Hi.

Have had start problems for months now. Replaced the starter and fuel pump and THEN finally did the smart, less expensive thing and replaced the main relay. After replacing the main relay, all seemed fixed with our '94 Accord automatic.

But - last week - I had a very, very loud start - a big "boom" when it started. Was not totally unusual, but was louder than other, loud ones we've had. Then, when i attempted to start the car a few hours later.... nothing. There is power from the battery - lights are bright, inside lights on (not sure about radio as it was stolen a while back - wow, this sounds pathetic) - but when I turn the key... nothing; no clicking, nothing turning over, etc.

My neighbor claims it must be the solenoid, and that it is burned out (just his hunch). Google search tells me it "could" be the starter (which, again, was just replaced). Other searches say it is a loose wire/connection.

Am working-poor (emphasis on the "poor"), so am attempting to be smarter this time about not paying for unneeded fixes/diagnosis. Any ideas? Can I rule out the starter if it was just replaced? Is the solenoid "part" of the starter... or does it "interact" with the starter (as my "hunch" neighbor claims)?.

Any help is appreciated. Have been browsing this forum for most of the past year with on-again, off-again problems with my car that is now one of those "too expensive to keep fixing; too much invested in it to bail on it" cars, apparently.

Thanks again. - Tom Moore, Minneapolis, MN thomasmoore.104@gmail.com

 

Pull the small wire off the starter, have someone try to start the car as you measure the voltage on that wire......what does it read?

 

You could also remove the small wire and take a wire and jump that terminal on the starter to the positive battery terminal and see if the car starts. If you don't get anything you are most likely looking at a starter.

 

if I were you I would take off the starter and get it tested at autozone or kragens or whatever auto shop thats near you that can do the checking. If its all good then check your spark plugs, if they look like crap change them. make sure that your plug wires are in good shape too, and you could replace your distributor cap too. I would start with testing the starter and work from there. hope it helps!

 

The boom may have been the solenoid going out. I believe the main suspect is the starter in this case. I've heard a lot of people mention going to get a starter tested but I've always had very poor experiences with that. (I've taken an alternator and starter to get tested (two different times) and they both "pass" per vague criteria.) Turns out both were shot though. (I bench tested the starter myself and it was spinning very slowly so that was culprit.

If you just got the starter a few months ago, it should still be under warranty, no?