Hi, was just hoping for a point in the right direction before I have to start trying to crawl around my daughters car, as I've just had knee surgery, so this is all very painful, in many ways, but necessary, in many ways. :-) She parked her car Friday morning to go out of town with her sister, no current problems, been starting and running fine lately. Came home today, car will not even try to start, no clicking, no engine sounds, nothing when you turn the key. Jumping/charging the battery had no effect whatsoever. Any educated guesses on a place to start with this totally out of the blue issue, before I tear the screws out of my new ACL messing around? Thanks!

 

There's a main relay located underneath the steering column. It's located next to or behind this silver looking box, that's your cruise control module.

Anyway, this main relay will prevent the car from starting. Here is a thread about it:

https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...nt-start-4333/

Hopefully this helps.

 

Been down that main relay road before, I have 3 on hand! Lol. This afternoon, tried jump start again, still nothing, all grounds and cables are clean and tight. Swapped out main relay, no change. Had battery load-tested at Interstate, all good. Re-installed battery, tapped on starter, absolutely nothing. When I turn key, all dash lights come on as normal and go out, when I turn key all the way to start you can hear the main relay click but thats the only sound, just completely dead and out of the blue, makes no sense. Any ideas?

 

Happen to be a manual trans?....see a strange plastic piece in the floor board....anyway.

Even if it is not (auto-or manual), if you have a volt meter, check the voltage on the small wire of the starter when someone is "cranking the car by the key"....what reading to you get?.....even if you have a test light, be sure it tries to light up when you try to start the caar.

 

It's an automatic. someone asked about the battery, It's several years old, but even though it acts like a dead battery for the most part when you turn the key, everything in the car works too good for the battery to be completely dead. Power seats work, radio, lights, all dash lights, etc. The battery shows a complete charge, does not respond at all to trying to jump start the car, not a click, nothing. Thats why they did a load test also. And there has been no indication whatsoever of any problems. I'm going to check the voltage at the starter solenoid after work while someone tries to start, i'm assuming if i have 12 volts with the key turned then maybe the starter? If i dont have 12 volts, not sure where to go, neutral safety? although i tried starting it in neutral also, didnt work.

 

so, battery reads 12.5 volts sitting. i checked the voltage at the small wire to the solenoid while turning the key to "start", got a reading of around 10 volts. Does this seem normal with voltage drop through the circuit? Starter still doesnt make a peep, even applied the 12.5 from the battery straight to the solenoid, nothing. Bad starter? Could it be ANYTHING else before i pull the starter off?

 

There are two wires going to the starter. The smaller one is blk/wht. Check that that wire is getting 12V to ground when someone tries to start the car. You should be able to access from the top of the engine bay. Use a valve cover bolt as the ground.

 

Sounds like a similar problem I had with my 2004 Odyssey. Replaced the starter and all is well.