I have a 1998 civic ex im using as a daily driver. When i left work yesterday it would not start. All my interior lights were on and not dim and i did not hear clicking coming from the engine bay. I had a buddy tow start me and i started right up. Car drove 60 miles home fine, everything worked no dim lights nothing weird. Try to start today and same deal, but it roll started just fine and ran fine. I ran a wire from the battery to both of the starter leads (not the one the battery connects to) and each time all i hear is a really faint whirling (almost unnoticeable) and the car wont crank. When i try to crank with the key i hear my main relay click and i hear a click from my drivers side footwell also but no start. I also looped the clutch interlock switch and tried to start it and still nothing. (the one with the blue black wires not the one for the cruise control)

Took it to the parts store, they tested it. It passed once, failed twice then passed twice. The starter didnt sound good but i've never had one tested before so i dunno.

Please Help

Cliff notes:

1. Car wont start with key, but car will roll start just fine
2. all lights come on when starting, relays click
3. tried to bypass start the starter, didnt work but not sure if i did it right.
4. bypassed the clutch interlock switch, still no start
5. starter test performed passed 3 times, failed twice


NEED HELP ASAP. dont want to spend another 140 bucks on a starter for my daily if its something else

 

You directly wired the starter to the battery and it didn't crank AND the starter failed a test twice, so I think you can safely assume the starter is bad.

 

I would assume it's your starter. But something similar happened to my camry. All I had to do was replace a fuse. Started right up.

 

replaced the starter and it started right up.

thanks for the help.