I have a 88 civic si with a b18a1. I replaced the battery a month ago with a new optima battery. (which is relocated to the rear)

I've been having trouble with my car starting right away. It'll click but not start right away. I thought it might of been the starter so i got a new one yesterday.(lifetime warranty..woohoo!!) I put the starter in and turned it on...problem solved!... so i thought. Later in the day i went to start the car and it just clicked...WTF!!! Sat there for a couple minutes cranking it, it clicked and clicked then finally started.

Did the same **** this morning, click,click and then start after a couple tries..

What could be the problem??? Has new battery and starter...
Bad grounding point, relay? I'm stuck!!! plz help...

 

Main relay most likely. Have you checked the 80A fuse in the main fuse box under the hood?

 

Not yet. If its a bad fuse will it still start, because it starts after a while of me trying and it clicking...

 

Ok i checked the fuses in the fuse box, mine are 60A not 80A and they are good...

anyone else have this problem?...

 

Sell me your front end if thats your car in your avatar.....problem solved! Do you have a main relay you could try swapping out?

 

when you relocated the battery where did you ground the neg terminal i had the same problem when i relocated my battery. all i did was add one more ground wire from battery to seat bolt and problem solved hope this helps alittle

 

i have this problem when my battery terminals aren't connected right, i have to wiggle them then they make good contact and bam starts right up

 

I have the neg. terminal attached to one of the bolts that hold the rear bumper support...

How can i test the main relay to see if its going bad? I hear it click...

I going to change the grounding point to see if that helps any...

BTW, that is my baby in the avatar and NO i will not sell u my front end...


http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/r...g?t=1242855604

http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/r...g?t=1242855657

http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/r...g?t=1242855696

 

Which gauge wire did you use to relocate the battery? You check the voltage drop at the starter when cranking? Also, for safety sake, is there a fuse or breaker inline with your positive cable within 18" of the battery?

You can run a smaller gauge wire for the ground, since it should have a much shorter path than the positive wire, but make sure that it is making good contact with the chassis and that the engine is well grounded to the chassis as well. The voltage path is only as strong as the weakest link.

 

Im using 4 gauge power wire and i do have a fuse block in between battery and fuse box.

I added another ground wire from the battery to a bolt on the rear strut tower, but still does the same ****...

anyone have a actual picture of what the main relay looks like? so i know what im looking for.

Thanks for all your help!!!

BTW, im going to check the voltage @ the starter tomorrow, whats it suppose to be @?

 

Thanks, now atleast i know what im looking for...

 

That is the starter relay in the pic. The main relay is allot bigger and is located in the same general area.

 

I'm sorry! The main relay is just above that area, a real pain to get at. I just found that pic in a hurry on google.... Try this one:

 

Ok, im going to have to test the other one bcuz i tested the one in the first pic with one out of my brothers ef and it clicks just like mine, but doesnt start..

Someone said that maybe the teeth on the flywheel are wearing down and the starter isn't engaging...Is that a possibilty???

Im so frustrated with my hatch rite now. One day she'll start right up then i turn it off and it wont start back up,just click.. I give it a little push and it starts up...

 

Someone said that maybe the teeth on the flywheel are wearing down and the starter isn't engaging...Is that a possibilty???


I think you'd know if that was happening! I don't think its possible, but they could break off I guess...that'd make a horrible noise.

 

How about the clutch switch (you have to push the clutch in to start the car) or the ignition switch. I had to replace the ignition switch in my moms Accord.

 

Tried another main relay and still same problem.

I got get a volt meter and test the voltage to starter, What is it suppose to be @?

 

possibility...
check the ignitor in the distributor. Or just try a known good dizzy. it is also possible that your spark plug wires are not connected in the proper places?

 

I'm going to see if i can find another ls dizzy and test that.

The plugs are in the right order because the car has been running for awhile, its recently that i started having problems....

 

I have the exact same problem with 93' LX. I will be troubleshooting this weekend and between the two of us, hopefully we can narrow it down. I am going to start with ground wires and checking main relay.

To the person tha commented on Flywheel - You would be able to hear the starter spinning if it wasnt engaging the fly wheel. All I am getting is a single click when I turn the key. If I turn the key enough times, it will eventually start correctly.

 

next time it dont start and just clicks have some one try to start it while you hit the starter with something solid like a hammer (maybe the new starter you got is bad). If it fires up after you hit it, replace your starter again with a good one

 

Thats exactly what mine does. I check main relay, starter relay and added another ground to my battery... Still does the same sh*t!!!

If the dizzy was bad, when i push start it, it wouldn't even start, correct???
The car starts and stays on when i push it, but i cant get to start without pushing it...Just clicks!!

 

i got another ignition switch. I m going to switch them out sometime this week and see what happens...

I'm still stuck...

 

i agree with you on this. i just replaced a ignitor in my friends dizzy. car starts right up and runs even better than before. he was having starting issues that it would only start when cold normally 25% or the time. and when drove the car wouldn't start without a push start. after the new ignitor all was well.

 

I took off the cap yesterday just to look in there and i did notice the the screws on the coil had rust on them, but i didnt think anything off it.

I'll post a pic later.

Maybe i should try another one just to rule it out as the problem...