1988 Prelude Si - Won't start

Hello Everyone,

I have an '88 Prelude Si that when you go to turn it over all it does is click once. On the dash the battery and oil lights come on. I know it's not the battery as all the lights are on and bright and the fans and the radio works just fine. Am I looking at a starter replacement? I have the Haynes manual for the car, is this something I should attempt myself?

Thanks,

Dave '88 Prelude Si (100,000miles / 160,000clicks on the odo)

Reply to
spamo
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Does it start when you use booster cables? If so, it is most likely the battery. You can't really tell very much as to the battery condition until you load it down. Starting a car loads it down a lot so make sure before you get your starter replaced.

Clean all contacts to the starter and on the battery well, especially the fat lead to the starter. Use some fine sandpaper to do this.

If it still doesn't work, get a short piece of 2x4 and a hammer. Put one end of the 2x4 on the starter and hit the other end with the hammer, creating a mechanical shock. Sometimes you have to do this while you are starting the car. If it now starts, chances are that your starter is bad.

Hope that will help you figure out what's wrong.

Remco

Reply to
remco

On 2005-04-17 snipped-for-privacy@rogers.com said: >Newsgroups: alt.autos.honda >Hello Everyone, >I have an '88 Prelude Si that when you go to turn it over all it >does is click once. On the dash the battery and oil lights come on. >I know it's not the battery as all the lights are on and bright and >the fans and the radio works just fine. Am I looking at a starter >replacement? The starter on my '85 Civic acted like that intermittently about 15 years ago. The solenoid contacts were badly burned/eroded. In shock from the dealer price for a starter, and non-availability of a replacement solenoid, I found a rebuilder who sold me the contacts for maybe $10. Still working today, at 282K mi.

Tom Willmon near Mountainair, (mid) New Mexico, USA

Doctor, I've asked everyone. We don't HAVE any fallopian tubes.

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Reply to
twillmon

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