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Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

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Old Sep 3, 2018
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Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

I drive 2014 Civic with a push button start system. I had driven my car all morning and then briefly stopped for about 20 minutes. I went to start my car again. It started up but sounded very weak. I turned the car off because I wanted to start it up again just to make sure it was ok and this time it wouldn’t start. It made a clicking sound. I kept trying to start it then Every single warning light on the dash came on, my radio came on, my touch screen came on, and then all warnings started flashing on the screen above the touch screen (power steering, something about hill traction, brake system failure, etc). However, the car still wasn’t starting. Jumper cables wouldn’t help. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the radio to turn off—no matter how many times I pressed the engine on/off button. A few minutes later the car started right up and was fine.

Drove to the nearest auto store—battery, started, alternator all good. There was corrosion on my battery which they cleaned off for me.

Any ideas what could’ve caused this? Should I take it to Honda? Has anyone else had a similar experience?
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Old Sep 3, 2018
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Re: Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

and then briefly stopped for about 20 minutes.
What were you doing in the car during this 20 minutes?



If it happens again I'd take it to the Honda dealer and explain thoroughly what took place. You can't just say "it didn't start" because this is not simple.
A full system scan will probably reveal fault codes related to the one-push start system controls or pushbutton.
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Old Sep 3, 2018
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Re: Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

The car was off and locked. I was inside a store. I guess it’s kind of hard to explain...and even harder to google! People seem to have similar problems, but I know I can’t go off what I read on the internet. I think I will save my $120 they would charge to look at it and pray it doesn’t happen again. Thanks for replying!
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Old Sep 3, 2018
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Re: Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

Originally Posted by wvugirl07
The car was off and locked. I was inside a store. I guess it’s kind of hard to explain...and even harder to google! People seem to have similar problems, but I know I can’t go off what I read on the internet. I think I will save my $120 they would charge to look at it and pray it doesn’t happen again. Thanks for replying!
Right. The first part of your writing made me think the battery is weak/failing/ran down like something was left on when you left the car:
It started up but sounded very weak. I turned the car off because I wanted to start it up again just to make sure it was ok and this time it wouldn’t start. It made a clicking sound.
Is the battery still original? That would make it pretty old and still suspect even if it passed a test.

But the remainder sounded like a different problem altogether (unless someone just didn't get the jumper cables connected good enough, a pretty common error):
I kept trying to start it then Every single warning light on the dash came on, my radio came on, my touch screen came on, and then all warnings started flashing on the screen above the touch screen (power steering, something about hill traction, brake system failure, etc). However, the car still wasn’t starting. Jumper cables wouldn’t help. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the radio to turn off—no matter how many times I pressed the engine on/off button.
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Old Sep 3, 2018
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Re: Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

Originally Posted by ezone
Right. The first part of your writing made me think the battery is weak/failing/ran down like something was left on when you left the car:
It started up but sounded very weak. I turned the car off because I wanted to start it up again just to make sure it was ok and this time it wouldn’t start. It made a clicking sound.
Is the battery still original? That would make it pretty old and still suspect even if it passed a test.

But the remainder sounded like a different problem altogether (unless someone just didn't get the jumper cables connected good enough, a pretty common error):
I kept trying to start it then Every single warning light on the dash came on, my radio came on, my touch screen came on, and then all warnings started flashing on the screen above the touch screen (power steering, something about hill traction, brake system failure, etc). However, the car still wasn’t starting. Jumper cables wouldn’t help. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the radio to turn off—no matter how many times I pressed the engine on/off button.

The battery sticker says 10/16. When I tried to start it with the jumper cables, it cranked and made the sound like it was starting but then stopped. I am not a car expert so I am trying to explain this to the best of my ability lol
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Old Sep 3, 2018
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Re: Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

Originally Posted by wvugirl07
The battery sticker says 10/16. When I tried to start it with the jumper cables, it cranked and made the sound like it was starting but then stopped. I am not a car expert so I am trying to explain this to the best of my ability lol
Your description has been a helluva lot more informative than just hearing "it didn't start". That's better than most LOL
I can't tell you what exactly happened or why unless I can see it happen and figure out why, before it decides to heal itself. Unless the event left some fault codes I can find and use.

IIRC a pushbutton start will go ahead and crank for about 10 seconds and if the engine doesn't start in that time it will quit cranking.
After a couple failed start attempts it might turn on warning lights (this is a guess).
But there might be 1000 possible reasons an engine doesn't start, and when it's only a very random intermittent no start that makes it tough to duplicate and figure out.
Unless the event left some fault codes a good tech can use.
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Old Jul 26, 2023
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Re: Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

This happened to me in my 2018 civic, and it ended up being 6000 worth of rodent damage. The wiring Honda uses is soy based & attracts pests. So frustrating😩
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Old Jul 26, 2023
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Re: Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

Not just honda, all modern vehicles
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Old Aug 20, 2023
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Re: Car Wouldn’t Start, All Warning Lights On

Originally Posted by wvugirl07
I drive 2014 Civic with a push button start system. I had driven my car all morning and then briefly stopped for about 20 minutes. I went to start my car again. It started up but sounded very weak. I turned the car off because I wanted to start it up again just to make sure it was ok and this time it wouldn’t start. It made a clicking sound. I kept trying to start it then Every single warning light on the dash came on, my radio came on, my touch screen came on, and then all warnings started flashing on the screen above the touch screen (power steering, something about hill traction, brake system failure, etc). However, the car still wasn’t starting. Jumper cables wouldn’t help. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the radio to turn off—no matter how many times I pressed the engine on/off button. A few minutes later the car started right up and was fine.

Drove to the nearest auto store—battery, started, alternator all good. There was corrosion on my battery which they cleaned off for me.

Any ideas what could’ve caused this? Should I take it to Honda? Has anyone else had a similar experience?
The single click you hear is the bendix engaging in the starter but the contacts to the starter motor are worn and the motor doesn't rotate.
The contacts in the starter motor in autozone remanufactured starter are almost twice as big as the contacts in the original Honda starter.

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