JeffDK

So, here it is: About a month ago I turned the key on my 2007 Civic LX, and it gave that "dead battery" sound, the battery is 1 year old, and has had NO issues before this, nor was there any other electrical problems. Being a Mechanically Defecient guy, I tried what has worked in the past, I checked the battery posts and clamps. A bit "dirty". And not having my battery post/clamp clean (the wire bristles kind) I just loosened the positive post, as it looked like it needed cleaning more than the negative side. Anyway, after loosening it slightly, I moved the clamp back and forth (hoping to scrape away that white corrosion and reveal some metal). Got back in the car, turned the key....started up like nothing was wrong! This happened 2 more times over the next couple of weeks, and I would do the same thing...and it started like it should. The fourth time it happened, I was in my garage, and located the battery post/clamp cleaner. Cleaned BOTH sides....and the car started like a champ. I thought I had solved the problem, but a week later, turned the key, got that "dead battery" sound when the key was turned. Got out of the car, wiggled the positive cable, got back in the car....and, you guessed it, it started like it should, no unusual sounds, and quick as normal.
So, before I go to a shop to have it looked at (and they ALWAYS "find" the most expensive "problems", sure the car is working, but my bank account is hundreds lighter) does anyone have any idea what may be wrong with this car? It happened again today after work, got out, wiggled the cables, got back in, and it started. So what is it? Is there something about the positive cable, or the little black box close to the positive terminal, or.....whatever?! Help me before I go and plop hundreds down at the garage!!!!

And thanks in advance!!!

ezone

What sound is that?






A truly dead battery makes no sounds at all.
For that matter, a battery shouldn't make any sounds anyway LOL

Starter just clicks, or car completely dead? Got starter? Test starter.
You need a fairly easy spot to reach the solenoid wire for testing? I got a pic of that somewhere.


If you can actually move the cable ends on the battery posts, they are not tight enough.


If it goes totally dead, a test light or voltmeter and some voltage drop testing while it's acting up can reveal the true cause.


Follow the negative cable, check this ground point on the frame by the battery


Usually when it's the problem there is NO electrical power to anything in the car. Take it apart, wire brush the terminal, the bolt, the body, get it all shiny and clean, smear dielectric grease all over it and put it back together.

JeffDK

I guess I should have said, the low battery sound, you know, barely turning the starter or that clicking sound. As I said, after mucking around with the cables, it starts, and the starter sounds normal, and fires up quick as it normally did.
And the cable clamps are tight, just wiggling the cables, especially the positive cable seems to make it start.
As I stated, there are no other signs of electrical problems. Just random slow starter turning and or clicks.
I will still check the negative as you said.
This random no start is making me tense when I enter the car....flashback to the old days when I had a UGH, Plymouth Neon, and ALWAYS felt tense when I tturned the key....or drove it...or looked under the POS and saw new fluid leaks!!!
The Civic has given me NO problems until this!!!
Thanks for the suggestions!

ezone

Ok when it just clicks........Instead of mucking with the cables, how about if you just sit in the car and twist the key a few more times, would it crank normally after several tries?


Does it crank slowly sometimes too?
Slowly meaning as in spinning the engine at an unusually low RPM, not meaning slow to react.


How many miles on this car?


You don't have any of these cheezy cable ends on there, do you?

JeffDK

Well...I usually panic when it either turns the starter slowly, or just clicks...I hop out pop the hood and TRY to see if I can fix it...or try. I am basically a Mechanicaly Retarded. Have not (embarassingly) tried a second time, one turn of the key, strange sounds....
I have even cheesier looking cable ends...really, worse than those pictured.
The car has 112,000 miles.

ezone

Original ends? They do work well.....until they have been subjected to battery acid corrosion and time. Then they may be eaten away to the point of worthlessness.

JeffDK

Yes, original ends...but they cleaned up nice and shiny.

ezone

On the inside of the loop, where it contacts the battery post?

If you have shiny metal to metal contact there, then you probably have decent electrical connection.

Try twisting the key a few more times the next time this doesn't start.

Loud click from the engine compartment when this happens?
If you go *click* , *click* , *click* , *click* , *crankcrankcrankvrooom* without touching the cables, it might be a starter.

JeffDK

It clicks for a few seconds before I stop trying. But next time (I hope there IS NOT a next time) it happens I will try turning the key a second time. I have been fearing, actually maybe denying, it is the starter......that'll cost me a few pennies to get taken care of!
Once again: Thanks for the suggestions!

ezone

You mean like a rapid series of clicks, instead of a single clunk?

Where does the noise come from? Dash or engine compartment?

Are you twisting the key all the way to the end of its travel?
I know on some of these if you turn the key too slow or only partway it causes a relay to make a high pitch squeal or buzz.

speedy25

Tight ISNT enough. You HAVE to remove the terminal and wore brush it to remove any corrosion and get a good connection.

If you do have the "cheesy" battery connectors then get new cables. Those things make trouble.

-SP

JeffDK

Yep..rapid clicks from engine compartment,most of the time....sometimes it turns the starter slowly......one time, there was no sound at all.

JeffDK

Cleaned and reemed those posts and cable ennds with one of those battery post/clamp cleaners. All was shiny....but the same thing happened a short time after......

ezone

^This

If there is a connection problem in the cables, voltage drop testing could prove it.

jordan1794

Starter went bad on my 2006 a little while ago, could very well be that.

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...ont-start.html

mikey1

i know you already cleaned them, but i still think that is your problem,

disconnect the battery terminals,

use baking soda mixed with water and a rag to clean the battery posts and the connectors, concentrate mainly on the INSIDE of the loop of the connectors where they contact the battery posts,

when done cleaning, dry everything with a dry rag and let the terminals dry by themselves for 30 mins then re-connect them,

like others have said, they need to be tight....you should not be able to rotate them with your hand without loosening the bolt first,

JeffDK

If it is a bad starter, why would it start like it should MOST of the time (like a dozen starts) THEN a one time no start on first key turn? Like I said, I am hoping like hell it ISN'T the starter. So, do starters puke out all at once, or do some die a slow death?

Again I thank all who so far have participated in helping. I am going to do what has been suggested by you guys today, and see what happens.

mikey1

some starters can have intermittent problems, if the starter has a "dead spot" in its coil and the starter just happens to land there when it stops spinning, yes it can be an intermittent problem,

however i really do not think that is your problem, i think its your battery connections or a grounding issue, i would start by cleaning the terminals with the method i suggested,

JeffDK

THAT is my project for today, got some tools (at least the ones I will need today) got baking soda, and want this to be the solution.
Before I can go out and play (mountain biking), I need to do this chore! Thanks!

ezone

Intermittent problems, no matter what the cause, are called intermittent because they can do exactly this. They can work correctly once in a while, or not work correctly once in a while.

You'd swear it had to be ghosts. Or Aliens.

Ever have to flip a switch several times before it actually worked for you?
Ever have to tap on something to get it to start working correctly?







A starter can have any of several different possible failures, most of them lead to the end result of "no start" and some can be intermittent.

There's a zillion different ways electrical stuff can fail.
Poor electrical connections and contacts can occur at any of several possible places between the battery and the rest of the car, many of these could lead to the result of 'no start'.
It might not quit completely either, it could be operating partly correct (or slow, or maybe half bright if the component was a light bulb for example).
Some of them can act up intermittently, some problems can be 'all the time'.
Poor electrical connections can happen with the obvious stuff like the battery and cables, it can also happen inside mechanical switches and relays, and electronics with intermittent problems can make you pull your hair out.

jordan1794

My starter died a VERY slow death, starting problems started with a failed start once or twice every few months, and slowly became more prevalent.
I thought my wife just kept leaving the sub woofer amp on and was draining the battery (which she WAS doing, but was not killing it completely as I thought)

Pepsi also works the clean off corrosion, but you already have the better solution.

JeffDK

That worked. I waited until I had around 30 consecutive starts before I declared it "appears" to be solved! There were times before I asked for help here that I would get 5 starts, then a failure to start on the first attempt. Took all cables from battery to enginge and ground, cleaned as recommended, used x-fine sandpaper (for metal, the gray stuff), shined everything to ensure metal-to-metal contact. It has siarted like new since Saturday morning, at least 30 starts with NO slow-turn or rapid clicking sounds!! Thanks, I was hoping it would be a non expensive way out, just the cost of the sandpaper and a box of Arm and Hammer. I still feel a bit tense when turning the key, but today, I felt confident, and it was good!!

JeffDK

That was where I believe my problem was!!!