If Your Engine Won't Start - Honda 1994 Civic Owner's Manual

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Diagnosing why your engine won't
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn
the key to START (III):
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, but the
engine does not start up and run.
Table of Contents
Nothing Happens or the
Starter Motor Operates Very
Slowly
When you turn the ignition switch
to START (III), 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:
Check the transmission interlock.
If you have a manual trans-
mission, the clutch pedal must be
pushed all the way to the floor or
the starter will not operate. With
an automatic transmission, it
must be in Park or Neutral.
Turn the ignition switch to ON
(II). Turn on the headlights and
check their brightness. If the
headlights are very dim or don't
light at all, the battery is dis-
charged. See Jump Starting on
page 176.

If Your Engine Won't Start

Turn the ignition switch to
START (III). 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 Towing on page
188.)
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 condi-
tion of the battery and terminal
connections (see page
can then try jump starting the
car from a booster battery (see
page 176).
Taking Care of the Unexpected
139 ). You