Ok so my 93 accord won't start. I have only had the car for about a week so i know very little about the gremlins in it...just that it has them

When i turn the key i can hear the starter motor spinning freely, but there is no movement at all from the engine, as far as i can tell it does not pop out to engage the flywheel. However, I have taken the starter to two different shops and it passed bench tests at both of them with the doohicky (technical term) popping out and all the teeth spin. As far as I can tell the starter and the flywheel seem fine (no teeth seem missing). I have cleaned off the contacts for battery and the two connections to the starter and they all seem fairly clean, though i haven't put them in a coke bath- they don't seem dirty enough to need it.

I originally thought it was a bad starter, but both advanced and napa have told me differently. It costs $130 for a new one and its non refundable- and as a high school student I don't have that kind of money to blow on something that doesn't seem to be the problem. They both told me it seems to be an electrical issue, but im not sure where to start looking. If anyone could point me in the right direction so I can get back on the road that would be great. Thanks!

btw, it ran fine before this. it started up that morning, i went to take off from a stop and stalled it, first time since i got the car, but it seemed to die really easy. could have just been a noob move by me though. then as soon as i went to start it back up this is when the problem started.

 

See if this link will help you troubleshoot.

http://techauto.awardspace.com/ignition.html

 

Thanks for the post back. I did some more tinkering today and i was concerned that the timing belt broke. I had just replaced it the day before it decided not to work so I was concerned I put it on wrong/fell off...etc. So pulled the valve cover off and cranked the engine (with key). All the valves move properly. aka, not the starter, not the flywheel, not the belt. so it seems like there must be no compression. however, if you try to roll start it will clunk itself to a stop when you pop the clutch. so whats next? electrical? fuel? thanks for any suggestions on this wild goose hunt.

 

Yeah, I would check for fuel and spark.

 

Since you stated that you replaced the timing belt the day before, did you bolt the ECU ground back on that's on the thermostat housing? Check that it is on and tight. Refer to this link:

http://techauto.awardspace.com/ecu.html

If the ECU ground is on and tight, then move on to check for spark or fuel. The link I included previously includes info. for that too. For fuel, turn ignition key to II (ON), and listen for the fuel pump priming, this should occur while the check engine light is on for approximately 2 seconds. It should be a faint buzzing noise from the rear of the car (behind back seat area). If you hear it, that means the main relay is okay.

 

Um, crap. Ok, after tinkering around with seeing if it was electrical problems or fuel and such i decided to hand crank the engine (by the bolt by the tire) and obviously the timing belt wasn't put on right. the tensioners or something weren't installed right and its really loose. so im gonna pull it all back apart and re-align everything and see if it works after that. heres to hoping i still have an engine, thanks for the help guys.

 

Yeah, just make sure it's timed correctly or it won't run right. Good Luck!

 

Yea ill line it all back up like i did the first time and see if i get any compression cranking it by hand. Timing belt broke at about an idle rpm (1400 cuz it was cold)...but i also have sat on the starter for quite a while and tried to roll start it thinking i was dealing with a broken starter, not a slipped belt. is there any chance i still have an engine left or am i most likely looking at trashing the car if the valves are bent? any suggestions would help, as a high schooler I'm looking at not having a car for at least another year if I have to trash it for scrap :/

 

Only one way to find out is to do a compression test.

 

if you've had the timing belt break multiple times here and you are trying to crank this engine over (through multiple methods) and you are maybe hearing some clunking noises...., well it sounds like the engine maybe toast. From the list of issues you need to open this engine up and physically look for damage. One idea would be to drop the oil pan and look for parts or metal shavings. If you are going to sell the car let me know plz

 

Ok, so the timing belt was looser than hell when i took it all apart. why? i don't know. anyways, im definitely gonna need a new head machined. but as far as i know everything lower than the head is in good shape...no strange noises.

so, heres the new question of the thread...what could have caused the belt to slip/become soo loose? i could turn it a good tooth or two in each direction before it would crank...however when we installed it it was tight all the way around. it was really cold the morning that it failed and i got about 175 miles on the belt before it died...can anyone give ideas to why this would happen so it doesn't happen again after i pay to get the vales redone? i'm apt to not be so lucky to have it slip at a stop next time. thanks!

 

Anyone? maybe i can put this a bit more clearly.

the tb was snug when i installed it, but 175 miles later it was loose enough that it slipped. any ideas why? thanks.

 

could be many reasons. when you installed the belt you could have wrapped it around something by accadent and it came out down the road, a tensionor could not be working properly the belt itself could be faulty and streched ect. i'd check to see if your tensioner is working.

 

Try to use blue loc-tite next time you put that TB back on.

 

blue loc-tite. forgive my confusion but put it on what? the bolt that tightens the tensioners?

this time around i will make sure everything looks perfect but again it looked perfect the first time too. how would i know if the tensioner isn't working properly? it seems fine, but i could bring it back to autozone and have them compare it to a another new one. i put the belts back on and everything seemed tight and happy, but as far as i remember thats how it was the first time. id like to point to the tensioner as being at fault but it seems fine when i install the belt.

ill sent the head off to a machine shop for new/re machined valves and such so it should be back by the end of the week. id like to figure out some sort of reason for the belt slipping by then since i dont really have the money or time to do this again if it slips. thanks.