1991 Civic Si 140k. It starts fine most of the time but when its like 10 degrees out like today, when I go to crank it over all i heard is one click. The starter is not cranking the motor over. When the temperature outside warms up, It turns over as usual. I need to fix this asap. Only thing I can think is maybe starter selenoid. Comments and suggestions please.
[youtube]3kyyzJyNbd0[/youtube]

 

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-crx-ef-civic-1988-1991-3/hard-start-cold-2872927/

 

^^ thats totally different from my problem, Video Uploaded!!

 

Did you check the ground on the starter, or see if it's getting enough voltage?

 

i dont got a voltmeter up here, what will that tell me, like i said when it warms up it works fine

 

As Number 4 states, if the voltage is not within a certain parameter, one of the things to check is that your battery is fully charged. If your battery does not have enough CCA, then you will have problems cranking your car in the cold.

 

thanks man, ill try that tomorrow

 

that click wont do anything... does sound like starter is not getting power if so thats a failure... try doing this trick... P.s. have a buddy with u

take a wrench or a big metal... touch onto where both wires goes onto the starter together... if the car then tries to crank over that way... its ur wiring if not starter.. but heres where u need a buddy... as soon as u hear the cranking part he will need to disconnect the battery otherwise it will keep cranking over no matter what

 

i am a little confused on your post do i pull the two wires off the starter solenoid? and what is the wrench connecting? thanks

 

ok i did as slybpsi said and tested the starter. The test worked when i jumped positive terminal directly to the solenoid terminal.
[youtube]g4h1fOv9uFA[/youtube]
The question is when I put everything back together the same thing happens when I turn ignition to the start position. It just clicks beneath the glovebox. Did the test confirm that the solenoid is good. What are my next steps thanks?

 

The instructions state in #2, that if you are able to get the started to start by connecting directly to the positive on the battery to check the BLK/WHT circuit between the starter and ignition switch. How was your amps at the starter, were they close to being in range? I know since you are not in the temperature range that it requests, that it might not be within spec, but you should not be far off. I'm saying this, because I had the same problem, mine would not start in the cold, but worked fine when it warmed up. I would take my battery in and they would say nothing was wrong, that they would need to do a deep charge to see if there was a problem, once they did that, they found out that my battery would not fully charge, it would only charge between 60-75%, so when it's cold out, your cold cranking amps is greatly reduced if your battery is not fully charged. Sometimes, I would get that CLICK like you and sometimes it would only turn over once. Other four cyclinder cars could not jump me off, it had to be like my wife's Tahoe, which was enough to jump me everytime.

 

I dont have any meters up here to check amperage. The battery was purchase from walmart 7/10. What did you end up doing with yours? buy a new battery? It always clicks, doesn't turn over at all when cold. Thanks

 

Yeah, they battery I had in there was 275 CCA, however stock is 350. They gave my like $48 towards the new battery and I went an got an Optima red top with 760 CCA.
What I noticed that it fixed also was that my car would always had like a second crank during the summer, (the sound you get when the car is already running and your turn the ignition switch again), when I would start it, once I switched the battery out, that problem went away. So, yes, the battery was perfectly able to start the car, but did not have the amperage to successfully do it when conditions worsened.

 

my battery got 525 CCA and is only 3 months old, I got it to run by leaving ignition on and by doing the starter hijack. Only thing is i dont know what my real problem is, possibly one of the relays or starter solenoid?

 

mine was doing this and I pop started it and got a cel for a top dead center sensor. Once its warm eveything is fine. Since I parked my car for a blown head gasket and many other things I have not tracked the problem down.

 

Got to watch video and its the exact same problem

 

just an update, installed a new starter and solenoid, the positive terminal ring that goes to solenoid was corroded pretty bad, cleaned it up, along with chassis ground and seem to be having no issues thus far, I wont truly know until it gets really cold out but I believe problem is solved, thanks