My accord has been starting lazily for about the last 3 months and finally it just died and will not start at all. I had the battery tested and it's fine. I tried jumping it with another car and it doesn't crank at all.

The accessories all work but it doesn't crank at all anymore, no clicking or anything when i turn the key.

I'm told that it may be the starter motor but I can't afford to swap it out unless I really have to.

Is there anything else that I should be checking first? The battery posts and cables are on tight and I see no corrosion anywhere.

Is there a fuse or relay or anything that I should look at first before swapping out the starter motor?

thanks for your help

 

If battery is good and no clicking (no cranking, etc.), check the starter wiring connection first. See this youtube video for a 4 cylinder:

youtube.com/watch?v=rftojurjJcQ

 

Thanks for that heads up. I'll check it out. I'm not sure if that connection will make the car either start or not start, but since my car was starting very slowly and lazily for a few months i'm inclined to think that something was slowly dying and finally just died completely.

Either way, I'll check it out now and report my findings to hopefully help others out

 

Alright I checked out those specific cables going to the starter and all looked nice and tight so that rules that out. The problem I find now is that it looks like it's going to be a PITA to swap that starter out in the first place.

do I have to remove the exhaust manifolds to do this? Now i'm starting to panic

 

If your car is the 4 cylinder, you need to remove the intake manifold to get to the starter. What you see in the front of the 4 cylinders is the intake manifold, which has the throttle body attached. The exhaust manifold is in the back.

6 cylinders starter replacement is more straight forward.

 

Darn! Yes mine is the 4 cyl.
thanks again

 

You need to have the battery tested under load to verify it has sufficient cranking amps. If it was cranking slower before it quit, I would have it trickle charged and tested under load to confirm or rule out the battery as the cause.

 

I bought one of those portable battery jumpers with 300amps and that didn't turn the engine over or even click when I tried to start it. I also tried to jump it with another car and same thing.

 

just an idea, why not put direct battery power to the starter terminals.
see if the starter cranks.

 

The starter on his 4 cylinder is hard to reach, it's under the intake manifold.