Hey guys, so my name is Mike and I bought a 1990 EF with a B18A1 Engine about 2 weeks ago, now, I'm having a starting the car issue, below are the details.


Sometimes, when I go to start my car, it makes the click from turning the key in the ignition, but it will not crank (ChicChicChic sound) when you turn the key. It will take about 2 or 3 times of turning the key, then holding it there, then it will crank, then start. It doesn't do it every single time, and I can't distinguish what makes it do it, but I do know this:

It does it almost every time I get gas.
It does it when I make the car crank (turn the key and it makes the chicchicchic sound) but if I let off the key before it starts, the next time you start it will take 2 or 3 times (as mentioned above)
Temperature does not seem to effect it, i've had it happen hot or cold.

I also know that the Fuel Pump does 'prime' when you just turn the key to make the car on.

Also I do know my headlights do dim when I low rev the car, and when I push the gas, they go brighter, when the car is running.

So, what am I doing?
Newer more powerful battery,
Spark plugs & wires
Valve cover gasket (need it because when you pull out the plug the wire is attatched to, oil is present)
Radiator (cause I have a leak)

Is there anything else I should pick up? Does anybody here have a very good educated guess at what my problem is?

Thanks guys.

 

SSounds like your battery, but I had sorta the same problem. My crx would just crank sometimes and not start then after a couple Trys it would. Check your main relay also but start with checcking the voltage on yoour battery and if its low charge it or change the battery

 

Thanks for the input, for some reason I am also thinking it is the battery but I don't want to spend money on equipment / diagnostics i'd rather just replace things piece by piece, then eventually the problem will be fixed and i'll have all new parts.

If it's not the - Battery, Main Fuel Relay, Spark Plugs & Wires, what else could it be?

I mean the starter will probably be before altenator... apperantly alternator is a real pain the *** to take out..

 

The alternator isn't that bad. You unbolt it from the brackets pull the axle and take the brackets off the block and it drips out the bottom. I would guess someone overtightened the power wire to the starter and it spun the connector inside so it sometimes gets connection and sometimes doesn't. I had it happen toy first starter. Take the starter off and have it tested. Alternator isn't going to make as much a difference while starting unless the battery is being drained while the car is running from low output from the alternator but I would think it would do it everytime not just sometimes. My car used to dim the headlights at idle so I upgraded to a higher amp alternator from the 94-96 integra and never had the problem again but my subs were drawing more than the original alternator could handle.

 

I don't really want to check this and that I'm more of the buy new parts until it's fixed cause in the end I'll have a legit ride.

So my current list is:
Radiator,
Spark plugs,
Wires,
New Battery,

I'm debating wether I should go ahead and do an altenator to since I'm going to be getting a system & HID's?
My starter is fine I tell you this. Everytime it only takes 1 or 2 cranks to start, it's just sometime I turn the key, it clicks, nothing happens. Doesn't seem like my starter cause it wouldn't be going back and fourth like this.

 

Then buy a higher amp output alternator since you want to throw money at it anyway.

 

I had pretty much the same problem. it happened to be the starter in fact. just on it's way of going out completely, i'd have to keep turning the key over until it finally started to turn over, once it started turning over it would fire right up. but it was just weak and would only work when it wanted to. every other time i just got that click noise like the batt was almost dead.

my bet is your starter. the alternator would have nothing to do with the starting issue. a car can be started without an alternator, just wont stay running for long cuz the batt would die.

do this if you think its the alt, next time its running, pull the pos cable off the batt. is it still running? yes? alt is prob good then.

 

I tried to tell him the same thing but he didn't want to listen. I think he just wants buy all new **** and wast money.

 

You told me that the altenator wasn't a hard job and that it probably isn't the altenator, you gave me no reason why, so your post was actually pretty terrible. This guy said a car would run without the altenator, you didn't. Don't try to take credit for someone elses posts because yours is incomplete, I hate people who do that.
"Altenator isn't going to make much of a difference while starting" implying that the altenator does infact play a roll while starting the car. lawls

So I guess I'll go buy a starter to, might as well spend the money.

 

your looking for a problem with the starter, relay, or wiring. im going with starter