Hey guys, first post cause I'm at a loss. For the last week and a half my car (1997 Accord, 4 cylinder) won't start, it won't even try to turn over. I can hear the fuel pump when I turn the key and that's it. The battery is only a year old and tested in great condition. AAA came out and beat the **** out of the starter and it got some response--barely, but *something*...sounded like a gurgling. So I thought, bingo! dead starter! simple enough, right?

So, today I replaced the starter and literally nothing has changed. When I try to turn the car on, all I hear is the fuel pump... no attempt to turn over.

Any ideas? I'm bewildered.

 

First make sure the cables on your battery are clean, both positive and negative. Also, make sure the battery posts are clean. Do lights dim or go out when you turn key? I would check those first. Has the ignition switch ever been repalced? Does it help to jiggle key? Also, check 40 amp ignition fuse.

 

If batt nad batt cables are clean adn tight, only other thing would most likely be Ingition switch.

 

when its not starting check for battery voltage on the small wire that connects to the starter when you turn the ignition to the start position .. if no battery voltage likely the ignition switch is bad

 

Thank you guys for the responses. The battery terminals and posts are in good condition, I actually cleaned what little buildup was on there off as originally I thought this was a battery issue. The lights do not dim or go out when I try to turn the car on.

I don't know if the ignition switch has ever been replaced, and I agree this is something worth looking into... BUT there are some pieces of evidence against it being the ignition switch (or maybe not... you guys are more knowledgeable about these things than I am):

* Two days before the car decided to not even try to turn over, I drove the car and it had a really hard time turning over. It sounded like the starter was struggling.

* Also, banging on the original starter for a while actually got some response out of it. Not enough to start the car, barely anything, but not nothing.

If I can find someone to give me a ride tonight I am going to take both starters into Oreilleys and have them test both. I sort of suspect that I got a bad one out of the box.

 

When doing this test, I'm assuming I connect the positive end of the multimeter to the wire that connects to the starter and the negative to the negative battery terminal? or any metal point on the car?

Thanks for the help!

 

you can connect the neg to either the neg post or the engine .. both are grounded ... but its so close to the battery i wud just go there just to be safe

just be sure the starter wire does not contact ground in any way .. just be safe .. get a set of alligator leads