Before you say it, I've searched and read many threads, I can't find what I'm looking for. I have not tried to swap out starters. I will but I want a few opinions.

I've got a 99 Civic EX with a B18C1 GSR swap.

My car randomy just doesn't start sometimes. 90% of the time it will start, but occassionally I go to start my car and it doesn't.

Symptoms:

When I attempt to start the car, it's basically quiet mostly. The car does NOT attempt to start.

I can hear the fuel prime and a relay click.

Each time I turn the key forward, the starter makes ONE click. Sounds like it is attempting to turn but the car just does not start. I can turn the key really fast several times and I get a bunch of clicks, or not clicks but rather it sounds like it's trying to spin, more like a "clack," but still no start.

Ocassionally when I do this it WILL start, but this morning for example, it just won't. I could go back out there later, try again, and it probably will. Makes no sense to me.

Sometimes when it DOES start, it will take a few seconds though. I will hold the key forward for maybe 3-4 seconds, then bam, it starts.

It's been doing this for almost 2 years and I'm just fed up with it now. It started a majority of the time with no issue, and even went for months without a problem so I never bothered with it.

Here's what I've gathered:

I'm Getting fuel
The starter is getting a signal

I can pop the clutch and the car starts, no problem at all

I can also hold the key forward while pushing in and letting off the clutch several times, getting the starter "clack" every time I push in the clutch. So I know the sensor on the pedal is working.

Reasonable ideas?

 

im with you on th starting deal.. mine always takes a few secs to start (92' eg hb - 94 gsr swap) , i drove my car 25 miles to new orleans, and back, no problems. parked it, went outside the next day to start it and i get nothing but th engine turning over.. im getting fuel, spark, air, compression. put some gas in, starte fluid, the whole nine yards...

if i get mine running before you, ill post up what did,

 

Thanks. Yeah mine might be slightly different, because when I hold my key forward, there's nothing happening at all for a few seconds, then it starts out of no where. Not really a big problem for me though because it usually starts. The problem for me is when it doesn't start at all, like today. Let me know how it turns out though.

 

^^ bad starter.

 

yeah, bad starter for the most part, but check your starter connections and your grounds, sounds weird but if you forget to connect your grounds the car doesnt start sometimes, it happened to me before,,, check ground at the front passenger side the one that sits on top of trans and goes to the rail of the car. and check the one that goes from rad support to pst pump or valve cover... and then the last, check your connection where the starter connects to the battery.

 

Thanks for the responses. You are all right I believe. Went out and changed my starter a little while ago and starts right up. I have suspected that it was the starter for a long time, but it's been doing this randomy for almost 2 years so I figured it would have quit on me by now if it really was the starter. Luckily I picked one up from somebody a few months ago just in case it happened. I'll be completely convinced after I drive it for a few days and see if it does it again, but I'm pretty sure I've solved the issue.

 

thats strange, if you been having the same issue for the past 2 years, then I would say its a bad connection at the starter, I bet you if you put your original starter back in now, it should work perfectly fine cause you moved your connection around and probably will have a better connection now, sometimes just oxidation will cause a bad connection, but hey, as long as it works now with the new starter then you are good to go.

 

starters tend to do that when their going bad

 

Yeah, but not for the past 2 years, maybe 2 months but definitely not 2 years

 

yeah ur right but who knows.

 

loose ground wire???

 

Wasn't loose when I took the starter off. Anyways the car just starts much more smoothly now anyways. I'm happy I changed it.

 

mine still wont start lol

 

the starter ground isnt the only 1, still have one on the thermostat that could be loose, or the other 2 u should have on the motor

 

Hey dont mean to jump in topic but i have been having problems with my gsr for 6 months now and i deff. need help ASAP car wont stay started when cold it will just die if you dont give it gas to keep the car on until it gets warm and if you let it die it wont start back up for about two hours HELP

 

start your on thread!!

 

**** off was i asking you i didnt think so

 

its own not on thread learn to type

 

You will get more responses if you start your own thread. Not trying to be mean but I'm just letting you know since you need help and you're new.

 

Sounds like a ignition problem from what I read. You probably have a million keys on your key ring and its weighing down the tumbler. What I did to fix this problem on my rx7 was take the keys off my key ring and it worked fine. Sounds like since it only happens sometimes then a loose wire of wire making a false ground connection or something up that alley

 

my bad, u didnt specify who u were talkin to, sounds like u may have a loose wire, or shortage somewhere, is the motor in time??

 

SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME WITH A NEW TOPIC.....THREAD.....SOMETHING IT JUST WONT LET ME START MY OWN MY GSR AFTER A NEW BATTERY TODAY WONT DO ANYTHING AT ALL NO LIGHT NO CRANK ALARM WONT EVEN BEEP AT ALL

 

OH AND I ONLY HAVE TWO KEYS ON THE KEY RING WITH A VIPER ALARM REMOTE

 

check your fusebox,,, there is a main fuse,,, It might be the big 80 or 100amp one, its the one that you need a philips screwdriver to change out.. look to see if its burnt in the middle, if it is, then you need a new fuse...

 

oh, its the fusebox in the engine bay, not the one inside the car