If The Engine Won't Start - Honda Civic Owner's Manual

06/08/05 22:44:06 32SMG610_459

If the Engine Won't Start

Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you press
the ENGINE START button:
You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine's starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.
You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.
Do not hold the ENGINE START
button for more than 15 seconds.
456
Taking Care of the Unexpected
Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly
When you press the ENGINE
START button, you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
(II) position. Turn on the
headlights, and check their
brightness. If the headlights are
very dim or do not come on at all,
the battery is discharged. See
Jump Starting on page 458
Press the ENGINE START button,
then release it. If the headlights do
not dim, check the condition of the
fuses. If the fuses are OK, there is
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit for the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualified
technician to determine the
problem (see Emergency Towing
on page 480 ).
If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page 417 ). You can then try
jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page
On vehicles with i-SHIFT
Turn the ignition switch to the ON
. (II) position. Press on the brake
pedal and move the shift lever to
neutral. Check the gear position
indicator on the upper display. If it
does not show N, the battery is
discharged. See Jump Starting
on page 458 .
458 ).