Honda Car Forum

I have a 88 honda civic dx with a 88 honda crx motor in it. Motor put in 3
months ago, new belts, hoses. Today I started it, forgot something
inside, so I shut it off, when I come back it would not start. The motor
is not turning over at all. There is a whinning noise around the starter,
high pitched. Battery is new, have full power of lights and bells, fuel
pump is humming, so I know it is not those things. Should I look at the
starter first and the solenoid? Need help fast. I have to work on
Monday. Also, how much trouble are they to take off. I may have to do
this myself. I need pictures and instructions. Help!!

An online 88 CRX manual: http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/CRXManual/index.html . It
lists some tests for the starter and its solenoid under "Electrical" then
"Starting System," and also gives the steps for starter replacement.

Also, www.autozone.com has free online repair guides for 1995 and earlier
Hondas. Look for the link on the right of the homepage.

Some basic items you might want to check before you go at the starter:

I can't tell if you've eliminated a broken timing belt or not. If not, take off
the distributor cap, and have someone try to start the car while you watch the
distributor rotor. If the distributor rotor turns, the timing belt isn't broken.

Likewise, I'm not sure you've eliminated the distributor's ignitor, one of the
Achilles' heels of Hondas of your car's vintage. Some info on Honda ignitor
problems:

http://www.markl.f9.co.uk/howto/elec...er/igniter.htm

http://www.gcw.org.uk/rover/igniter.htm

I'm no pro; I just happen to have some experience in each of the above.

"play2winbig" <dwentz90@citynet.net> wrote
> I have a 88 honda civic dx with a 88 honda crx motor in it. Motor put in 3
> months ago, new belts, hoses. Today I started it, forgot something
> inside, so I shut it off, when I come back it would not start. The motor
> is not turning over at all. There is a whinning noise around the starter,
> high pitched. Battery is new, have full power of lights and bells, fuel
> pump is humming, so I know it is not those things. Should I look at the
> starter first and the solenoid? Need help fast. I have to work on
> Monday. Also, how much trouble are they to take off. I may have to do
> this myself. I need pictures and instructions. Help!!

I have just put a new timing belt on it only a week ago, had it done at a
garage, rotor button and all was changed when motor was replaced several
months ago. All new plugs and wires as well.

On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 01:54:52 -0400, "play2winbig" <dwentz90@citynet.net>
wrote:

>I have a 88 honda civic dx with a 88 honda crx motor in it. Motor put in 3
>months ago, new belts, hoses. Today I started it, forgot something
>inside, so I shut it off, when I come back it would not start. The motor
>is not turning over at all. There is a whinning noise around the starter,
>high pitched. Battery is new, have full power of lights and bells, fuel
>pump is humming, so I know it is not those things. Should I look at the
>starter first and the solenoid? Need help fast. I have to work on
>Monday. Also, how much trouble are they to take off. I may have to do
>this myself. I need pictures and instructions. Help!!

This high pitched whining noise - does it sound like the starter motor is
spinning? Either the solenoid is not kicking the starter dog into the ring
gear or you have lost a tooth of the ring gear. Turn the engine over by
hand using a 19mm socket on the crankshaft bolt and try again. If nothing,
it's likely the starter/solenoid - try giving it a whack with a heavyish
muffled wrench or small hammer. Some times the solenoid sticks and a light
shock will break it free temporarily.

Oh - when you changed the motor, are you sure you got all the ground straps
between battery, body and engine/trans on properly?

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

||This high pitched whining noise - does it sound like the starter motor is
||spinning? Either the solenoid is not kicking the starter dog into the ring
||gear or you have lost a tooth of the ring gear. Turn the engine over by
||hand using a 19mm socket on the crankshaft bolt and try again.

....or put it in 4th gear and push the car a foot or so (with the clutch engaged
so it will turn the motor over)

||
||Oh - when you changed the motor, are you sure you got all the ground straps
||between battery, body and engine/trans on properly?

Check this with jumper cables between negative battery post, and bare metal on
the block


Texas Parts Guy

George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in message news:<8i0ue0lfrfbt2dd7t9j12f5qlmh0age0fl@4ax.com>. ..
> On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 01:54:52 -0400, "play2winbig" <dwentz90@citynet.net>
> wrote:
>
> >I have a 88 honda civic dx with a 88 honda crx motor in it. Motor put in 3
> >months ago, new belts, hoses. Today I started it, forgot something
> >inside, so I shut it off, when I come back it would not start. The motor
> >is not turning over at all. There is a whinning noise around the starter,
> >high pitched. Battery is new, have full power of lights and bells, fuel
> >pump is humming, so I know it is not those things. Should I look at the
> >starter first and the solenoid? Need help fast. I have to work on
> >Monday. Also, how much trouble are they to take off. I may have to do
> >this myself. I need pictures and instructions. Help!!
>
> This high pitched whining noise - does it sound like the starter motor is
> spinning? Either the solenoid is not kicking the starter dog into the ring
> gear or you have lost a tooth of the ring gear. Turn the engine over by
> hand using a 19mm socket on the crankshaft bolt and try again. If nothing,
> it's likely the starter/solenoid - try giving it a whack with a heavyish
> muffled wrench or small hammer. Some times the solenoid sticks and a light
> shock will break it free temporarily.
>

Where is the location of Crankshaft bolt? Is bolt on the starter motor side or
timing belt side?











> Oh - when you changed the motor, are you sure you got all the ground straps
> between battery, body and engine/trans on properly?
>
> Rgds, George Macdonald
>
> "Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

NOSPAMrex@REMOVEtxol.net (Rex B) wrote in message news:<40ef0b08.19512652@news.txol.net>...
> ||This high pitched whining noise - does it sound like the starter motor is
> ||spinning? Either the solenoid is not kicking the starter dog into the ring
> ||gear or you have lost a tooth of the ring gear. Turn the engine over by
> ||hand using a 19mm socket on the crankshaft bolt and try again.
>
> ...or put it in 4th gear and push the car a foot or so (with the clutch engaged
> so it will turn the motor over)
>

Are you saying push the car on the drive gear (4th gear) will rotate
the crankshaft? That's old way to start the car by pushing the car, isn't?

NOSPAMrex@REMOVEtxol.net (Rex B) wrote in message news:<40ef0b08.19512652@news.txol.net>...
> ||This high pitched whining noise - does it sound like the starter motor is
> ||spinning? Either the solenoid is not kicking the starter dog into the ring
> ||gear or you have lost a tooth of the ring gear. Turn the engine over by
> ||hand using a 19mm socket on the crankshaft bolt and try again.
>
> ...or put it in 4th gear and push the car a foot or so (with the clutch engaged
> so it will turn the motor over)


This only works for manual transmission not for automatic.




>
> ||
> ||Oh - when you changed the motor, are you sure you got all the ground straps
> ||between battery, body and engine/trans on properly?
>
> Check this with jumper cables between negative battery post, and bare metal on
> the block
>
>
> Texas Parts Guy

NOSPAMrex@REMOVEtxol.net (Rex B) wrote in message news:<40ef0b08.19512652@news.txol.net>...
> ||This high pitched whining noise - does it sound like the starter motor is
> ||spinning? Either the solenoid is not kicking the starter dog into the ring
> ||gear or you have lost a tooth of the ring gear. Turn the engine over by
> ||hand using a 19mm socket on the crankshaft bolt and try again.
>
> ...or put it in 4th gear and push the car a foot or so (with the clutch engaged
> so it will turn the motor over)


This only works for manual transmission not for automatic.




>
> ||
> ||Oh - when you changed the motor, are you sure you got all the ground straps
> ||between battery, body and engine/trans on properly?
>
> Check this with jumper cables between negative battery post, and bare metal on
> the block
>
>
> Texas Parts Guy

On 10 Jul 2004 22:56:51 -0700, mmdir2002@yahoo.co.uk (Red Cloud) wrote:

>George Macdonald <fammacd=!SPAM^nothanks@tellurian.com> wrote in message news:<8i0ue0lfrfbt2dd7t9j12f5qlmh0age0fl@4ax.com>. ..
>> On Fri, 09 Jul 2004 01:54:52 -0400, "play2winbig" <dwentz90@citynet.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I have a 88 honda civic dx with a 88 honda crx motor in it. Motor put in 3
>> >months ago, new belts, hoses. Today I started it, forgot something
>> >inside, so I shut it off, when I come back it would not start. The motor
>> >is not turning over at all. There is a whinning noise around the starter,
>> >high pitched. Battery is new, have full power of lights and bells, fuel
>> >pump is humming, so I know it is not those things. Should I look at the
>> >starter first and the solenoid? Need help fast. I have to work on
>> >Monday. Also, how much trouble are they to take off. I may have to do
>> >this myself. I need pictures and instructions. Help!!
>>
>> This high pitched whining noise - does it sound like the starter motor is
>> spinning? Either the solenoid is not kicking the starter dog into the ring
>> gear or you have lost a tooth of the ring gear. Turn the engine over by
>> hand using a 19mm socket on the crankshaft bolt and try again. If nothing,
>> it's likely the starter/solenoid - try giving it a whack with a heavyish
>> muffled wrench or small hammer. Some times the solenoid sticks and a light
>> shock will break it free temporarily.
>>
>
> Where is the location of Crankshaft bolt? Is bolt on the starter motor side or
> timing belt side?

It's on the timing belt side. Look in the left inner wheel well plastic
liner. There should be a plastic plug in it which you remove to get a
socket on an extension (5" or so) through the hole to the bolt.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??