1997 Honda Accord starter

Tiny
MKEEMLE
  • MEMBER
  • 1997 HONDA ACCORD
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
  • 160,000 MILES
This is a 1997 Honda Accord with around 155,000 miiles. When you go to start the car, the starter turns, but does not engage the engine to start the car. The other day at work, my son-in-law had his foreman do something under the hood, and the car started right up.
I think the starter is bad, but it is too cold to run any electrical tests to check-the only route I seem to have is to pull the starter out. Any help or thoughts would be appreciated
Monday, January 28th, 2008 AT 1:19 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
MASTERTECHTIM
  • MECHANIC
  • 4,750 POSTS
99 PERCENT CHANCE OF YOU HAVING A BAD STARTER MOTOR. WHEN YOUR BUDDY DID SOMETHING UNDER THE HOOD, I ASSUME HE HIT THE STARTER MOTOR, JARRING IT, THIS IS USUALLY ONLY A LAST CHANCE EFFORT TO START THE CAR. IM PRETTY SURE IF YOU REPLACE THE STARTER MOTOR IT WILL START. TESTING THE STARTER OUT OF THE CAR MAY BE MISLEADING, BECAUSE IT MIGHT TEST GOOD BECAUSE THERE IS NO LOAD ON IT.
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Monday, January 28th, 2008 AT 1:28 PM
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Sounds like the starter overrunning clutch is gone it engages but slips
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Monday, January 28th, 2008 AT 1:29 PM
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
The starter itself could be bad. There are brushes in it like a electric motor. Sometime these brushes get dirt in them or they just wear out that keep them from making contact with the armature iself. This makes it so the starter will not turn it is possible the solenoid could be bad. The starter should be near the back of the engine, with him tapping the starter it made contact so the car could start. You can have the starter checked at just about any automotive store like auto zone for nothing.
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Monday, January 28th, 2008 AT 1:42 PM

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