Won't start "sometimes"

[JeffShoots]

YES I HAVE SEARCHED.

I have a '91 w/104k miles runs great when it wants to.
After searching I decided it had to be the negative ground cable at the battery. So I changed it out and added a NEW battery.

But still won't start after a day or two.

Right now if I put any power to the jump terminals it will start instantly. After a day I get in and turn the key the lights dim and nothing or clicking behind the passenger seat. I looked at it and it's two relays in a cute black box.

Sometimes I get a click at the starter? But not turning over and just dimming the lights. Sometimes it will start and die, start and die than give it a little gas and it will run.

Jump the car and it runs for the day

Thanks to all that may have a solution other than a cliff. Right now I won't evan drive the car. So much for Honda reliability

Thanks, Jeff

 

[Briank]

Assumming your battery terminals are making good connection I would say your new battery is a dud. Measure voltage at the battery terminals, sitting you should have about 12.5V and running about 13.8V. If the battery is good that you will have to try and find what is draining the battery, a stuck on trunk light is one of many possible items.

 

[JeffShoots]

Assumming your battery terminals are making good connection I would say your new battery is a dud. Measure voltage at the battery terminals, sitting you should have about 12.5V and running about 13.8V. If the battery is good that you will have to try and find what is draining the battery, a stuck on trunk light is one of many possible items.

Thanks but it's not the battery. I have load checked it, checked it cold, Hot and after it starts it's about 13+. I cleaned the + side and the negative was new and the same thing the NEXT DAY

The cliff is looking better and better.

 

[Briank]

Are you jumping at the battery or the jump terminal in the engine bay. If the battery is good and it starts from the jump terminal then you have a bad connection somewhere. :smile:

 

[JeffShoots]

Are you jumping at the battery or the jump terminal in the engine bay. If the battery is good and it starts from the jump terminal then you have a bad connection somewhere. :smile:

"jump terminal in the engine bay"

OK bad main breaker, or ignition? I have heard of these going bad in the NSX how do I check them?

 

[TURBO2GO]

Jeff when you come back to the car and you say it won't start, is there good power beforehand?

is something killing the battery or are you saying when you come back there is plenty of power and it just won't turn over?

If there is power, then I would suspect your starter solenoid. Could have a short and put a heavy drain on the car. The extra voltage from the jump start may be making it work temporarily.

If you are losing power before you turn it over as the car sits, something else is draining the battery.

 

[Briank]

"jump terminal in the engine bay"

OK bad main breaker, or ignition? I have heard of these going bad in the NSX how do I check them?

The main relay will cause the engine to not fire when cranked so from what you have said that is not your problem and the ignition switch will cause the car to die when running and you have not reported that problem either so your ignition switch good.

Dim lights and just a click from the starter is a low battery or bad connection in the the power wires from the battery. When you replaced the negative battery cable did you replace the whole cable or just the end? The negative cable is 2 cables, a big one and a small one to the body. There have been problems with the body connection of the negative on some cars.

 

[JeffShoots]

I just did the short -cable from Nello Acura with contact grease and it all looked clean. I did not see 2 - cables?

How about the connection in the back?

 

[Briank]

Sorry its the positive cable that splits the smaller one goes to the front fuse/relay box and the big goes to the rear at the jump start terminal.

 

[zahntech]

Get out your volt/ohm meter and set it to 10amps ..then make sure everything is turned off..with the hood opened and the little switch down by the latch held into a position as to simulate the hood being closed, loosen the neg terminal bolt then place one of your DVOM leads on the neg clamp...then hold the other onto the top of the neg post of the battery..slowly raise the terminal off the post..then note how many amps are drawn..if it is more than .50 amps you have a draw draining your battery as the car is sitting..if you find that you have a draw..keep the current flowing thru the meter and start pulling fuses until the draw goes away..(you will need help for this) when the draw goes away you have found the curcut that is draining your battery..then you must dig deeper into that curcut to see what exactly is the source.

NOTE!! your meter will only handle 10amps..if you open a door or turn on any load while the meter is in the curcut you may blow the fuse in your meter.

 

[JeffShoots]

good power beforehand?

are you saying when you come back there is plenty of power and it just won't turn over?

If there is power, then I would suspect your starter solenoid.

Yes the battery has plenty of power and is a full size. But with all the lights in the car bright evan the headlight working highs/lows you turn the key and it just dims the dash lights.

 

[Briank]

As noted above there are two wires to the Positive battery terminal. You need to check each one and confirm that the cables are good and have good connections at both ends to solve your no start problem.
The problem with the dimming dash lights may be a secondary problem with the ignition switch which would not be that hard to just replace as a trouble shooting step.

 

[zahntech]

Yes the battery has plenty of power and is a full size. But with all the lights in the car bright evan the headlight working highs/lows you turn the key and it just dims the dash lights.

If your headlamps come on at full brightness and then when you turn the key and they go dim/the car won't start. that sounds like a bad cable/connection.

when you place a major load on the system, IE the starter, the faulty cable or poor connection cannot handle the load.