now i used the search button, nothing came up so no flaming please. i made a thread awhile back about my car not turning over and people gave me possible answers.

Now when i try to start my car, i noticed clicking from under the dash and not the starter itself. everything on the starter is connected, i also have the battery in the trunk


so this morning i decided to check it. Now i held down the switch itself with my finger tried to turn it over and i noticed a clicking under the dash, is that the clutch ignition switch?

i also took it to a mechanic for his opinion and he told me that they tend to go out alot. is this true?

 

I dont think the clutch switch makes any clicking noises...but am not sure on this
Are you sure your starter works?

 

yea everything is connected and it used to turn over with ease, then it started a few trys n it would start, then none at all. if it was the starter, when i put the clutch to the floor, the morot in the starter itself would atleast TRY to crank. i just dont think the sensor on the pedal is working, thus not sending the flag to the ECU so that the car can be properly started

 

??

 

just jump the clutch switch. very easy to do

 

how do i do that?

 

get a wire or paperclip and jump the plug on the harness

 

oh iight, gonna try that now.

 

didnt work, so now what

 

if you jumped it and your car still didnt start...then you have another problem...wiring....starter....ignition switch...main relay..etc etc

 

ughhh i hope its not the main relay or ignition switch

 

If you hear clicking under the dash, probably the main relay.

 

The car won't crank, or will crank yet not start?


In your description I believe you stated it no longer CRANKS.

If that is the case.


Dead/weak battery

Blown main fuse

Loose cable connections (Battery in the trunk you say?)

Ignition Switch

Starter relay

Neutral switch/clutch interlock switch

Starter itself

Is this the relay that is clicking?

That is the starter relay.



The ground from the clutch switch triggers the relay.

As per Helms:




The "main relay" has absolutely nothing to do with the operation of the starter motor.

 

bump because this thread is all content and no BS

 

I agree that the clicking you are hearing is the main relay clicking.. it often means your battery is not carrying enough amperage to turn your starter or even keep your relay closed and working. the relays can themselves go bad too.

as for the clutch switch, your car would not make any clicking noise at all if the clutch switch was bad.. it just wouldnt start. no noise.

 

I am having this problem as well.

What happens. Car randomly does not start, I need to give it a jump to start only SOMETIMES. Otherwise when it does start, it starts and cranks perfect.

what I've done to fix the problem.

New battery.
New battery terminals.
Check and cleaned all grounds and connections.
Replaced and tried 3 starters.
Replaced alternator.
Replaced Ignition switch module with a used one from my other teg.
My clutch switch is bypassed so I dont need to push in the clutch when i start my car. (could this be a problem? doubt it...)

Now once i replaced the Ignition switch, things seemed to work great for about a few weeks.

Now it seems my battery is not giving enough juice to start my car, but I'm positive my battery is charged. It slowly is getting worse as it did the first time, until it finally quit starting.

It seems to just need a little extra power to start sometimes I don't get it...

I also hear a clicking noise under the dash.

what is my next step...

the starter(ignition) relay?

and is this the same as Main Relay?
when I search advance autoparts.com I get Main relay and Ignition relay. Im guessing these are different. and according to first picture post. The "main relay" has absolutely nothing to do with the operation of the starter motor.

any input would be great thanks.

 

Same exact thing happened to me. Check the ingition fuse in the fuse box under the dash.. Replace it if it is blown.

 

Junkee it sounds like you still have terminal problems take a pic of the terminals if you can and see if there is any wires loose in them. You should have a wire that goes directly to the starter from the battery and the other should feed the fuse box check the wires there also.

 

Junkee, I would guess that your relay or its terminals could be at fault. You said your switch was bypassed.. Did you do the bypassing? if so, how was it bypassed? You can do it two ways; one way is simply crossing the wires at the clutch switch itself. The other way involves unplugging the rely and inserting a jumper wire between ONE of the black/white wires of the relay plug (doesn't matter which) and the black and red wire that ultimately goes to the solenoid terminal.

All this assumes that the starter itself is making NO noise when your failure comes up. If the jumper wire I described seems to fix the problem, and the terminals all look good, chances are it is a bad relay. If the jumper wire I described doesn't fix it, this is my next line of thought...

I had this problem with an old Subaru of mine. The soobie had no starter relay, direct connection from the keyswitch to the solenoid (automatic vehicle, shifter interlock and fuse was upstream of the keyswitch.) The car always had an issue where sometimes you try to start, and have to turn the key a few times to get it to actually GO. Eventually the issue went critical, and I was using a screwdriver to bridge the gap between the starter terminal of my battery cable, and the solenoid terminal. Started it every time.

I tested everything I (and everyone I know) could think of, and then finally I thought "well, it must not be getting voltage to the solenoid wire, right? double check that.." and I did.. Lo and behold, every time, I saw 12 volts at the solenoid wire.. but it didn't activate the solenoid! (starters had been changed etc... this was definitely a problem.) My conclusion was solder joints in the ignition switch (and elsewhere in the starter motor circuit) had built up resistance and the solenoid simply wasn't getting enough amperage to do the work.

What I did was install a bosch, four prong relay (hundreds of them in the junkyard) under the hood. One wire was relay ground, (duh) one was relay signal, (original vehicle solenoid wire from keyswitch) one was relayed power output (12V to starter solenoid) and one was relayed power input (constant 12V fused line I installed on the battery post.) I was SORELY tempted to wire the relay in off of the solenoid end of the battery cable, but on the soobie I had no good place RIGHT on the starter to install the relay, so it wasn't going to save me any wire. The CRX looks like it might be different.



The stock relay doesn't really serve much purpose, other than operating as a clutch lock-out device. The current to operate the device in the circuit is still being switched by the mechanical, user-operated switch; the key switch output terminal supplies both power and input signal to the clutch relay, so the current still runs battery->key switch->relay->solenoid. In my mind, to properly relay the starter solenoid current you need to have the supply path to the solenoid be battery->relay->solenoid, with the key only being involved in the operation of the solenoid. This allows you to locate the relay under the hood, and keep the amperage flowing in a path that avoids entering the cabin; this minimizes chances of shorts or fires. This is what relays are for.

The stock configuration on the CRX is (in this sense) no different from my Subaru, in that the current flows from battery, to switch, then back to starter.. the operating current of the solenoid only passes through a relay in a sort of secondary sense. When I saw this diagram I said to myself "Thats just plain retarded" but what are you gonna do. It IS a good way to engineer a clutch lockout switch.. it just isn't REALLY "relaying the circuit" the right way.

 

and this is in an integra, but im sure its close to the same.

I just replaced the Relay from my other teg, seems to have the same problem.

It's like my battery is draining, but how could it be draining....

its all new and have brought it back for a test, still says its good.

I have all brand new terminals, all my wiring is connected good, thats why i bought new terminals to fix this problem, its all the same everything is tight and clean as a whistle.

and no i didnt install the clutch bypass switch,

im guessing the guy who owned the car before me did,

basically i dont have to puush the clutch in, i dont know or cant see or find out how he did it...

 

Try the screwdriver when the starter "fils" you and if it works, install a new relay as I described. I can point you towards a more detailed writeup I made on my subaru frum if you like.

If you think you have a drain, get a multimeter, read the instruction manual, and set it up to test for an amperage draw across the battery terminals. Your FSM should outline this procedure and let you know what (minimal) amperage the car should ordinarily be drawing for the constant live accesories.

 

well it always seems as if my battery has not enough juice to turn my starter, therefore I need a jump everytime.

It only does this when the car sits for a little bit.

otherwise if i drive it around my alt chargers my battery and i have enough juice to start it.

but yeah I've spent like 500$ on this already still isnt fixed.

I guess tonight and tomorrow I may disconnect my battery after i get to work, then If i leave work and i connect my battery, it should have power still correct?

If not then something is wrong with wiring.

If i do have power then something is draining.

then I gotta figure out what is draining and try using the meter.

 

OP...
Who put the battery in the trunk?
How big are the wires?
How are the grounds?
Battery relos have these problems when not done properly.

 

Ok so I seem to be having the same problem. I was wondering if any of you had solved this problem. My car (1989 Honda hatchback DX) started fine until the other day when I had to jump to jump it to get it to start. then it started for the rest of the day but it did seem to be lagging the last time I started it.
I charged the batt to 100% no change, then I used the battery out of my truck no change, also changed the battery terminals-no change. so I roll started it and pulled the neg cable and it stayed running. so it seem the alt is good. I forgot to add the fuel pump primes and I get the same click under the dash from the starter relay. so I have come to the conclusion its the starter relay or starter solenoid. What worked for you all?

 

I've been having the same issue on my 97 honda civic lx,battery is charged,took the starter to autozone,they said it was good.i replaced to ignition switch and clutch switch,when I start the car I hear the starter winding and then a click,but still results in a no crank no start,not sure what else to try