so i have a 1996 honda accord vtech 4cycl 2 door heres my issue

the starter went out about a year ago i replaced it from o reily
the past 2 months i have been having " starting issues " but only after i drive it i can drive 10miles i can drive 800 miles when i shut it off it doesnt wanna start again when i come back out for about 45 min to an hour

theres a clip that comes off the starter and clips on to a little metal nipple shaped like a corn dog stick above the big *** ground wire on the end of the starter / power wire what ever it is and usually if i disconnect that hit the starter and plug it in thatl work or " seem " to work the hole time maybe its just time and or it " wanting to " i dont know
any way wiring is NOT my biggest strong point at all

i was wondering since it WILL start after it sits and decides to that its not the starter? or is it ? or relay ? or starter solinoid ? or batter ? or a ignition switch ?

when i turn the key you hear a " click " like its sending something somewhere but then you crank it over and nada nothing

lights stereo everything works the fuse box under the hood by the abs i checked all of them none say starter none are blown

this problem is driving me nuts and always happens when i need to be somewhere and its making me insane and before i spend 3 hours pulling a starter and replacing it in the cramped engine bay where my hands dont like to fit just to have the same problem i figured id come to you guys first

im a gm guy this honda is my gf;s car


please ANY detailed help would be AMAZING and appreciated greatly thank you thank you for looking \m/

 

Need detail about exactly what it does when it won't start. You say it just clicks, but then you say "crank it over and nada nothing". Does it crank or not?

Just to be precise about terminology, please understand we need to know just what you mean.
Crank = the starter motor spins the engine. This doesn't mean anything about whether or not it actually starts. If you don't hear the difference, have a friend watch the engine compartment to see whether the drive belts are spinning.

If you have an automatic trans, the shifter-interlock can prevent the starter from running. Flaky interlock switch is not unheard of. Similar problem with the clutch-switch on a manual-trans car.

How about clean & tight connections at the battery cables. Yes, including the OTHER ends of the cables. Dirty/loose/corroded stuff can allow the lights & bells & radio to work, but won't carry enough power to run the starter motor.

Stuff might look different, but just like a GM car you have 2 power leads going to the starter. One little one is the signal, that's just a 12v signal coming from the ignition switch. It has the shifter interlock, etc. which might be flaky. Test for 12v at that wire while the key is held in the START position. Don't short to ground or get caught up in the drive belts...

The BIG power lead comes right from the battery, but it might be dirty/loose/etc at the big fat starter terminal. Or probably it's OK if you replaced the starter recently.

There's a solenoid for the starter. Maybe ITS contacts are getting worn so they don't make good contact when they get the 12v signal from the ignition switch?

Try the CAVEMAN test. When someone holds the key in the START position, hit the starter with a broom handle or something like that. If that makes it work, your starter is going out.

 

( CRANK was the wrong word ) i meant from when you go to teh key on position it clicks then when you turn it to the " start position " where it should begin to crank its dead as a door nail

 

Check to see whether you get the 12v starter signal at the little wire on the starter.

If NOT, then troubleshoot back "upstream" to see whether it's the shift interlock (automatic?) or maybe a flaky ignition switch. There's other people who own 5th-gen cars who can give better help with specific wire colors and wire harness locations to check.

If the 12v signal IS OK, then you look at the starter itself or it's big fat power wire.

 

its life time warranty made in mexico ultima crap oreilly starter i have the receipt so ill just slap a new one in and hope thats it im going 90% solenoid due to i just went outside and after its been sitting for 2 hours of me being home it fired up 4 times in a row its just the heat from teh engine bay i think and cheap starter its over heating the solenoid im HOPING cause i dont own a test light or volt meter and even if i test a 12v draw on the small wire im sure itl be fine until the " problem " occurs