Rep Power: 0

Hi folks,
i'm new to this forum as I'm trying to help a friend out with their son's 2007 civic.
It was not starting so his son decided to replace the battery (so I know hats good).
When trying to start the car I can hear a click (guessing this is the solenoid) but it was not turning over. The son bought a new starter so I helped install it yesterday (which was a pain in *** lying on the road with the car on jack stands)

Anyway - fast forward a couple of hours and the new starter is in and all connected.
I tried starting the car and it started! Seemed to take two turns of the key with the first turn not cranking but the second one cranked and started.
I turned the car off and when trying to start it again it will not start/turnover again....

I have no idea what the problem is and cannot find anything specific on here but hoping you guys may be able to suggest where to check.
i.e. could this be an immobiliser issue?
could it be ignitiona switch?
anything else?


thank you very much in advance,
Matt

 
Rep Power: 225

Immobilizer will still allow you to crank, it just stops fuel and ignition.

Does the cluster correctly show it's in park/neutral? In troubleshooting this issue, you will very quickly need a multimeter. Do you have one?

 
Rep Power: 0

I do have a multimeter.
The dash does show when the gear lever is in each gear.

 
Rep Power: 225

Here is a schematic. Some of the words got cut off but should be helpful. Next you could check the solenoid wire at the starter. You should see 12V when attempting to crank.

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks. thinking back to when I was under the car last night.... would I have to take the starter out and disconnect the solenoid clip (the black connector) to do that?
I can't picture being able to stick a meter probe on that without taking the whole thing out again

 
Rep Power: 223

Check battery and ground connections

 
Rep Power: 225

You can't disconnect the solenoid without removing the starter?

 
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@BrotatoChip - I'm guessing I can then?
lol, i'm just thinking back to when I was on my back on the driveway taking the old starter off and putting the new one on. Seemed very cramped up there :-)
i'll be taking a look at that this week.

@Colin42 - I cleaned up the negative terminal - was not fitting tightly and also saw a couple of ground points in the vicinity, one from the battery to the body and one from the body to the engine (cleaned up all but the one on the body side of the body-engine connection (if that makes sense). Which didn't have any effect. I'll clean that other one up, but where else are the ground points in the 2007 civic?

My friend actually bought an ignition switch - he clearly doesn't mind replacing the whole circuit at this stage lol
So i'll clean up any other grounds first, assuming I can find them.

 
Rep Power: 223

Not sure where all the ground points are, I'm more familiar with the older ones. How did the positive clamp look? I had one car where the positive wire was corroded inside the clamp. Couldn't tell looking at it from the outside. It was one of the cheap replacement ones.

 
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Positive clamped ddn't look too bad but i'll check it out.


although now things are going from bad to worse.
I had half an hour free so popped over there and just fitted the new ignition switch.
Nothing fixed there...but now, the key wont turn in the lock.

Pretty sure nothing electrical would lock an ignition - but please advise if I am wrong.

with the ignition switch pulled away from the column I can use a screwdriver to turn the switch and turn the instrument cluster on etc....
but if I turn the switch back and attach it to the column I can not turn the key... even the central locking is failing to work - like the battery suddenly died and the ignition lock failed.

seems too much of a coincidence though...

HELP!!!

 
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I also connected the battery ground to the engine with a jump cable to rule out any bad body-ground but that didn't do the trick.

oh and as well as the key mysteriously now not turning in the ignition, the key wont work the central locking or trunk opening etc.

Seems like a massive coincidence (and i'm hoping it IS a coincidence and not me brakig more things while fitting the ignition switch)

 
Rep Power: 223

Tried jiggling the wheel while trying to turn the key? Does it work with the old switch back in place?

 
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Yeah tried both the old switch and jiggling the wheel.
interestingly the steering lock won’t even happen now…

and it’s weird that the key buttons don’t do anything either.

very weird.

so now I’m not sure if I have multiple problems or somehow they are all related.

i might test the rely out for the car start issue.
right now it has a new starter, new ignition switch, new battery, ruled out a bad body ground (I think)

but now the key won’t even turn and doesn’t lock or unlock the car.

 
Rep Power: 223

Belw a fuse somehow?

 
Rep Power: 0

Yeah I’m thinking I must have blown a fuse re: key buttons not ding anything.
Key in the lock will operate the central locking.


so tackling 3 issue now:
1) key not turning in ignition (and steering lock not engaging)
2) key buttons not operating anything
3) the original problem with no crank, no start. I swapped out the relay with the other one under the dashboard and still no joy. Which means, new battery, new starter, new ignition switch, relay is not an issue, started once after I changed the starter and not since….. I’m at a loss to what this issue is!