ok car is a 91 civic si w/ obdob16a car has run perfect for past 20,000 miles, now all of a suddon having ignition problems, checked all connections, grounds, cleaned battery terminals, new freshly charged battery, checked fuses, changed the ignition switch.... still it will not start.... i thought it was the ignition switch.... because a few weeks ago, i had it started and would drive no more than 500feet, and it would conk out on me.... everyone said it was the switch so that's the first thing i looked at.

cluster lights up, autometer gauges turn on, fuel pump primes, turn to start, and nothing..... maybe 1 in every 20 tries would get it, once it's started it runs fine... tried smacking the starter w/ a small ball peen, screwdriver ect..... HELP!

 

btw, i do all the work on this car myself..... nothing has been cobbed....

 

im gonna say the igniter went bad on ya if its not that i dunno most of the time it goes

 

Are you getting any spark? If not, it's very likely your distributor took a ****. My OBD0 B16a distributor decided to die a few weeks ago in a parking lot. If you need a distributor, get one from Distributor King (H-T sponser). I paid $212 for a brand new distributor shipped 2nd day air

 

its not always the whole distributer the igniter goes and then ur car dont start try that first before throwin away 200 bucks

 

If the starter isnt even turning, then its probably the solenoid, even though u tried hitting it with a hammer, that doesnt always make it work.

 

doesn't crank, turn over, spark.... thinking either starter or main relay

 

If it won't turn over, that wouldn't be caused by the main relay. The relay will still let the starter turn.

Don't me, but did you check the battery connections? Have you tried a different battery? Have you tried jumping it off?

If none of that helped, I would replace the starter before anything else.

 

not the main relay

 

jumped, cleaned batt terminals, cleaned grounds, put new freshly charged batt in.......

 

did u say it won't crank? if you did, u might wanna check the starter. Maybe give it a tap or two, and try starting it. If not...try replacing it. If it does crank but doesn't fire, try checking the igniter. If it is that, might as well change cap and rotor while ur there

 

it does not fire/crank...... so it's the starter, NOT the dizzy.... sitting here reflowing the solder on a couple of main relays....

 

Won't turn over... starter related or battery releated. Check all your battery connections and all your grounds. Double check your grounds. Remove them and clean them. Triple check the grounds. Check them again. One more time. If it starts then you know it was one of the grounds or the battery terminal connections.

Still not working? Use a jumper cable and hook up to the NEG on the battery and connect the other end to the engine block someplace or onto the housing of the starter. Try starting that. If that works then you KNOW you have a bad bround cable. Go back to step one and start checking the ground cables AGAIN.

Still not working? Hook the other clamps for the jumper cable to the POS of the battery and the big POS lug on the starter. (Hook to starter FIRST to avoid sparks.) If that starts up then your POS battery cable is shot - go get a new one.

Still not working? Leave all those jumper cables on there and then get a jump from a car that is running. This will give you some juice (make sure the OTHER car is running while you are jumping.) If that works then you have a battery problem. Pull your terminals off and make sure they are not corroded at all.

That better work. If it doesn't then pull your starter off and bench test it. If it tests ok then you have a problem with the wire that runs up to ignition switch.

EDIT: BTW - that ground wire that you have on the valve cover going to the chassis is pointless. The valve cover doesn't make any metalic contact to the head or the valve cover studs. It is separted from everything by rubber. Move that ground to the head stud that is right next to it.

 

cleaned my connectors at the battery and the terminals w/ batt terminal cleaner.... cleaned up tranny ground..... didn't mess w/ valve cover or thermostat or chassis ground under batt. the pos and neg batt cables are less than 1 year old new honda OEM... tried a second battery.... no change.... re soldered main relay.... no change..... changed ignition switch... no change.... checked clutch switch works fine... relay clicks w/ key in start pos, fuel pump primes..... must be starter..... i have a portable jump pack.... when i hook it up.... NO CHANGE....

btw i moved that chassis ground to the valve cover to the valve cover bolt to the left of the one it's hooked up to in that pic.... i figure it's better there, because thatstud goes into the block.


Modified by Nismo240sx1 at 6:25 PM 2/19/2004

 

yea dude....it's ur starter...try the tapping thing....sometimes the solenoid is just stuck.... but if that doesn't work, replace replace!

 

Seriously, starter lol!

 

nope starter ain't the prob, put a new one in still same prob.... but! ...... i found that if i slam my clutch down...... it will start....... mythoughts neutral switch gone bad?

 

the risk of sounding too obvious....only one way to find out? hehehe

 

unfortunately, your right... and i agree... i checked all the easy stuff first, replaced the cheapest and easiest first too

 

top

 

Not Neutral switch unless its an AUTO, check your switch on the clutch pedal. if its loose or even out of adjustment it won't crank.

 

neutral switch clutch switch both the same....

 

So have you done anything with the clutch switch?

If not close the circut by manually pressing the switch and see if the car will start. If it does, then I assume an adjustment is next. If not, bypass the switch and close the circut by using a jumper wire behind the switch.

 

switch was bad, replaced it when manual pedal spotweld broke. i have pics if anyone wants to see.

 

Hummm my friends EG is having the same issues we check all the other stuff but the Clutch switch.. Umm might have to try that .. Pics would be cool so I know what to look for