So I bought a 2006 Accord hybrid with a v6 engine this December from a private seller. It ran fine for about 36 hours after before I started having problems One time on a cold snowy day I stopped for gas and it wouldn't start up again. Got the knocking sound and the lights flickering. After waiting about 15 minutes it got going again, so I thought maybe I didn't let the engine warm up enough. A week later I got the same problem, except this time there were deep thudding noises when I tried to start the car. (This was a much warmer day). Got a boost and it was ok long enough to get to the mechanic, who said the battery was completely fine but the battery terminals were damaged. They replaced them and I got another week's use with no problems. I left the car with a friend over the holidays, she said one day it wouldn't come out of park and the next it wouldn't start at all, same bs with the lights flickering and it not starting.

So if the battery is fine, what the hell is going on? A friend suggested these were electrical 'gremlins' because of a bad main fuse, he mentioned this thread Main fusable link. This seems plausible to me since the problems are so random, although I know very little about cars. Should I replace the fuse before trying other things? Its a very cheap part and easy to replace apparently.

The previous owner had mechanic friends and I suspect they did jobs on the cheap for him, which might explain why he said he had "new" winter tires that were already worn down and had the brakes "fixed", but the mechanic I hired said they needed servicing soon. And maybe it would explain this current problem. Or he's just a ****ty liar.

I should add that I live in a pretty cold and snowy Canadian city. I GREATLY appreciate any help as I'm kind of on my own with this, thanks in advance!!

 

Have you refilled the gas tank since you filled it up with gas?

When the car doesn't come out of park, do the brakes lights turn on when you press the brake pedal?

 

It hasn't been refilled but its at a quite high level. I can't even begin to move the gear shift now as it won't start at all. It flickers a couple times, and clicks but nothing happens.

I tried to jump start it tonight but it didn't work. Someone said this may have been because I was boosting from a hybrid, but I kept it charging for a good 20 minutes, shouldn't that be enough?