This isn't on a Honda, but I'm almost out of ideas.

When you turn the key you hear the starter turning, but it doesn't engage the flywheel and turn the motor over.

The battery is at 13.0v, and I get the same reading off of the + wire from the battery to the starter. There are not switches or relays in-line from the battery to the starter, with the exception of a solenoid attached to the starter.

I bench tested the starter and it throws the gear all the way out, so there is no reason why it shouldn't spin the flywheel. The teeth are good on the starter and the flywheel, this is on a single cam '99 Ford Escort.

Dazzle me Honda-Tech.

 

Maybe it's a loose contact point somewhere. I bet it's not throwing the gear out when it's on the car. If it's throwing the gear out, and the teeth on the ring gear and starter motor are good, there's no reason why it wouldn't be turning the motor over. That has to be the reason, buy a rebuilt starter and it'll be fixed because I say so

 

i betcha one of the terminals on the battery is not getting a good contact with the battery.

This happend to me a couple of days ago when i was working on a nissan

clean your battery terminals and posts, or maybe you need to replace them

 

It could also be a worn starter drive. The clutch part that protects the pinion gear from meshing with a running flywheel gets worn out, and wont turn the flywheel. Replace the damn thing

 

I just said **** it and replaced the starter, and lo-and-behold it starts!

All I can think of is that there was a bad bearing in the starter, and when it was under load it didn't turn up enough rpm to kick the flywheel over. [shrug]

 

yep, i'm a genius

 

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