cmayhew

I have a civic that will not start. I have replaced the battery. I have taken the starter out and had it tested and the car still turns over slow (as if the battery doesn't have a charge). I tried jumping the car with another car and still the same results. I am at a loss for what else could be the issue. The only thing I can come up with is that the starter is testing ok but for some reason is dragging and not turning the engine at full capacity. If there is something else I need to be looking at please let me know. If I don't come up with something soon I guess I will spend the $131 dollars to replace the starter in case it is not at 100% functionality.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Charles

ezone

Some pointed testing can save all sorts of money.
An amp test on the starter
Volt drop tests on the starter for both pos and neg

Will the engine roll over with a wrench (engine not locking up)?


In lieu of actual testing, I might tell you to clean all the ground cable connections (remove the bolts, wire brush the cable ends AND the attaching points until there is bare shiny metal):
neg battery cable to the frame,
ground strap between the frame and the trans,
and the other ground strap at the motor mount on the pulley end of the engine.

cmayhew

Thanks for the suggestion. I am curious, would a bad ground produce a "reduced" power results or would the car not turn over at all? I have limited understanding of this but I know if for example my pop-up isn't grounded to the hitch the lights don't come on at all. I thought a bad ground to the engine would produce the same results.

ezone

They can be a great connection and handle all the amperage that the starter needs, or it can be a completely open circuit, or it can be ANYTHING in between.

If it has a poor connection that limits the amps that can flow through it, then it could do exactly what you have.
Think of it like a clogged faucet that limits water flow.
Or trying to fill a waterbed through a coffee stir straw.