Honda Car Forum

I have a 99 civic and during the past months, it has been difficult to
start the car. So far, every time I can manage to start it after I turn
the key a few times. There is a pattern though. It is more difficult to
get it started in a hot or humid day. I guess this gets rid off the
possbility of bad starters or alternator and leaves the possibility of
bad connection or battery. My question is that whether batteries work
better in a hot/humid day or in a cold day. Also recently when I start
the car, I can hear something like clear clicking sound, not from the
engine or starter, but from the direction of glove compartment or
further or somewhere roughly that direction. And when there is that
clicking sound, I found it is much more difficult to start the car. And
yes, I also got a problem with my driver side door recently, months
after the difficult starting problem. I can't lock the dirver side
door. Even more wierd, occasionally, I can't open the door from inside
after driving for a while. I can open it from outside though. Seemed it
gets all the logic wrong (prohibit people from getting out other than
the other way). I don't know if the lock problem is connected to the
starting problem. Sometimes, I am thinking maybe there is a problem of
electric connection that get all things behavior strangely. Probably i
will start a separate thread to ask about the lock problem.

Honda2nd wrote:
> I have a 99 civic and during the past months, it has been difficult to
> start the car. So far, every time I can manage to start it after I turn
> the key a few times. There is a pattern though. It is more difficult to
> get it started in a hot or humid day. I guess this gets rid off the
> possbility of bad starters or alternator and leaves the possibility of
> bad connection or battery. My question is that whether batteries work
> better in a hot/humid day or in a cold day. Also recently when I start
> the car, I can hear something like clear clicking sound, not from the
> engine or starter, but from the direction of glove compartment or
> further or somewhere roughly that direction. And when there is that
> clicking sound, I found it is much more difficult to start the car. And
> yes, I also got a problem with my driver side door recently, months
> after the difficult starting problem. I can't lock the dirver side
> door. Even more wierd, occasionally, I can't open the door from inside
> after driving for a while. I can open it from outside though. Seemed it
> gets all the logic wrong (prohibit people from getting out other than
> the other way). I don't know if the lock problem is connected to the
> starting problem. Sometimes, I am thinking maybe there is a problem of
> electric connection that get all things behavior strangely. Probably i
> will start a separate thread to ask about the lock problem.

Sounds like the starter, battery or contacts to either/both.
Check www.tegger.com on starting problems -- diagnostic procedures of
those type of problems is explained very well there.

Remco

Honda2nd wrote:
>
> I have a 99 civic and during the past months, it has been difficult to
> start the car. So far, every time I can manage to start it after I turn
> the key a few times. There is a pattern though. It is more difficult to
> get it started in a hot or humid day. I guess this gets rid off the
> possbility of bad starters or alternator and leaves the possibility of
> bad connection or battery.
<SNIP>

--------------------------

If you go in the store to get something, (car has gotten hot inside) and
when you come out it won't restart, it's the main relay. Simple test:
Next time it does that, turn the key to position II, then smack the dash
on the left side of the steering wheel. If you hear the fuel pump go
shoooook, and the car starts, it's the main relay. Get a geek to
resolder it for you.

If cooling off the interior also allows it to restart, it's the relay.

'Curly'

Honda2nd wrote:
> I have a 99 civic and during the past months, it has been difficult to
> start the car. So far, every time I can manage to start it after I turn
> the key a few times. There is a pattern though. It is more difficult to
> get it started in a hot or humid day. I guess this gets rid off the
> possbility of bad starters or alternator and leaves the possibility of
> bad connection or battery. My question is that whether batteries work
> better in a hot/humid day or in a cold day.

have you taken the terminals of and cleaned them?
tested the battery with a voltmeter?
is it the original battery?

if so, its due for a replacement. ive still got the OEM battery in my 98
civic, and it still works great, but it could go at any time.

Looks like that it is. I have one case that it became more difficult to
get started after one grocery stop. And sometimes I got the clicking
noise and seems it comes from it.

Thanks Remco; quite a lot of information there.

I got this car second hand. It is an OEM battery to me. I guess I
better change the battery even if it is the relay problem. Thanks.