Car won't start

[rdubya]

Hey guys,

So yesterday I went to start the car and it wouldn't even engage the starter. I thought, at first, that it was a dead battery, because I was able to push start it. Later last night, when my wife got home, I used her car to try to jump it, and it still wouldn't start. At that point I assumed it was the starter. I pulled the starter off, and replaced it with a new one about 15 minutes ago, and it's still doing the same thing. Is there some sort of relay or something that it could be? If not, what the hell is the problem?

EDIT: The car has the factory alarm system. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it. I don't have a volt meter, and any kind of electrical testing equipment. I'm hoping this is a common problem that has an obvious answer, because I'd really like to avoid bringing it to a mechanic.

Thanks!
Ricky

 

[Prozon]

I do believe there is a relay/fuse in the fuse panel under the hood. (Maybe it's the fuse panel in teh car?)

 

[chubs]

when u turn the key does it click. now one guess u might have dead wires do to deposits runing thru the wire witch keeps current runnig threw it, another could be yuore switch.

 

[rdubya]

When I turn the key to the "on" position, the dash lights turn on, the check engine light turns on, and the fuel pump activates. After a second, the check engine light turns off. When I attempt to start it, there is an electrical "click" and the lights on the A/C blink off and on. I checked all the fuses in the fuse box under the hood, but none of them are associated with the ignition anyway.

 

[dateg88]

Make sure both wires are on-the-job starter properly and I had the same problem and the wire that runs to the starter in the harness ended up being grounded out and pinched some were took me forever to figure it out. Just trace the smaller wire (not the power) wire back n make sure its not pinched make sure u don't have oil on the terminal it plugs into also. Let me know if this helps

 

[natt2000]

your problem is the wires on your battery. they are most likely corroded or not completly tight. make sure the wires that connect to your battery terminals are securely fastened, and clean all the corrosion off.

nevermind, thats just a starting point. you really need to diagnose the problem, before you go just changing things out, like a starter. auto zone does free starter testing. check your starter relay, and wires going to/associated with the starter for pinches, cracks, etc. just do a thourough search of all the wires and grounds you can find, and then somemore. just my 2cents

 

[Prozon]

If it clicks I'd have to say battery connections or starter. Since the starter is new, i'm going to have to say clean the terminals really well, or replace them.

 

[brad]

As others have mentioned, start with the basics. Clean battery terminals and engine ground wire thoroughly. The starter grounds through the engine ground wire. If that doesn't fix it, take the battery to NAPA and have it tested. I had a similar problem several years ago. Integras use the one of the smallest car batteries on the market. If they are even remotely marginal, they will cause the starter not to engage. The only warning sign when this happened to me was one slowish crank during a previous start. I replaced the battery, and that fixed it.

Jump starting is not a 100% accurate way to test a battery. If a battery has a bad cell, it may power everything except the starter. It may also prevent jump starting since it will sink (rob) all the power provided by the other vehicle. Having the battery tested at a parts store is free and is the first step in troubleshooting anything involving the electrical system. Jump starting works for a drained battery, not a bad battery.

Most recently I had to remove an old, aftermarket alarm system. It was draining the battery and was not allowing it to crank. Alarms are designed to keep the car from starting (obviously). Once I removed it, it cranked fine. Removing an aftermarket alarm is pretty straight forward. I have no idea about removing a factory alarm. The first thing I did was have the battery tested, and it was good, so I moved on to the next thing.

If your battery tests good, you can do some good testing with a remote starter switch connected to the starter solenoid. If the starter cranks while using it, the battery, battery terminals, starter, and starter solenoid are all fine. From there you would be looking at the ignition switch, clutch depressed switch, broken wire, defective alarm, or bad relay. I doubt it's the alarm since you can push start it. The click you are hearing is probably the relay which means that's not likely it.

I'd put $5.00 on the battery.