joenobodyyet

I have a 2008 Honda Civic LX automatic transmission, 4 door. A month ago I accidentally left my headlights on with the car off for about 10 minutes and I had to jump start the car to get it running again. It was 20 degrees out. Up until 2 days ago, the car was running fine. 2 days ago I drove then came home, 1 hour later went back out and the car would not start. Didn't even turn or crank. The lights came on but there was barely any sound and then a little bit of clicking.

Since then I have had to jump start the car to drive. When I start the car (jumping from another vehicle), the car starts right up, but there seems to be a slight hum coming from under the passenger dash when I put the car in gear. Might be coming from the passenger speaker. I turn my headlights on and the hum goes away. Lights off, hum comes back. When I turn my lights on, the radio flashes off. I can even pull the emergency break, and the hum goes on and off, whether up or down. I drove today over an hour without it shutting off.

As soon as I shut my car off, the car will not start back up unless I jump from another battery. I put a multimeter on my battery and it runs over 14 volts while running, and around 12.58 when I turned it off. I let the car sit for a few hours (while off) and the voltage dropped to 12.36ish. I left the car running with headlights and accessories and the voltage stayed above 14.

Since my battery died, my key fob sometimes works to unlock and lock the car, but most of the time it doesn't work. I think right after I turn off the car it still works, but over time it won't work unless I charge the battery again. When I turn the key to start, the dashboard has the battery light and the oil light. Once it had the green key light flashing. And once it had the check engine light. As for sounds, sometimes there is nothing, sometimes I hear fast clicking but then it stops.

I'm thinking it's the battery or the starter. The battery is pretty old. I cleaned the contacts but under the red plastic positive terminal cover, there is some gunk in the little plastic square box (not the part around the terminal). The terminals and circular cable connectors are clean. When I purchased the car a few months back, there was always some slime type stuff in there under that red plastic cover.

Randomly after I drove today, I turned the car off and when I turned the key, there was some clicking, then it was sporadic, then stopped. But under the steering column was 2 clicks, pause, 2 clicks, pause, and so on. I touched the brake pedal and it stopped.

I pulled most of the fuses (drivers side under dash and under the hood) and found nothing, but of course the screw stripped so I couldn't pull the Option Main/Ignition Switch Main. But it looked fine from visual inspection. I'm not sure if there specific relays or fuses to check.

After letting the car sit off for a few hours, I went back out and the multimeter read 12.28, then it went up to 12.35 volts on the battery, and it seemed to keep going up very slowly. I tried to start it and nothing happened and the headlights didn't come on. Didn't even click when I turned the key. Kind of sounded a little quiet swishy noise. The interior dash lights lit up the same.

Maybe it's just the battery? I haven't had a chance to crawl under my car and bang on the starter to see if that does anything. I'm also not sure how/where to check for loose grounds or anything like that.

Any help is appreciated!

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Get the battery tested. If it’s more then 5 years old it’s probably bad.

joenobodyyet

This morning the battery gave me a reading of 12.3ish. Does this mean the battery is bad?

mac25

You need to test CCA not voltage.

A new battery will generally be rated as follows

550cca (but will test somewhere closer to 600cca)
12 volts (but will test at 12.8-13v while the engine is not charging it; and 13-14.5v while charging)

When the battery begins to fail it will still test at
12v
but the cca will drop down

So if your battery fails the reader will say something like

12v
70% health (at 350cca)
100% charge

This means that the voltage is fine, the amount that the battery can hold in amperage is charged 100%; but that 100% is lower than when the battery was new, only being able to charge up to 350cca instead of 550cca.


Remember that Voltage is how intense the energy is but amperage is how much of that intense energy can flow. It's like if the voltage was enough energy to equal a tidal wave but the amperage was the total amount of that wave accessed at one time, like if the wave could only flow through a house door. You have stakes of energy with no way to access it.

In this way a battery may have 12v but as the amperage drops you loose the ability to flow 12v across multiple circuits. Or as if you started with 1 million house doors open, dumping in a tidal wave and slowly dropped down to 1 house door open.


In reality this isn't quite what happens but it is an analogy that's easy to remember.


This is why people who run subwoofers use thick "zero" gauge wires. The voltage to the sub is still 12v but the amount of that 12v needs to flow alot more; so the wires are increased in size to open up the amperage potential to the circuit. Like if a small stock sterio wire is 1 house door that flows 12v and the aftermarket zero gauge wire flowing 12v is 1 million doors; there is more currant flow, or amperage potential for the 12v to access.

Daniel Hortert

So...
I have an '06 Civic LX 1.8L automatic adn when I turn the key, I only get a single click from the starter. Tried jumping it adn nothing. Took the starter to AutoZone and they bench-tested it and said is was good. Going to throw a voltage meter on battery when I get home from work but was wondering if anyone here has had a similar issue and if there was an easy fix. Did purchase a new starter but don't want to install until I'm sure the old one is shot!

Thoughts?

Colin42

Check that all the connections at the battery and starter are clean, tight, and shiny. Can also do a voltage drop test on those wires. Does it have crappy aftermarket battery terminals on it?

ezone

Bolt that sucka on there and see if it will start

spicyhondaroll

12.4v is the supposed minimum voltage for a battery.

Get it tested - got mine tested free at O'Reilly's and they'll tell you if the starter is getting enough voltage as well. I have a 2008 Civic LX and it in my case it was a bad starter - replaced it and car starts up just fine (I would turn the key and nothing happens - no cranking, but electronics work, then after the 3rd time turning the key it would start).

But yeah, you've probably already resolved this issue, but get that battery tested at an auto parts place.