The starter in my '78 Honda Civic(Model1200 with only 100k on it!) is acting up. On turning the ignition key, there is a click in the starter, but no cranking. Sometimes, there is cranking, and the engine starts. But most often it takes two, three or more trials. There seems to be no regularity. For example, one morning it took 2 trials to start, but after driving just abt
5 minutes to the post office and stepping in for stamps, 4 trials were needed to restart the engine. Cold weather appears to cause more trouble, but often, even after the engine had been fully warmed up, the starter acts up. (One cold morning - 10 degr F, it took abt 20 trials.) Suspecting that the trouble was somewhere between the ignition lock and the control cable connection at the starter, I pulled off the cable and used a separate wire to jump directly to the battery terminal. The starter behaved the same way as by using the key. My impression is that the trouble is with the contacts of the magnetic switch, so that the main coils of the plunger don't get juice every time when the switch is thrown. 1) Could the contacts be worn or dirtied by the oil somehow seeping on them from the block? 2) The space around the starter is so cramped that I wonder whether it is possible to take it out without pulling the engine? Even to get to the bottom connection bolt?Thanks in advance for any suggestions for curing the beast. I hope there is someone who remembers those beauties. Alex