can never tell it's even there, and hides under the shift boot.

The key is to trick the car thinking it is in Park. Also, when you say "nothing from the starter" what do you mean? Do you mean it doesn't turn? it doesn't click? it doesn't do ANYTHING? If you turn the key and the starter simply doesn't do ANYTHING (not even a friggin click) then I really believe it's a wiring problem.

If you hear a click when attempting to start, then the battery or starter are weak. If you really think it's your starter, try to push start the car.

I don't even have a clutch saftey switch. You would normally connect that saftey switch to the "Park" position wire to trick the car into thinking the car is in "Park" every time you push in the clutch.

 

There was not even a click, that is why I think it is the wiring. The diagrams I had showed that you take the two thick black wires from the auto shifter harness and tag them together or you can run them to the clutch safety switch. There were also two wires that go to the bay to the transmission for the backup lights. Is there something there I missed. Here is the thread I followed.

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1337459


Modified by HondaIsBueno at 3:56 PM 4/7/2008

 

I rewired the auto shifter switch in and put it in neutral, unplugged the little blue box, etc. etc. and it still won't start with the key. I jumpered directly from the battery to starter and it started and ran that way. I am just not sure what is going on.

 

If you can't figure out how to wire around the neutral safety switch like the first reply said, you should probably just take it to a competent mechanic.

 

when you wire the neutral safty switch it gonna be 2 thick black wires and a black and blue wire put these three together and youll be good at least thats how I did mine a couple weeks ago. Hope this helps

 

I am not a total noob or anything. I did my research on two different methods of how to do this. I wired it both of those ways and neither of them worked. I don't know any competent mechanics who do auto to manual swaps on Hondas. I am pretty sure the Honda dealer isn't going to do something like that. I tried doing the two thick black wires and and the black and blue wire and that didn't work. I also did the second method many use by just wiring back in the switch from the auto shifter and putting it in neutral and it doesn't work. I thought maybe it was an ecu problem, but then I jumpered the starter straight from the battery and it fired right up and ran fine so at that point one would assume the ecu was fine, unless it has something to do with my obd2 to obd1 conversion.

 

If you did infact jump the 2 thick wires then you have a break in your blk/wht wire that goes to your starter. Fix that break and youll fix your problem.s

 

I will have to check that. I tried your method and also this one and neither worked so there has to be something else going on.

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2090074&page=1

 

Because you have a break like i said, until you fix it you wont start.

 

I am pretty sure I had my noob moment of the year. My buddy recently uninstalled my remote start system and forgot to re-solder the starter wire back together under the dash. He felt pretty dumb when our other buddy looked at it as we were tracing the starter wire back through the system and he saw it and said, "why didn't you guys reconnect the starter wires after taking out the alarm." Doh!!! fired right up after we soldered it. LAME! Thanks for all the help guys.