In cold morning (after car sits outside for the night) the car doesn't start all the easy.
Basically it won't crank until a couple trys, after it cranks it will start right up.
Car drives fine and no CEL.
So is the starter going out on me?

Car is a 96 lx 5spd with around 120k original miles


Thanks a lot in advance.

 

Check your connections to the starter.
Get all your electrical connections secured. Starter kinda goes intermittently. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt, youll hear a rapid clicking if its not working. If you dont hear that clicking then its the battery or connections.

Last resort would be to check the ignition wire. When things get cold they tend to do that a bit.

 

Thanks a lot.

So when I put the key in, I turn the key and it clicks once, no crank.
Then do the same thing again, still the same.
After 3-4 attemps it cranks and fire up.

 

Theres no rapid clicking then?
If none then it is the battery or the connection.

For a while I fought with the ground that connects to the chasis directly by the battery. Try securing that. What would happen is when I turn the key, all that electricity would surge through and the insecure ground would fail, immediately stopping the circuit. Check for corrosion and a secure connection on the battery terminal as well. Nice and tight on the terminals.

 

Confirm your battery has close to 13 volts.
Check your connections on the battery and starter, clean and tight.
If you still have a problem check you solenoid.
If the solenoid is good and you have done the above then I would suspect that your starter isn’t.

 

Thanks again for your response.
Yes, i only get one click (sounds like "tick"), no more no less, whenever I turn the key all the way, and no crank at all. After 3-4 attemps it cranks and fires up.

will check those you mentioned.

Thanks

 

Thanks, will do what you suggested

 

After electrical are sensors

I actually spoke to someone today about that exact issue on his 97 lx. Turned out it was the throttle position sensor. What the mechanic had to do was get the part cold and then run inside, quickly get the part in and start up the car to see if it happened again.

You may wanna try that with the TPS, IAC and IAT sensor if it gets down to it. Or try heating the parts up separately after the cars been sitting in the cold and see when the car starts up quick.

 

thanks again.

Just some more symtom details
So after the 3-4 attempts the car cranks and fires up. Then i turn it off and turn the key again it will crank and fire up, no hestitation at all......

 

do u have the right battery? even though u might have a good battery it might not have enough CCA (cold cranking amps) which would cause the starter to act up.

 

I just got a new battery, which is accord specific, from Costco......

 

the problem only occurs in the morning.
after it starts, drive it for a while then let it sits for the rest of the day (at least 6hrs) the problem doesnt occurs.
for example I park the car at 12pm, then start it at 7pm again it will crank and fires right up....

 

just because the batt. is new dnt mean its good