unix4linux

Hello,

I have a 1992 civic with a B18A1. The head is from a 1997 LS though. I changed the head gasket, cam seals and flushed the engine and radiator fluid out as well. I started the car up and it started up fine except for a surge (probably just need to bleed the radiator since I did a flush).

Now, the car won't start after it started up the first few times. I have not driven it yet because I was adjusting the timing at the distributor. After I turned the car off, it has not wanted to start again. It doesn't even crank/turn over. I have no cel lights either. I checked the fuses and they are all good as well. I thought it was the starter and changed it but nothing. The starter gets power (I tested with my electrical tester). I checked my ignition wires with a tester under the steering wheel and they are getting current as well.

It seems that for some reason, when I turn the key, no signal is being sent to the starter even though the starter is getting power. The fuel main relay also clicks.

Any ideas? I would imagine that even if the coil or ignitor are bad, the car would at least turn over but it doesn't. I even tried push-starting and no luck.

Thanks in advance.

unix4linux

To add to this...it's acts like a car with an alarm. For example, my other car with the alarm activated, won't turn/crank...no power whatsoever. That's how my car is acting, as if it had a power kill from an alarm, if that makes it descriptive.

Another thing is that the safety switch on the clutch pedal was removed by the previous owner when I got the car about 5 months ago. So, we never have to depress the car to get it started but I was wondering if this can suddenly be a problem? If so, would anyone know the color of the wires that should go to the safety switch? I have a blue wire and a green wire that could be from that but I they are not on a clip either so I wouldn't be able to put it back on. Anyway, I doubt it is that since I have never had to depress the clutch to start it.

sfr811

does your starter crank over?

unix4linux

Not at all, it's seems like there is a power cut-off somewhere. Very strange

sfr811

is there any power to the car at all? ie. radio, dome light? also check battery but i have a feeling it is your starter.

unix4linux

Everything powers up fine. Nothing is dim either. The starter is brand new...in fact 2 hours new because I thought the old one was bad but still the same issue. I want to try two things and need some advice on this.

I mentioned that I don't have a clutch switch on the clutch pedal because they eliminated the sensor (prior to owning the car). Now, if I am correct, when this is done, you have to jump the switch that gets unplugged from the clutch pedal in order to always be able to start the car without pressing on the pedal. With that said, perhaps the jumper that was set is not there anymore? If that is the case, I need to re-jump that switch but I don't know which wires they are. Does anyone know the colors at least?

The second thing I just figured that I can try is connect the positive battery terminal directly to the starter to see if the starter turns. If it does, it could either be the ignition switch or that switch on the clutch pedal not being jumped.

unix4linux

i just tried to give power directly from the batter to the starter and i would not crank or do anything. I am thinking that it's possible that autozone sold me a faulty starter. I am going to take it out now and take it back to them to see if they can test it.

I'll keep you guys posted...in the meantime, open for suggestions just it case the starter turns out to be ok

Rigginit

Sounds as if it's a grounding problem. double check the block-to-frame grounds. Thermostat and valve cover as well.

sfr811

im thinking ground also. do you have a ground running from the starter to the frame?

unix4linux

I got the starter tested and it's fine. I don't have a ground wire running from the frame to the starter. Should I? The only ground on the starter is the one that comes grounded to itself. Besides that, I checked all my grounds and even replaced some bad ones a few weeks ago.

Also, the car was starting just fine with no problems. It would fire right up and now suddenly it doesn't even click the starter. It's so weird. I'll double check grounds as well.

Thanks so far for the suggestions

unix4linux

Well, when I was in the car trying to start it, I realized that the fuel pump isn't coming on either. I thought it was priming before but what I was hearing everytime I turned the key was the radiator fan kicking on. Why would the fan kick on when turning the car to attempt to start the car? I have never seen that happen.

So, in a nutshell, so far when trying to start the car:
The radiator fan kicks on
Fuel pump doesn't prime
Fuel main relay makes a lot of clicking noise
Starter does crank/click/makes any noise whatsoever
Radio turns on and works just fine when I turn the key so I am assuming this is a sign of a good ignition switch

Grounds are good (tripled checked)...

Here's something interesting also. The cluster lights are all very very dim when i turn the key except for the brake like. The bright light on the cluster is the only bright one. The others look low as if the battery were faulty. I checked the battery and even took the one out of my other car and still no power to the starter or fuel pump.

fcm

You said you checked the ground, what grounds did you check?

I would pull/clean/reconnect the main grounds, batt. clamp and post, batt. to chassis ground and the chassis to engine ground.

Make sure the batt. pos.(+) to starter motor connection is tight, if the main grounds are good and the power to the starter motor is good and the starter motor has been tested as good then engine should crank when you do a "bypass jump", [jump from batt. pos.(+), either at the batt. itself or the batt. connection on the starter motor] to the starter solenoid input, [smaller of the two leads on the starter motor] no matter what else may be wrong, the engine will crank, so make sure transmission is not in gear.

I would then check the main power connections, batt. pos.(+) to engine bay fuse box, and any fuse, [main fuses] in the engine bay fuse box that is held in place with Philips screws, again remove/clean/reconnect.

A chattering relay, "Fuel main relay makes a lot of clicking noise", is an indication of a grounding problem, less likely but possibly a power connection problem, it would have no effect on a bypass jump.

Confirm engine will crank with a bypass jump before moving on. 94

unix4linux

Ok, I will do some of the steps again along with the bypass jump to the starter FCM.

Now, when you say to jump the starter, am I understanding correctly when you say to plug the positive end to the starter main and then from the starter main bridge over to the solenoid part?..is that correct? If so, I wasn't trying that correctly so I will do it this way tomorrow after work. Now, the solenoid area of the starter; is that the one with like the small spade type end that just slides on?

Thinking about it, what about the fuel pump not priming? Will it be ok to bypass/jump the starter if I am not hearing the fuel pump prime?

Thanks again

fcm

Yes, jump from the "starter main", [larger of the two leads on the starter] to the solenoid input, [smaller of the two lead at the starter and "the one with like the small spade type end that just slides on"] and no, it makes no diff. if pump is not priming, in fact the whole dash harness could be missing and a bypass jump will still work.

Remember, make sure car is not in gear. 94

unix4linux

Ok guys...you were all right. It was a grounding issue. When I followed FCM's suggestion on jumping the starter, I heard a very faint click. It took a few times to realize that it was coming from the starter since it was that low. I figured that the ground was not working well coming from the batter. I removed the ground wires from the current locations at the chasis and on the tranny and remounted elsewhere just to test and it started back up just fine. So, I went out to buy new cables (again) and also grabbed my sanding machine to clean off some of the corrosion from gunk/dirt on the tranny side. I was able to start the car up with just a touch :-)

Thanks so much for the suggestions to all and to FCM.

ikiyu

Im having this exact same problem; my fan turns on when i try to crank it, cel doesnt come on at start position and no fuel pump whirring. What are all the grounding locations i should check? And to jump the starter like FCM said, do i need a spare wire and jus connect the main to the signal and then try to start car? thanks guys

93civicvxx

yah i have this problem going on rite now were did you ground on the motor to get the car running?? i have been looking for this post for so long