forevermemorabl

I installed a re-manufacturer starter into my car, but I noticed my ground wire was broken (it was that way when I purchased the car used, 3 years back). And this is probably why my starter went bad to begin with.

I would hit the old starter solenoid with a mallet every now and then, to get the car starter...but you can only do that so many times. At any rate, I replace the starter and the car turns on just fine. I am ordering OEM part through the mail. After a week, the car starts to giving me trouble starting specifically from the starter. Not the battery, because it was just purchased brand new. I am 99% confident the reason the new re-manufacturer starter I installed is giving me trouble was because of a lack of ground. And then my car ceases to start at all. Actually, I heard the starter trying to turn the car on and it was almost going to turn on, but than the car dies and I have not been successful in getting it to even rev or rum, rum. I have also replaced the negative cable with a new one and still, my starter will not kick my engine on.

Without a grounding and running my car for a week, could I have shorted my starter? I checked all fuses and relays in the engine and they are all functioning. I have also checked all fuses under the car dash (driver side) and they are all functioning. Maybe there is a missing relay I missed? My first thought is short somewhere, but I am not sure where. I guess my next step is to replace starter again and see if that solves the issue.

What do you think?

ezone

IF you got it started by smacking it, then it had a solenoid problem, not a ground problem.



First, make sure the small wire connection on the starter actually got connected. It's easy to miss the blade and get the terminal off to one side.


You can use a wire to connect the small terminal on the starter to the battery + post as a test to see if it will crank that way.

Look up 'voltage drop test starter' on youtube

You could have a junk starter (warranty).

Is this what is on the car now, or did you JUST order it?

forevermemorabl

Actually, I got the "old" one started by smacking the solenoid...this told me it was time to replace it. When I was replacing it, I noticed a severed ground wire (from negative battery side to engine block). I replaced new re-manufacture starter (but with missing ground wire). Actually, I just cut the grounding wire all the way, since it was just shredded before:



So, my new re-manufacture starter was working great for a week...then it slowly died on me over about 3 days. Now it won't start...period! When I hooked up a store bought grounding wire, I noticed sparks when I was installing it on the engine block. My thought was, my engine is live, but with no ground. I thought putting the negative cable up to the battery would solve the issue...no good. By the way, this is on my other car (1996 Honda Odyssey). I know this is just a Civic forum, but I figured a starter issue is a starter issue.

I saw a You Tube video about that, as well as one about a voltage drop test. I just need to get a hold of a tester to see. I ordered a new starter, just in case a shorted something out.

ezone

Was this from a discount "open on Sunday" parts store? Lifetime warranty--- if they didn't lose your phone number in the database?
78% Junk.


Pretty much true because most of the starters use similar designs, and that Odyssey is about the equivalent of a bloated Accord wagon.

The drivetrain should have 1 or 2 additional grounds besides the broken one, check them all.


If you think the engine/trans needs a better ground, just connect a jumper cable to battery neg terminal, and to shiny clean metal on the engine or trans, then try cranking the starter.
Simple and quick as a test for the negative side, faster than a volt drop test.
But the volt drop test can prove if the problem exists, and it really should be used to check the positive side between battery and starter too... If you think cables and connections might be the issue.

forevermemorabl

I purchased it through Autozone...its a Duralast and it has a lifetime warranty...unlike many others I have noticed to only carry a 1 year warranty!

I actually have an extra cable and I will try hooking it from the current starter ground bracket to the negative terminal. The only thing is, you can only put so much on that negative terminal (like only one thing)...it gets crowded. I will have to figure out someway to rig it, just for testing purposes.

ezone

You can connect it to ANYTHING on the engine or trans that is metal. Does not need to be where the original ground was attached.


Clean and shiny is preferred for good connection though.

Stat housing, PS pump, motor mount bolt, whatever metal is handiest and physically connected through a metal-to-metal contact.

EDIT: Wait, did you mean the battery terminal? My bad. I can't read.

forevermemorabl

Problem solved! I watched numerous You Tube videos about testing electronic components. I did a voltage drop test, I checked continuity, I rechecked components, relays, etc. Nothing showed anything wrong; however, I watched a You Tube video that said you must have a minimum of 12.40 voltages on your battery. My battery tested at 12.39 (only 3 months old)...I return battery to Costco and they told me that my Odyssey took a bigger battery (with more cranking amps). That figures...that last place sold me the wrong battery. I was hoping that this discrepancy would have solved my car not starting...it did not.

After all of the tests performed, I was left with the last resort...replace the starter I just installed a month prior. After the replacement...car starts up just fine. I guess we will see how long this will last for. Well, at least I learned a lot about testing with a voltage drop meter and a multi-meter.