Hello Honda-Tech,

I've been have an intermittent starting problem with my DC. At first it would do it randomly a few times a week, and I assumed it was the starter going bad. So I put a 1/2" drive x 24" extension in the car for my wife to hit the starter as needed, along with a set of beastly jumper cables. This seemed to be a good band-aid for the time. I replaced the starter with 3 different starters, ending with a DENSO reman. Problem seemed to go away for a day or two.

THEN IT GOT WORSE !
The car appeared to have a drained/dead/dying battery when you tried cranking it - It just gave 1 small "click" - that was it, if anything. So I replaced the battery. Now the ECT gauge on the factory cluster is reading erratically - it will read from where it should to HOT randomly, and quickly. I figured it was a ground issue, so I replaced and added ground straps along with cleaning/sanding the contact points/faces where the starter meets the transmission.

ECT Gauge Video: http://vadriven.com/forums/showthrea...71#post6063371

Worked for a day or two again, and then back to the same ****. A few nights later, I noticed the headlights dimming down. I put on the hi-beams, and the cluster dimmed. I then turned off the stereo, heater, hi-beams, and rear defrost | the headlights got brighter. The ECT gauge was also acting up (going to HOT) as the lights were dimming. So needless to say, I replaced the Alternator.

AHH HA !! Finally! Its Fixed!

.
.
.

Right?! WRONG !!

Approximately 7-10 days after the New Alternator was installed the ECT gauge started getting a little hotter than usual, but nothing crazy. I assumed it was the warmer days, or the thermostat was sticking. Just to be safe, I replaced the thermostat. The gauge kept registering a little off (from time to time).

Then this morning my wife goes to start the car, and what do you know - "Click"

Its doing it AGAIN !! !!

Any Suggestions?!?!

I'm thinking it might be the main relay at this point. I need to find my spare one and swap it out.

lmk your thoughts
__________________
-Justin
434.989.8980

 

I changed and Inspected the Main Relay.

Everything looks ok inside the relay, nothing looks/smells burnt, no cracks in the soldier joints, etc.

 

Ya need to get a voltmeter and check voltages when the car acts up. Intermittent problems can be a pain in the ars to track down!

Check the signal wire to the starter solenoid. Make sure your getting at least 12 volts in the start position.
Is the "click" coming from the starter? Or under the dash? Sounds like your having more than one problem...
Id retest the charging system and battery. I assume your installing new starters everytime? FYI- I have gotten quite a few bad alternators from autoparts stores over the years...Aftermarket starters could also be suspicious
How about the starter relay?

 

I've checked the voltage from the battery to:

starter
alternator
main fuse box

No drops.


The 1st 2 starters were DOA, and then this one works (worked). The Alternator was putting out a solid 14.3 on day 2 of operation. The car was getting along swimmingly for a few days.


You can also click the "ECT Video" link to read this same topic on VaDriven.com for More Updates!

 

Sounds like either a grounding issue or power issue.
When one circuit has an effect on another circuit it is almost always a grounding issue.

I would try a "bypass jump", using a jumper lead connect one end to batt.(+) and touch the other end to starter motor "control" terminal, [thinner of the two leads to starter motor] just unplug the lead and touch the jumper to the terminal on the starter motor/solenoid.

CAUTION starter will crank even if ign. key is off or clutch not stepped on, make sure tranny is not in gear.

If starter does not crank when doing the bypass jump, connect a jumper cable to batt. neg.(-) with other end on starter case and try bypass jump again, if still nothing also connect jumper cable to batt. pos.(+) with other end on batt. terminal of starter motor, [supply power and ground directly to starter motor] and do the bypass jump again.

Let me know what happens.94

 

Quote from VaDriven Forum (my response from lastnight):

In an Nut Shell -

I have power leaking to ground somewhere around the distributor. MM reads up to 3.1V on the head by the cam cap/cam seal/vtec solenoid/etc. I went through and moved the harness around, unplugged components, unplugged the harness ends, pulled fuses, pulled relays, etc looking for the power to drop on the head.

Results:

-Unplugging the large plugs on both Ends of the engine harness made it drop to 0.0009V.
-Removing the ACG (IG) fuse made it drop considerably (approx. 0.0030V)
-Removing the Back-Up fuse made the Main Relay ..::buzz::..

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I am crazy tired now, and I have to get up early so I can drop a new alternator in my wife's coupe so she can get to work in the morning.

I'll report more later.

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Do you have a 12V test light?

It is easier to test for parasitic drain with a test light, unlike a multimeter a test light has a load, [light bulb].

To do the test connect the test light in series with either the pos.(+) or neg.(-) batt. cable, make sure everything is off on the car, if you have aftermarket amps, disconnect power to them, [no cap can be on the circuit] disconnect one of the cables and connect one end of test light to cable and the other end to batt. post, if test light lights up, you have a parasitic drain, if not, there is no drain.

Have you tried the bypass jump yet? 94

 

Think you have a short or ground problem........Look at your wiring diagram and check the ground connections and you'll probably need to do a voltage drop test to look for shorts...

 

check all ur fuses all ur relays

make sure u r properly grounded batt 2 chassis,chasis 2 engine/tranny

make sure main wire leads from batt r in good shape

its hard 2 trouble shoot when u can't do it urself(talkin bout me)

make sure the alternator is connected 2 the batt no loose leads bcuz the alt runs ur electrical equip and charges ur batt and if the batt isn't charge then u have either a bad conn or bad alt and make sure that when the car is off that everything is off no 12v current if there is u found ur short butt u need a 12v tester

 

I've done all of this.

 

You have done a parasitic drain test with a 12V test light?

You have done the bypass jump with and without the independent power and grounds, [jumper cables] to the starter motor?94

 

This really shouldnt be that hard to diag.
If you have no voltage drops(.5 volt max i think) going to the starter, the starter is bad...It seems you still hear the "click" when the car is acting up?
Dumb question i know, but are you doing the voltage drop with the key in the "crank", "on", or "off" position?
I think you have more than one problem.

 

At this point I'm almost 100% sure I have a power leak to ground.

I'm getting approx. 3 volts on the head by the-

vtec solenoid
distributor
coolant passages
intake manifold (on cyl#1 by the head)

Everywhere else is reading proper ground. I think its in the harness under the intake manifold, but still need to investigate (when its not freezing and snowing).

 

Helpful thread, I am having similar issues in my civic. It's been through 3 starter just last month. I am losing power between the fuse box under the hood to the starter. I'm pretty positive it's a ground issue but it's to cold to be look at that this week. I'm going to do a parasitic drain test since that's the only thing I haven't done.

 

^^ I'm glad we can help! ^^

 

Was this problem ever solved? Having the same issues...

 

I am having this same issue too. I've been trouble shooting this for a few days testing wires to the main relay and ecu. and now my gauge cluster indicator lights aren't even coming on. and my acg fuse isn't getting any power. I am going to try and check all the grounds and make sure it is grounded.