fryertuck

Hey all, first post...

I've got a stock 1990 Civic DX, 1.5 manual. I am having problems (intermittent) with the starter. (As in, turn the key, and it does not turn over.) It runs fine once started. The main relay has been changed, the clutch switch has been bypassed (environmental butt splice.) There is also a starter relay right below the driver's side dashboard that does click when the ignition switch is turned, however I can't find it (in a parts store) to replace it. The starter has been removed and gone through at a local auto electric shop. All the wiring looks ok, and i'm looking for some more ideas, and specifically, a darn schematic!

Please let me know if you have any ideas, or the schematic!

Thanks!

kellogg6316

are all your grounds in place. there should a ground from valve cover to chassis that sometimes peopel forget. some civics also have one on thermostat housing .starter relay and main relay are same unit i think on this car arent' they?

hacht4lfe

ive got a service manual i think might help you send me your email, its in pdf format

iim1rmg

Does it start and run fine but sometimes after you stop, it won't fire at all, then you wait a while and it starts and runs fine?

There is a very common failure on these that is the fuel pump relay, and it is located on the inside of the car on the left wall way up near the far left side of the dash.

The relay itself is usually good, but they aften have bad solder joints inside that fail intermittantly.

Lots of people have good luck with opening these relays up, and looking for bad solder connections, reheating them till the solder flows, then putting the cover back on the relay.

I have never tried it, because it takes a three handed contortionist to get the bloody thing in and out, and I don't want to take the chance of it not working.

the relay is held in place by one small bolt.

One symptom if you have it, will confirm that this is the problem: If you turn the key on, and you don't hear this relay click - and the engine won't fire, then turn the key off, then on until you do hear it click and if the engine fires up and runs - it is certainly that relay.

The above is a common failure mode, but not the only one, it depends on which solder joint is bad. If you do have it is certainly the relay, but if you don't have it, it doesn't eliminate the relay.

waldonian

**disclaimer** this is not the correct way to fix it, it's a redneck workaround that's worked for me. Proceed at your own risk***

My 1990 has/had the same problem. Intermittantly not starting with the key. Whenit first did this, I ran a wire straight to the starter and touched it to the battery and it started, this was partly troubleshooting and partly just to get it started because I was late for work. After checking fuses and connections and replacing the ignition It still happened maybe 1 time out of 10. So I spliced into the small wire running to the starter and installed a push button under the dash. Now when the key dosen't work, I just hit the button and it starts right up. This has been working fine for four years now.