So I get into my 97 civic after not driving it for 4 days and the power locks work okay, but when I go to start it there is NO power - to the starter, dashboard lights/gauges, radio, and now the power locks are dead too...The battery terminals are solid, and the main battery ground is too. I get back in the car and it starts up fine...aarrrghhhh! Think I just have some corrosion in there, even though the connection is tight, or is it possible that another ground (starter, alternator, etc.) is the culprit? Please help, since I don't have the time or patience to test and replace every ground wire in the car. Thx.

 

time and patience are required with electrical problems but usually when you have a problem starting the car look at the battery terminals for corrosion look for the wires that run to the starter and if any rust on any of those wire clean them off it sounds lk a ground so i would clean the ground on the battery then clean where that ground connects to the car i hate when this shit is going on in my older car but thats what u have to do

 

Thanks for the reply - but when I say I get no power, it's not just the starter that is powerless, it's everything - no electrical power to headlights, dash, radio, power locks, windows, anything.

And it happened again, so I go to pop the hood, and the freakin hood release lever broke off in my hand. Thank God I had a leatherman tool with pliers to grab the cable and release the hood, tried to jiggle the cables again and they're really tight - I get no movement, but when I go to start the car, it starts right up.

 

if it starts up after you try movin the terminals, you should prolly hit up ur closest walmart and get a terminal cleaner and pop those bad boys off and clean em, it would prolly do the trick