Symptoms:

At lunch one day, the car sounded funny on starting. Turned it off, tried again and would not crank. Dash Warning Lights behaved as usual but just got clicking under the dash when turning the key. No crank under the hood at all.

It's a manual transmission: Can pop the clutch and the car runs fine.
Starter is good ... removed and tested.
Battery is good ... 12.5V.
Dash Warning Lights behave normally with key turned 1/2 way.
Voltage is a little less than 12.5V at the Heavy Wire Connecting to the Starter.
Voltage is 10.7V at the Solenoid Ignition Switch Spade Connector when turned to full crank.

I think the 10.7V is telling me that's the problem but can somone help me understand what's failed and where it's at? Or what else is left to check?

 

Bump. Anyone help me get oriented on the next leg of diagnosis?

 

Is either your battery or alternator. Your battery can show 12 volts and still be bad. Once your car is started, put a voltmeter across the battery terminals, if it read around 14 volts, your alternator is fine, and the problems is with your battery.

 

I have two 92 Accords. Both batteries are relatively new and work in the black car. The green car won't crank with either of them.

It can't be the alternator. An alternator is not required to crank the car. I know this for certain because I cranked and ran the car without it when I did the timing belt recently.

I suppose it could be some problem with the battery cables. But it's definitely not the battery, alternator, or starter. The starter fuse appears fine although I haven't tried swapping it.

Someone was suggesting that there might be a starter relay under the dash, but as I look at the wiring diagram I have, I don't see one.

So as I understand it, I'm left with the electrical portion of the ignition switch, battery cables, or the remote chance of just some bad wire.


Anyone had experience with this? Is 10.7 volts at the solenoid connection definitely (I read conflicting info) too little to trigger the starter?

 

Are you 100% sure the starter is good? I know you said you tested it but i have seen starters pass a bench test but are faulty. Have you tried the hammer test?

What about the clutch switch? This would prevent the car from even cranking over if it was bad. It is located ether on the clutch pedal or behind it

Cheers
L

 

journeyforce:

Pretty certain the starter is good. I thought I had the problem isolated to bad starter and so got one at the junkyard. This one didn't change symptoms at all. Both passed a bench test at Advance.

I'm thinking that the clutch switch isn't an issue because of the voltage that I am getting at the solenoid. Unless, I suppose, if the clutch switch could degrade the voltage sent to the solenoid. But this doesn't seem likely to me.

Haven't tried hammer test.

 

With My Beretta, I was getting power to the starter and yet the clutch switch was bad.

Does your other Accord have manual? If so it is a bolt or two and the switch comes out. Try it on the other car and see if it works

Good luck

L

 

Thanks man ... I'll add the clutch inhibitor switch into the mix.

Sorry for the dumb questions. I just want to make sure I understand as much as possible before I crawl up under there and start diagnosing. Eyes don't work so good anymore.

 

What about the ign switch itself? Maybe try putting 12v to the solenoid and see if she cranks. Do you get 10.7v on the solenoid on the other car while cranking?

 

Pretty certain it's the ignition switch electronics now. Put a multimeter on the ign switch connector at the kick panel fuse box and got the following voltages:

~12V inbound and also on the 1st Switch Position
<12V on the 2nd and 3rd switch positions as well as the crank position

Rigged up a switch directly from the battery to the solenoid and it cranked fine.

Gotta start poking around now and seeing how hard it is to get the ignition switch disconnected inside the steering column. Hopefully that won't be too difficult.

Edit: That was pretty easy. Some other procedures I read made it out to be a bit harder.

15 mins max with a phillips head screw driver, 6mm, and 10mm socket.