I recently had an issue with my starter solenoid on my straight H swapped EJ1 Civic. I bought a reman starter from O'reilly's and returned my core. It worked for a few starts and then went back to just a click when I turned the key.

for a while I thought it might be an electrical issue with the car so I thoroughly tested any and everything to do with my 92-95 Civic starter circuit. The car has been H22 swapped since 2010 and ai never had electrical issues btw. Anyways I posted a long thread in the 92-00 Civic forum but found nothing wrong so I came back around to testing the starter again and sure enough the problem was the solenoid being intermittent. So I exchanged the starter and it worked for 3 starts and then wouldnt start it just clicked when it was time to go to work, so I roll started. When I just went on lunch it started however.

ive tried to find just a new starter solenoid for it but O'reilly's and Hondapartsnow.com do not carry a solenoid for a 5 speed 94 Prelude yet it has a part number on the diagrams.

Does anyone know where I can buy a new solenoid or what one will work in its place??

 

Looks like not a common enough part to need for anyone to sell, the dealer list is like 350, so more economical to just get a whole starter.

 

Yes Im aware there arent many 4g VTEC models on the road anymore especially where I live so no one carries it. I reckon I should have been more direct and to the point. Where would you go if you needed a starter solenoid for your 4g VTEC 5 speed? I have already bought TWO reman starters that are junk and the dealer sells new starters for $600. I just want a damn solenoid.

Does anyone know where to obtain one OR if a solenoid for a different Honda will work in its place????

 

Honestly I would prefer a used OE Honda starter to a remanned if at all possible. The starter from any comparable years Prelude or Accord with the H or F engine will work i.e. 92-96. There should be plenty of used ones around, as there are so many jdm H22 that have been introduced to our market that came with them as well. I would offer to hook you up, but my spares are all in storage at my ex's up in Canada.

To be very direct on the point of your solenoid question, I work for an O.E. parts wholesaler, and we can't even get one.

 

Have you done the big 3 upgrade of your electrical??
Change the cable from the battery posts to alternator
Change the cable from the battery posts to the starter
Change the cable from the negative battery posts to chassis ground
(also clean up any grounding straps from engine to chassis)

The most important being your cable and terminals from battery to starter

 

Update: yes I did more than the big 3 and went through my entire starter circuit, tested every wire and relay and cleaned every ground in the engine bay as well as my battery terminals... Everything. All is good. I get 12v at the spade terminal everytime. The starter is the problem.

I did actually find a solenoid online and took my 2nd starter apart. There are 3 screws holding the solenoid itself to the base plate. I have a wide variety of screw driver sizes and phillips bits and NOT A GODDAMN ONE FIT THESE MAGICAL SCREWS. I bet they are goddamn JIS screws or some ****. If I cannot get this damn solenoid swapped out Im going to go to the yard and pull a starter off of one of the many 94-02 Accords. Thank man for telling me that all H/F manual starters are interchangeable. I was worried because there are absolutely zero Preludes of any year in any yard within 50 miles of my house amazingly.

 

So I got the starter taken apart and new solenoid installed and the starter reassbled except for the big cap that goes on the back of the motor. It has 4 springed tabs in an X pattern, it seems like all 4 will have to be depressed on the inside in order to slide it over top of the bearing and close up the assembly.

Anyone know how to get this cap on?
here's a picture

 

Picture

Starter cap.

 

Update: i figured out how to reassemble the starter about 2 minutes after my last upload. So i reinstalled into the car with brand new solenoid and I turn the key and..... Click

So I went to the junkyard and grabbed one off of a CB Accord, (not sure if OEM or not) cleaned it up real good, slapped it on, turn the key and....click

This is absolutely, mind blowingly, light the car on fire, goddamn retarded. I guess i really am just going to have to pay $600 for a new OEM starter. I bet it wont work either though, just click even though the battery, alternator, all wiring, grounds, ig switch, starter cut relay, and neutral switch are ALL good. IT JUST WILL NOT ******* START!!!!!
it clicks everytime you turn the key and it recieves 12 volts at the signal wire. I even have GOLD PLATED connectors for my main power wire and a 4 gauge gold plated ground dedicated to the starter but all for nothing. The car is cursed.

 

Heres some picture's

 

Did you bench test the starter??
Did it run?
How about hand crank the engine to make sure it isn't stuck?? (remember to be safe)
If all is good and it still doesn't work then it has to be the engine ground??

Good luck.

 

Yes the engine runs great. I drive it daily, i roll start backing down my steep driveway and when i cant park on a hill i connect a jumper cable to the positive battery terminal and the other end to a wrench. I use the wrench because of the 2 prongs. If i put power to just the signal terminal (spade) it just clicks just like turning the key but if I add power to the spade and the 3rd prong (the one that makes the starter spin, not the constant 12v terminal) at the same time the car starts everytime.

Ive been trying to think logically. So here's my thoughts:
1: the starter bench tests good
2: i get 12v at the signal wire when I turn the key
3: all grounds are clean and tight
4: the car runs great and has no other electrical problems
5: i get 12v at the constant power wire from the battery

All I can think of is maybe there is too much resistance in the constant power wire? Not sure how to test this, I've searched how to test resistance and it confuses me. So my next step is to replace the battery to starter cable.

Am I thinking about this correctly?

 

What three prongs?
On the starter, there should be two points that have wires (from outside)
One wire comes from the ignition and goes through relay to spade terminal on solenoid of starter
The other goes to power up the starter motor. It comes from battery to starter.

A wire from the battery (+) to the spade should spin starter motor
If it requires also tapping 12V post then cable or terminal seems to present high resistance
Test would be to have helper crank engine while you do voltage drop test.
Measure voltage from battery negative post to positive battery post
Then from battery negative post to battery positive cable terminal
Then from battery negative post to starter cable terminal
Then from battery negative post to starter post
Any differences would indicator a voltage drop and some resistance
The larger the difference in voltage means the higher resistance is seen by the circuit

I would assume the battery to starter cable is presenting high resistance but not certain without testing.

 

Thank you Avistor, I came back to let you know I figured it out. I have read how to do voltage drop tests and resistance tests but it confuses me. Also i work 3rd shift and moved to a totally new city recently so its very hard to get a helper, i actually tried laying the multimeter on the windshield and hoping the probes wouldn't move while I went around to turn the key, talk about pain in the ***.

Anyways what I did after a few failed attempts to do a resistance test solo, I just took my jumper cable connected to the positive battery post and connected the other end to the + post on the starter. I turned the key and lo and behold she fired right up. I unhooked it from the battery and tried again... click, hooked it back and it fired right up. So tomorrow I'm going to go grab a new cable, I think 4 gauge would be the correct size.

I very much appreciate your thorough reply and found it helpful, but what I meant by the 3rd prong was the one that just has a short wire from the starter motor to the solenoid and is covered by a rubber boot. I was contacting this one to make the starter spin and at the same time the spade to make it jump outward and start the car. Contacting just the spade alone just made it click just like when turning the key. I was not touching the post that the big battery cable goes to at all. It was pretty sparky and kinda dangerous but it worked to start my car until i figured it out.

I was thinking that since putting power to the spade didn't make it start and the fact I had 12v at the + terminal that I kept getting crappy starters. Well I learned alot about wiring from this at least.

 

The voltage drop test is to see if there is any difference in voltage along the path of the circuit while applying load.
It has to be done under load. Anyway, you figured it out.
Having 12 volts doesn't always mean enough current can run through to actuate the starter motor.
And yes, it is enough to drive one crazy trying to figure it out

Thanks for the update. Much appreciated.