Go out one morning and.... nothing... Well let me clarify.

Got in the car, put the key in and all the lights came on, CD or DVD engaged and all the normal stuff. When I turned the key there was nothing, no click or anything, complete silence.

I have done a lot of reading on this forum as well as odyclub and tried a number of the suggestions but no luck. Here are some details.

1. Checked battery by putting it in my F150 and it started, check.

2. Looked at all the wire terminals and things are clean and tight, check.

3. Took an adjustable wrench and tapped the starter... when I then tried to start the ody I got a click but no start. I tried turning the key a couple of more times and continued to get a click but no starting.

At this point I would assume it is the starter but wanted to get some extra advice and ideas before I made the purchase.

Also, I see starters listed from $80 to $180. Any advice on that if this is the best route to take?

Appreciate the help.

 

My neighbor came over and he tapped the starter while I turned the key and he saw sparks coming off the head of one of the bolts that goes into the starter, not the two bolts that hold the starter to the base.

We figured it was the starter and pulled it off.

I decided to replace the entire unit.

Question, is there something that could be a common culprit for causing a starter to go bad like that?

Also, could a starter that is going bad cause problems with a battery overheating and causing the acid to come out of the caps?

 

I came here looking for a solution for a similar problem with our 2000 Odyssey. We drove it Saturday, but then Saturday afternoon it wouldn't start. Same story Sunday morning and every since then. Get in, turn the key, and just a click. I pulled the cables off of the battery and made sure all the connections were good and clean. I then put the battery charger on for several hours. I checked the ground strap, and leads to the starter. A friend figured with the high mileage it has it was probably the ignition switch. Any thoughts?

 

Starter motor just wear out IMO most of the time. I don't think there is a "cause" really.

What's your reading on the battery. CCA is what cranks the battery, even if you recharged the battery back to life. I would start with replacing the battery with a new one first. I think the battery is just worn.

 

that points to a bad alternator; it's over-charging the battery if it causes acid to come out of the caps...

may take vehicle to a local autozone or advance auto parts that does on-vehicle testing in the parking lot for free. they can check the battery condition (load test) and charging system to see if the alternator is within specs

 

LOOK FOR THE GROUND GOING TO THE TRANS MOST OF THE TIME BY MOVING THE GROUND WILL MAKE THE ODY START , JIGGLE IT