Engine will not turn over? Bad starter?

Is this car a manual transmission? If so, I have seen where the clutch safety switch (located at the end of the clutch pedal) goes bad on Civics. When that switch goes, the car will not start. You can unplug it and use a piece of wire to jump the two terminals down there and the car will start. That is the first thing that I would check because it is really easy to do.

If it is an automatic, then try putting it in neutral and cranking it. If it starts then, then the problem is either that the shifter was not perfectly seated in 'P' or the range switch (aka: park/neutral switch) is out of adjustment or failing. Its job is to only let the car start in P or N.

If that does not solve the problem, then we get into checking to see that power is getting to the starter and so forth. Let us know.

These guides can help us fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/starter-not-working-repair

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-load-test

Please run down these guides and report back.

Also, it could just be a weak battery. Try getting a jump start:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-jump-start-car-battery-using-jumper-cables

When I get up in the morning to go to work the car cranks fine. After I get to work if I try to crank the car after I have turned it off it will not crank. It will turn over but will not crank. After I have worked my shift and leave to go home it will crank again but once I get home its the same it will not crank. I have checked the coolant levels and oil and they are fine. One other thing as I mm driving the temperature gauge goes up like normal but after like five minutes it drops back down to the cold notch.

It sounds like you have a starter motor that is going out when it gets hot which is a sign the starter is going bad. But to be sure please follow this guide which will show you how to use a test light and check the trigger signal at the starter to confirm the failure.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-replace-a-starter-motor

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-starter-and-solenoid-works

Here is how to change the starter on your car (below):

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken

I changed keys cause I lost my old ones. Now it won't crank. how to get it running again?

Welcome to 2CarPros. Which parts did you change? Just had a locksmith cut new ones or did you replace the key cylinder or the entire ignition switch with a new or used one?
For all of these the repair is the same, you need a dealer level scan tool that can test the anti-theft modules to be sure they are working and then use the scan tool to erase the old keys and program in the new keys. Honda doesn't allow any DIY type of programming on their cars without the proper scan tool to access the security system.

i have noticed in the last couple days my civic has started to have a strange issue starting. It doesn't seem to matter if it is cold or not since it does it after i just drove it to work. It doesnt do it all the time but it is starting to become more and more common.

what is happening is when i turn the key sometimes i get nothing like it would from a dead battery battery is only 1 year old. i turn the key off turn it back on it might start just fine no issue or it might immediatly grind like it would if you tried to start it after it was already running.

or sometimes it starts just fine without issue.

is this a starter motor or somthing else?
if so how easy is it to replace? and where can i get a decent but cheap one since the car does have 200,000Km on it.

Hi dkromm,

I would suspec the ignition switch to be the cause.

When problem occurs, check if the dash lights are on steady, flickering or missing whenignition switch is slowly turned to ON. Continue to turn to START and note if the dashlights flickers or goes off. If the flicker or goes off during both above situation, the ignition switch iis bad.

There was a safety recall for the item and you can check with your local dealer if the recall applies to your vehicle.

by dashlights i assume you mean like the abs light and check engine light and all that?
can i ask why you think that is the issue just for my own knowledge? how can the switch cause the grinding and all that?

thanks

When the switch is faulty, it could be providing insufficient power to the starter and when that happens, you get nothing at the starter.

When starter grinds, it could be due to a bad flywheel/drive plate ring gear or starter gear.

Battery good, turn key, nothing. Shorted out the solenoid and held the key to start and the car started. When turned off the car it would not start again until shorted solenoid.
Any ideas where I should diagnosis next?

Hi Yonex,

I suspect you park/neutral position switch is the issue. Basically you are applying power to the solenoid and it bypasses all the wiring and fuses including the P/N switch. I attached a wiring diagram that I traced in red the normal flow of power. In blue is what you are doing when you jump to the solenoid.

If the vehicle doesn't think it is in park or neutral then it will not allow the start. Try shifting to Neutral and see if it starts. Sometimes it is just the park position on the switch itself that gets worn out and so the PCM doesn't see park but it does see Neutral.

Let me know if this makes sense or if you have any other questions.

I'm so sorry, the car is a manual transmission. I can't believe I forgot this.

No problem at all. It is basically the same principal except the switch is called the clutch interlock. This tells the PCM that the clutch is depressed which says it is okay to start the vehicle. If you look under the dash on the driver side on the clutch pedal arm, you will see the switch. There is a chance that it is just out of adjustment so I included that procedure. It is worth trying before replacing the sensor.

My car started having trouble starting in the mornings. I turn the ignition and it cranks but will not fire up. The first time it happened it started after the third try or so. The second time it took about fifteen minutes for it to fire up. The third time it took over thirty minutes. The first two times I continued to use my car throughout the day no issues starting up the vehicle after the store, office, customers homes. The third time it happened though I decided not to drive because I did not want to get stranded. I use my car for work so it is dire that I get it working again. I was thinking about just replacing the fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, distributor, mass flow sensor, and starter.

I already checked all of the fuses. .

Where would you start? Do you have any tips or feedback for me?

Kind regards,

Trevor Locati

try resetting security system it may be the culprit. a lot of times it happens like this. if you have a key type system try another key as yours may be worn out. See link.
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-reset-a-security-system

Engine Mechanical problem
2000 Honda Civic 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive Manual 122k miles

i have a 2000 civic ex. it threw a code telling me that my o2 sensor its going bad. i took it off to so i could go replace it after i got out of work. when i got in the car to go to work my car wouldnt start. it just had this loud clicking noice when i turned the ignition. people told me that clicking meant alternator so i checked and it passed, i checked the battery and it was fine also. now the interesting thing is that it cranks when jumped but when i drive it shuts off. so its not the starter, right?

[quote:52d214814b="c-los109"]Engine Mechanical problem
2000 Honda Civic 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive Manual 122k miles

i have a 2000 civic ex. it threw a code telling me that my o2 sensor its going bad. i took it off to so i could go replace it after i got out of work. when i got in the car to go to work my car wouldnt start. it just had this loud clicking noice when i turned the ignition. people told me that clicking meant alternator so i checked and it passed, i checked the battery and it was fine also. now the interesting thing is that it cranks when jumped but when i drive it shuts off. so its not the starter, right?[/quote:52d214814b]

If it cranks when it is jumped then you have canceled out the starter being the cause. How did you test the battery? Load test? What is the sitting voltage of the battery? How are your connections? Those ground terminals like to corrode where they bolt up to the frame.

I would recommend getting your battery load tested and cleaning and re-torquing the battery and cable connections!

2000 Honda Civic mileage: 135,000. This morning the car's starter was reluctant to turn over. This has happened once or twice before. The thing is, in every case, the starter has finally turned over at which point the engine promptly fires. What might cause the starter to occasionally fail to turn over? I doubt that the starter motor itself is bad because when it finally goes after he gives the ignition switch a rest, it really goes and gives the engine plenty of revs with which to fire. Thanks for the help.

Here are some things to check. Load test the battery. Check that the battery cable connections are clean. Check for 12 volts to starter solenoid with the key in the start position. These things should be checked first then the ignition switch, starter and starter solenoid. One of these may be faulty.

The car was a gift to my son it was not working when we got it.All signs pointed to a bad starter so I pulled the old one and replaced it with a brand new one it worked for about a week (he wasnt driving this everyday,just started it sporadically). Now, it doesnt start at all again and you hear the click,click,click, when I attempt to start it.I pulled the new starter had it bench tested and it tests fine,tested battery and it is fine,battery cables were recently replaced as well as the altenator. Turned on the lights while he cranked it and the lights didnt dim so no power is getting to the starter, I've tapped the starter. Been to numerous websites but nothing I try works... not starter,battery,altenator,battery cables,i checked fuses what am I missing anything will help.....!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi
Try a voltage drop test to starter. Place leads of volt meter one on batt positive the other on starter pos. terminal. Start what does meter read?
Let me know
Thanks for donate

ok is the pos starter terminal the screw down one or the plug in one and im at work now cant do it till this evening ....let me clarify the starter has 2 wires one is a crimped type that plugs in the other is one that is scrwed down with a washer and bolt which do i hold the lead on?

The positive terminal is the bolt on cable. The plugin is the solenoid wire.

If the voltage is similar to battery voltage, disconnect the solenoid connector and attach a remote wire. Apply voltage to wire and see if starter can be cranked.

I have a 2000 Honda Civic, the car is completely stock and I have just replaced the battery. Unfortunately, I had reversed the polartity and for a split sceond the horn blared and there was a spark before I removed the terminal. I corrected the problem, but I had to undo the negative/ground terminal and adjust so it would reach. I believe the ground has good contact, but now the car won't start. The engine won't crank or make any noise and there is absolutely no power going to anything except for the horn and the emergency lights. Did I blow a fuse? If so how do I check which fuse it is? I don't have any gauges and I don't know much about cars. Are the fuses set up so, only one would blow out, so if I were to replace that bad one everything else will work?
How do I know if it is my alternator or my starter?

Under the hood there is a main fuse box. I would start there. You should be able to visually look at the fuses. There is a main fuse that you could have blown. It generally is screwed in and is probably about a 100 amp fuse. Start there.

I have a 2000 Honda Civic EX and when i go to start it the starter engages the flywheel but doent turn over the engine. So I went out and bought a new starter and the same thing happened down to the "T". So I went back to the store and had both starters test both were good and I took my old one and put back in. I checked the teeth on the flywheel thooses where good. I checked the flywheel to see if it was lose and it wasnt. I checked the fuses those were all good and I swapped relays back and forth under the hood and nothing changed. The charge on the battery is good and I have 12v at the starter. But what really boggles my mind is when i pop the clutch it starts right up and when i put the key to the start pos. it grinds the starter. If you got anything you can think of let me know. Thank You

Hi skatrbob34,

Having difficulty understanding the situation so would like to make the following situation clear.

Pop the clutch = depress clutch pedal?

Normal cranking the starter grinds.
grinds = starter gear not meshing and is turning against the ring gears? Or starter is not turning?

Is the car equipped with neutral start switch? Switch on clutch pedal, similar to brake switch.

I received the car this morning as a gift for my teenage son.The family member that gave it to me said it wouldnt start,had AAA tow it to my house,when I got it off the flatbed and into driveway it started no problem. After turninig it off it has yet to start again,it clicks so the starter solenoid is fine , I took out the starter and had it bench tested and it worked so took battery to be tested and it too is fine,cleaned battery terminals and cables are good,also,altenator is recently replaced.After putting everything back in and hooked up it still is doing the same thing. What can this be I am baffled it seems as if the starter wont turn over but when it was tested it came out as good.

What clicks? The starter?

Do these tests:

You should have battery voltage (12-12.6V) at the larger starter power wire all the time. If you go and crank the vehicle, you should also have voltage at the little black female terminal on the starter. If you have both of these and the ground wire on the transmission to the chassis is fine, replace the starter.

so the starter could be bad even if it passed the bench test? and,what do i use to test the starter cables? also, are these cables something I can replace if they are bad? thanks!!! the starter solenoid clicks but the starter wont turn over bang on it but still wont turn over!

Won't start, no cranking sound, dash lights don't work, or windows. Headlights work, radio works, and the roof light works when opening the door. Dings when you put key in ignition.

Hi Melinda welcome to 2CarPros. Lets see what we can figure out.

It sounds like the first step here is to first test the battery and then make sure all the battery cables are clean and have a good connection.

Here are some guides to help with this:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-voltmeter
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-alternator
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/everything-goes-dead-when-engine-is-cranked
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-load-test

If this is more than you want to get into, most parts stores will test a battery for free if you walk in with it but they will need the car there to check the cables.

Let me know what you find.

Rich

Battery is good, what I did find is my 40a fuse keeps blowing. Don't know if that stops the car from starting or not.

Okay, may I ask what the fuse is labeled in the box so I can look that circuit up and see whats going on?

Rich

I believe it's for the ignition starter.

It's the ignition fuse.

I changed it once but as soon as I tried to turn it over, it blew again.

There are 10 models of the 2000 Honda Civic. Which one do you own dear?

2000 Honda Civic lx sedan.

Is your #9, 15 amp fuse in the under dash fuse box blown also?

Rich