I'm sure I posted this last week, but I can't find the post. So I'll try again

I have a '95 Integra GSR. For the past month or two, I've had problems starting the car infrequently (maybe once every two weeks). I'd turn the key and I'll get click. A few times I heard it try to turn over but not. After a few tries, it would fire right up until yesterday.

Yesterday and earlier today, the thing just clicked and that was it. I read a few posts in the archives where guys said to smack the starter with hammer. Well I decided that sounded like a plan as I had nothing to lose. Along with smacking the thing, I cleaned the battery terminals (which I also did recently and they're spotless) and I rocked the car back and forth as stated in the past post. I then turned the key and it fired right up. What are the chances of my starter still being a stinker? Is it something else? Opinions wanted. Thanks in advance.

Edit: I just went outside and got the dreaded click. The car started up on the second try.

 

When you cleaned your battery terminals, did you also do the OTHER end of each of the cables?? That would be a good thing to do. Also the big ground wire from the transmission to chassis. Also look for corrosion where the wire end lugs are crimped onto the wire itself.

Before you remove the other end of the big (+) cable, disconnect the (-) cable at the battery.

How old is your battery anyway? Maybe it's time for a new one.

 

And the hits keeps coming!!!!!

The battery is three years old. I had it and the alternator checked and both are fine.

An hour ago, I took the battery out and cleaned the terminals and I checked the other end for corrosion and it's fine. I put the battery back in and started the car without any hesitation. THE PROBLEM NOW IS THAT MY WINDOW WON'T ROLL DOWN!!! I checked the fuses and they're fine. Now I know why I'm not a mechanic by trade. I'd go hungry.

 

Never mind! I found it and I'm an absolute idiot. The control switch on the driver's side was in between on and off. Thanks God because I was having a heartattack.

 

it does sound like a lowvoltage/bad connection problem between battery solenoid and starter but this is similar to a problem i had once.

this is a long shot, because your symptoms are not exactly like mine. and your car is not exactly like mine( this was ina 1991 integra), but MAY use the same part. this could be the beginning of what i had

i called acura service about it and they knew what it was right away. my car began giving me fits, i would have to turn the key several times to get it to start.(i THINK it was clicking) over the months the amount of time it took to get started never changed, but occassionaly it wouldnt start at all and would leave me stranded up to an hour or more turning the ignition on and off on and off on and off.....

it drove me nuts, i couldnt find the problem anywhere, then the car started just shutting down occassionally. WHILE DRIVING!

SOLUTION: called acura, said it was a common problem. All i had to do was buy and install the $80 ignition wiring harness. it runs from behind the key switch and to the fuse box. it apparrently starts losing a connection in the start position and eventually loses connection in the run position. i believe that in the beginning it had just enough contact to make a "click" but with this bad connection i would sometimes smell melting wire insulation.

HINT: if this is your problem and your car eventually dies on you(shuts off completely) you can jiggle and hold the key in the run position untill you get to a parking place.(this is a bitch in a manual though.)

i have no idea how to test this, and dont know what to suggest. i am just writing in case my symptoms sound like yours.

it is not a hard part to replace, but it isnt that fun to dissassemble and especially re-assemble the steering column cover just to poke around.

 

sounds like a bad starter solenoid to me. The starter solenoid is a big VERY high current switch generally mounted on top of the starter. It does two things. 1. shoves the starter pinion gear into the flywheel and engages 2. switches on the starter motor. Each time this switch is clicked tiny microwelds form... Any high current switch will do this. so every time you use it, you damage one very small portion of the contact. After hundreds or thousands of cycles of use, there's no longer a good clear path for electricity to flow, just lots of little black spots. You can generally disassemble the starter and clean the contacts with some fine sand paper. The contacts should be copper, but in your case they will probably look BLACK.

Good luck!

 

Well, for two weeks I didn't have a problem starting the car and this morning it didn't start at all. It's been sitting for two days. I guess it's time to have a professional look at it

 

smashing it with a hammer could hurt, going to a pro could not

 

I had similar problems with the starter. Except in my case its kinda odd. For some reason everytime I mess with the k&n filter my car seems to be in the position where it seems the starter is about do break. Well I took my k&n filter out and cleaned it with their recharging kit and when I put it back on the car wont start. now im not sure if I spray too much oil in the filter which made it damp, or its just the starter.

This is the second time the car wont start on me because I took the filer off. Im not sure why it happens, but the day before I took the filter off everything was fine.