03 civic coupe lx

i have not done anything to this car except change oil and air filter. it is becoming harder to start. i mean rather than start in 2 seconds now it takes 4. any thoughts

Reply to
bootsie43 tim
Loading thread data ...

Battery?

Reply to
JT

JT wrote in news:hagp0j$4li$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

maybe time for new spark plugs,too.

I suggest doing the entire major maintenance sequence closest to the mileage on the vehicle.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

A 6yo battery is probably a tired battery, especially in certain climates.

You also might want to look into new plugs and wires.

Reply to
Joe

Thus spake Joe :

There are very few climates I can think of that would support a 6 yr old battery. LA? Hawai'i?

Reply to
Dillon Pyron

I'm in Buffalo, and I've had some last that long. Not many, but some.

Heat is worse on a battery than cold...

Reply to
Joe

Dillon Pyron wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

The North American Northeast climate is very kind to batteries. Properly cared for, a quality battery up here will last eight or nine years.

My original Panasonic lasted eleven summers and ten winters. Cranking got noticeably slow towards the end, so I replaced it with an Interstate. I just replaced that Interstate after eight years with a second one.

The 8-year-old Interstate could no longer hold a full charge, topping out at 12.54V. Plus the seal between the positive post and the case had become compromised, resulting in furry green corrosion, something I've not had since my '82 Corolla. The post/case break happened in the last few weeks.

Plugs, definitely. Wires, no. I believe this model has a coil pack for each plug.

Reply to
Tegger

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (bootsie43 tim) wrote in news:17008-4ACBAA93-7106 @baytvnwsxa002.msntv.msn.com:

Turn the dome light on. Now crank. Does the dome light dim a LOT?

Does the starter sound like it's actually cranking more slowly than it used to?

Do your headlights dim at idle, but brighten when you rev the engine?

If the above are true, your battery is probably losing its oomph.

Reply to
Tegger

I'm not sure about "very kind," but you can definitely get good battery life up here. I average 7 years, as long as I don't do dumb things like let them die from phantom loads in Winter. Basically, you want to keep the battery as nearly charged as possible, with only slight dips in charge to start, but without overcharging. You do that by keeping the car in good enough tune to start quickly in all conditions. This prolongs both battery and alternator life.

Yikes. Yes, plugs can fail as early as 60k miles. Wires last much longer if they don't get baked by excessive heat.

Reply to
Leftie

Leftie wrote in news:0vjAm.74404$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe09.iad:

But, this model has no wires to change...

Reply to
Tegger

Yeah, but the replacement price of a failed coil pack will shatter your budget! And when one bites the dust, the rest won't be too far behind...

JT

Reply to
Grumpy AuContraire

i found if i wait until the fuel pump stops the starting is the same as before. so simple

Reply to
hare tim

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.