Hey, I've got a 97 Civic Hatch with a b16a swap, its been running good for over a year until this morning when I got in and tried to start it.

At first the dash lights came on for a moment as usual, then when i tried to start to car, nothing hapend. Then i turned the key off then back on and the dash lights wouldnt even come on and nothing else would happen. I took my dads suv to work.

When I got home from work later I hooked a booster pack up to it because I figured the battery could have been dead. Put the key to on, and the fuel pump was humming unusually loud and there was a short burst of clicking sound coming from or around the ecu by the passenger footwell. I tried to start the car and it sounds like the car tries to turn over, but it now it sounds like the starter just clicks really fast.

It's been raining for a day or 2 and its getting colder here, I havent had time to bring the battery to get tested, but the dome lights still work(edit: the dome lights only seem to come on when it is hooked up to the jumper)

If anyone has ever experienced this or can give me some tips on things I can do myself to narrow it down, that would be greatly appreciated.

 

Sounds like a grounding problem, check/redo your main grounds, [DO NOT just eyeball them] disconnect/clean/reconnect the batt. to chassis and chassis to engine grounds, a tight ground is not always a good ground. 94

 

Are the main grounds the engine to chassis, tranny to chassis, and from the battery to chassis? What should i be looking for, corrosion, exposed/ripped wires, and loose connections?
Thanks for the help, Im going to test the battery and check out the grounds tomorrow.

 

The battery was just completely shot thankfully, got a new one thats 500cca and it's starting fine now.
Thanks again!