Hey guys (been coming here often and you guys always have the answers). I literally just changed my starter 5 min ago and the car wont crank. relay clicks once and the lights dim but not crank. I need this car working tomorrow. any suggestions?

 

double check your battery and the ground cable from starter, also make sure the clip that snaps in on the starter is tight ( hidden by rubber boot)

 

This. I would assume the ground isn't tight.

 

just installed new battery terminals today and thats good. ill check the starter ground in the morning. ill return with news

 

The ground is secure car will still not start. also all fuses are checked good.

 

Have you jumped the starter to make sure it's functional?

 

Its a brand new starter

 

Ok

 

Brand new doesn't mean its functional.

A very large percentage of autoparts are defective.

 

Thank you.

OP if you don't want to test it then the next course of action might be to pull out a multimeter and start figuring out where the voltage drops off or where the open is occurring at.

 

went ahead and took the valve cover ground and mounted it somewhere else and the car cranks now. thanks for the help Honda-Tech

 

Two things, the VC ground has nothing to do with starter motor, [other then in a roundabout way] 2nd, there is no ground wire going to the starter motor, the tarter is grounded through it's mounting to the motor/transaxle, the two leads going to the starter motor are the batt. cable, [thick one] and the starter lead, [thin one] both are 12V+.
I would recheck your main grounds, batt. to chassis and chassis to engine, [the chassis to engine is NOT the one to the VC]. 94

 

hate to tell you but when i take the VC ground off it wont crank. With it on it will. Problem is fixed.

 

"Hate to tell you," but you most likely have a ground problem that lies somewhere other than the VC. You should check your grounds before you end up with a more significant problem that strands you somewhere.

 

every other ground is tight as ****. they're not going anywhere

 

That just means the engine is grounding through the VC ground and that is not correct.

Your chassis to engine ground is N/G, what is the MM&Y of your car?
FYI a tight ground even if tight as **** does not mean it is a good ground, the only way to insure a ground is good is to disconnect/clean/reconnect. 94

 

The ground for the starter is the one going from the passenger side frame rail to the clutch cable mounting bracket.
The valve cover should be insulated with the rubber seal and rubber grommets. No metal to metal contact should be made with the valve cover that could supply your starter.
Ground cable goes to valve cover to help with controlling electromagnetic noise that might come from the spark plugs.

 

I want to hear this electromagnetic noise.

 

Yeeeaaaahhhh as fcm said you really should check your system. Get a ground schematic and make sure that all grounds are routed correctly. That should not happen.

-Amp

 

Only if I can join your club

 

ive looked it all over and everything is secured nice and tight. even took grounds off and scrubbed them and reapplied. strange but ill just leave it alone.