When the temperature is in the mid to low 30's, 92 Honda Civic will not turn over. No griinding or anything, not even a click. I've been told the battery, starter and carburator are ok. Help! Taxi's a
Let's see if I can explain it. Pretty simple start circuit, but starting issues are very common to Hondas and Toyotas of the '80's and early'90's. Lots of guys used to rewire their start circuits with new wiring and relays from ignition switch to the starter solenoid just to stop those no starts.
From the ignition switch is the black/white start wire, it is hot only in start, goes direct to the "starter cut relay"- a 4 pole starter relay, the black/ white wire (black with a white stripe) is both the power feed and the coil power to the relay. Before the wire enters the relay it is spliced. one wire goes to power feed at relay, other wire goes to coil side of relay. Here's where the clutch switch comes in: the clutch switch acts as the ground for the relay's coil side. Okay, you turn key to start, power goes to the relay on both the power side and the coil side. When clutch is depressed, it grounds the coil side of relay, this energizes the relay, so power goes out of relay on the power side, as a black/red wire...and goes direct to the starter solenoid. Somewhere before it reaches the solenoid, it turns back into a black/white wire. But nothing else is in a wiring diagram for your start circuit. Buy a can of CRC electronic cleaner. Spray all connectors in the start circuit. Pull off the solenoid wire at starter-that connector. Also the starter relay , pull it out and clean the relay terminals where it plugs in. Get all clean connections in the circuit. If no help, swap in a different relay. If still no help, get a voltmeter (or a test light), when the starter doesn't want to work, check for power at the starter solenoid with key held in start, and clutch depressed. If power there, the solenoid is the problem. If no power, work back to the relay. Pull relay out. With key held in start, two terminals for the relay should have power-the coil plus side, and the power feed from the ignition switch. If both have power, may be the clutch switch not grounding the relays coil side. If no power to relay, check the start wire out of the ignition switch.
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