Honda Car Forum

Hi again, All:

My 90 Legend Sedan has been acting weired when starting up. I noticed that
sometimes I will turn the key, I will hear one "click" and then nothing. It
won't turn or anything. However, If I just release the key, then try it
again immediately, it will strat up fine. No struggling, gurgling or
sputtering.

Yeah, the weather has been a little colder lately, but since I live near
San Francisco, cold means around 55 degrees. And Like I said, it will just
give one click and not do anything.

Thank in advance

On Sat, 27 Nov 2004 20:15:02 -0500, "DownTurn"
<mark@siamese-dream-dot-com> wrote:

>Hi again, All:
>
>My 90 Legend Sedan has been acting weired when starting up. I noticed that
>sometimes I will turn the key, I will hear one "click" and then nothing. It
>won't turn or anything. However, If I just release the key, then try it
>again immediately, it will strat up fine. No struggling, gurgling or
>sputtering.
>
>Yeah, the weather has been a little colder lately, but since I live near
>San Francisco, cold means around 55 degrees. And Like I said, it will just
>give one click and not do anything.
>
>Thank in advance
>
It could be that the contacts in your starter solenoid are beginning
to wear out.

Check:

http://www.startercontacts.com/

for the parts.

Thanks for the prompt response. I will try to contact them.

Cheers!

"DownTurn" <mark@siamese-dream-dot-com> wrote in message
news:1b79323cea25dbcf8491e1050fecb123@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
> Hi again, All:
>
> My 90 Legend Sedan has been acting weired when starting up. I noticed that
> sometimes I will turn the key, I will hear one "click" and then nothing.
> It
> won't turn or anything. However, If I just release the key, then try it
> again immediately, it will strat up fine. No struggling, gurgling or
> sputtering.
>
> Yeah, the weather has been a little colder lately, but since I live near
> San Francisco, cold means around 55 degrees. And Like I said, it will just
> give one click and not do anything.
>
> Thank in advance
>

Could be as simple as a battery. Is the water up to it's correct level? Is
it over 3 years old?

Doug

Doug,

It is a sealed battery, so I am pretty sure it is the kind you don't add
water too (but I have been wrong about many things in the past, so I don't
want to swear by it).

It is most likely over three years old. If I remember correctly, it is
probably about five years old or so.

But wouldn't a weak battery just make it hard / sluggish to start??? This
is just a click and nothing. then if I try it again, it starts right up.

Thanks again,

Mark

"DownTurn" <mark@siamese-dream-dot-com> wrote in message
news:1b79323cea25dbcf8491e1050fecb123@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
> Hi again, All:
>
> My 90 Legend Sedan has been acting weired when starting up. I noticed
that
> sometimes I will turn the key, I will hear one "click" and then
nothing.

> It
> won't turn or anything. However, If I just release the key, then try it
> again immediately, it will strat up fine. No struggling, gurgling or
> sputtering.
>
> Yeah, the weather has been a little colder lately, but since I live
near
> San Francisco, cold means around 55 degrees. And Like I said, it will
just
> give one click and not do anything.
>
> Thank in advance
>

Could be as simple as a battery. Is the water up to it's correct level?
Is
it over 3 years old?

Doug

> But wouldn't a weak battery just make it hard / sluggish to start??? This
> is just a click and nothing. then if I try it again, it starts right up.
>
Hey Mark

It could be the battery, but usually hearing just the 'click' means the
starter is going.

To eliminate the battery possibility, put a volt meter across the battery
terminals and see where the voltage goes when you start it. If it just
clicks and the voltage doesn't drop by very much (<1V), I'd say it is the
starter.

I am not positive on a legend, but on Honda-like cars you can often buy
repair kits for the starter - you may want to check with your dealer. On
Hondas it includes replacement contacts, etc. It would cost a lot less than
buying a reworked or new starter, if you can get one for a Legend.
Or, if you are willing to drive around with the flakiness for a little
while, search eBay for replacement starters. They seem to come up every
couple of weeks or so.
In fact, there's one on eBay now for a 90 Legend with 6 days left:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...sPageName=WDVW

Hope this is useful to you.
Remco

A lot of batteries made in the last couple decades die from cracked internal
connections. The symptoms are the same as a dead battery. The difference is
that the battery miraculously seems to recharge, as the connections weld
themselves from the current that is able to squeeze through. A good solid
whack with a hammer on the affected post will also get it going. About half
the batteries I have replaced recently have had internal intermittents. (It
is also different from bad terminal connections in that the voltage across
the posts themselves will be very low with the headlights on - usually under
6 volts. Bad terminals will have 12V across the posts but not from one
terminal to the other, and the connection will get worse rapidly.)

Mike

"DownTurn" <mark@siamese-dream-dot-com> wrote in message
news:41884b8c3fd834817cda99c931b1265c@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
> Doug,
>
> It is a sealed battery, so I am pretty sure it is the kind you don't add
> water too (but I have been wrong about many things in the past, so I don't
> want to swear by it).
>
> It is most likely over three years old. If I remember correctly, it is
> probably about five years old or so.
>
> But wouldn't a weak battery just make it hard / sluggish to start??? This
> is just a click and nothing. then if I try it again, it starts right up.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Mark
>
> "DownTurn" <mark@siamese-dream-dot-com> wrote in message
> news:1b79323cea25dbcf8491e1050fecb123@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
>> Hi again, All:
>>
>> My 90 Legend Sedan has been acting weired when starting up. I noticed
> that
>> sometimes I will turn the key, I will hear one "click" and then
> nothing.
>
>> It
>> won't turn or anything. However, If I just release the key, then try it
>> again immediately, it will strat up fine. No struggling, gurgling or
>> sputtering.
>>
>> Yeah, the weather has been a little colder lately, but since I live
> near
>> San Francisco, cold means around 55 degrees. And Like I said, it will
> just
>> give one click and not do anything.
>>
>> Thank in advance
>>
>
> Could be as simple as a battery. Is the water up to it's correct level?
> Is
> it over 3 years old?
>
> Doug
>
>

I'd begin with trying a new battery.



--
Jim Yanik
jyanik-at-kua.net

Dear Remco,

Thanks for the help! I will try to check it out. But just so I don't
electrocute myself, you suggest putting the Voltmeter against the matching
battery posts, and have someone start the car, right? Because there is
about a 70% chance that it WILL start up okay on the first time.

I have been alerted where to find new contacts and a plunger for the
starter, but I just don't know if pulling it out and putting it back in,
and hooking up any connecting wires / belts, is going to be above me.
Think Spanky and Alfalfa working on a car, and you will have a pretty good
picture of what I am capable of doing...

I may just have to get rid of this bad boy, as each day it seems like a
new problem is arising.

Hi there, Michael:

Can you calrify something for me, because I know about as much about
electronics as I do about eye surgery:

"Bad terminals will have 12V across the posts but not from one terminal
to the other, and the connection will get worse rapidly."

What is the difference between across the posts and from one terminal to
the other? I was under the impression that the posts and the terminals
were the same thing?

If you could let me know exactly where to put the probes of the voltmeter,
that would be great. I assume from your post that I should try it WITHOUT
starting the motor, but once with the lights on and once with the lights
off???

Thanks in advance,

Mark