I posted in a smaller Crx specific forum website this question but it seems nobody wants to help or it's too odd of a problem. I'm not really sure.

I used to think my car wouldn't start SOMETIMES because the battery was being drained but that doesnt seem to be it anymore because I always unplug my battery when I park.

Heres the problem. I will get in my car to crank and all the lights will light up like its got good connection but it wont even attempt to roll over. I can get out of the car, put it In gear and roll it just a tiny bit to get the motor to roll over, get back in it and sometimes it will crank like a brand new car. But I guess I have to roll it over JUST right to catch a certain way. But what I don't understand is someone can hook up jumper cables to me and jump me off anytime.

So why does it crank only when it's rolled over a certain way or ANYTIME a jumper cable is hooked up?

 

I would say it's your starter relay going out.

 

Starter relay? Where is that? I'm kindof a newbie at all of this.

I just changed out my main relay a few months ago

 

could be the key switch electronics are wearing out?....good luck.

 

Could it be that though? I was considering something like that untill I rolled my car and then tried recranking again and it works alot. I feel like its something with the starter teeth or something like that. Again I don't really know squat about this stuff. It's a b20 if that matters.

 

wouldnt be surprised if you have a loose ground. check them, starting with the transmission to body to negative terminal on battery.

 

I redid all of my grounds and everything similar to that. All perfect connections. My battery is always at like 12.5V because I unhook my battery when I park.

 

Do you hear the starter engage? or is it just completely quiet when you turn the key?

 

Eh I'm not really sure. I should be trying to listen to those things. I don't think it doesnt anything though really. I don't pay attention but I'm pretty sure rs dead quiet under the hood when it doesn't crank.

 

Well if you're starter was working but didn't engage you'd hear it whining. When it does engage it hits the flywheel teeth and turns the motor. Have you had the starter tested? Advance will do it for free, but you gotta take it out of the car and take it in.

 

I'm thinking the starters teeth might be wore out and not catching on the flywheel. Sound right?

 

Well yes that could happen but you would just hear the starter whining......is it possible for you to just go to your car for a sec. and try starting it and see if you can hear the starter whine or maybe engage and hit the flywheel?

 

I just went out to try to see if it would act up right now. It cranked everytime just great. There was a time where it didn't crank for about 2 seconds and i couldn't hear no winning or anything till it cranked. Otherwise it was great. Makes me mad it just does this every once in a while

 

I'd definitely take it off and getting it tested.

 

If the starter turns out ok, it could be your ignition switch.

 

But would the ignition switch fix itself by rolling the motor? That just doesnt seem right to me.

 

In my experience with bad ignition switches they would work sometimes and then the other times it would leave you sitting at the gas pump for ten minutes or more. One time I had one go out on me while I was driving my 92 Prelude Si. I had to keep the key in a exact spot while trying to drive and shift at the same time....... I drove home as fast as I possibly could. When you turn the key to the second position, you'll see the CEL flash on for a second while the fuel pump primes and you'll hear the main relay click. That's all in about a three second time span. Sometimes the igntion switch will affect that and wont click the second position as it should so you have to wiggle the key or keep turning it on and off (back and forth) until it makes a connection. I have also had a bad main relay that was giving me bad hot starts and sometimes the only way to start the car was to push start it.....pretty embarrasing having to do that after work for a couple days. But you said you have a new main relay.

 

Why do you unhook the battery when you park it?? You have an intermittent problem, it could be the starter or the ignition switch. I have a good used switch if you need one.

 

How much would you sell it for? Is it difficult to replace that?

 

And I unhook it because I thought it was a battery drain from a stupid alarm system that was put in the car from the person I got it from. That is also why I'm kinda scared to mess with the ignition because it's remote crank and everything and I feel like it would be wired into that, right?

 

No, not difficult at all.....unplug your battery, take off the steering column plastic, disconnect two wire harnesses and take off two screws on the back of the key switch, put key in the key switch, wiggle it around to get the new one in, bolt it back up, hook the two wire harnesses back together, and reinstall everything else.....It's simple, it'll take you longer to take off the plastic covers and pull out the wire harness holders without breaking them than it will be to take off and install the new ignition switch. But since you're not sure that's your problem....I'd get your starter checked.....it's free at Advance. The only thing you'll spend is time to take it off and reinstall.

 

Yeah I'll do that first I guess. I started to take it off one day but it seems a bit different taking it off than any other one I've messed with. Any experience with a b20? Is the starter tricky getting off or did I just not notice something obvious? I'm sure I'll figure it out one day when I get some time

 

It's really no different from a D series....you have your ignition signal wire you unplug, disconnect your battery hot wire that's connected to the starter I think it's a 13 or 14mm (disconnect your battery first). It sits kind of diagnally on the tranny and there's one bolt almost right under the dizzy and the other is under the starter and it's deep in there. You'll have to feel around.....no pun intended.....I'm pretty sure they're also 14mm. The bottom bolt is easier to get to with taking the passenger wheel off and going in through the wheel well but you can get it from the engine bay, you just might have to have alittle patients. After the two bolts are out just pull and/or twist the starter and it'll come out.

 

Man I appreciate all the help. As soon as I get a second ill go at that. I'll post on here whenever I figure out of that's it or not or where I got to then. Thanks.