2002 Honda Civic having trouble starting in cold weather

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

My 2002 Honda Civic (160k+ miles, manual transmission) has twice failed to start this winter. This happened when the temperature is cold (<32 Deg. F). The car came with me from CA to the East coast (mid Atlantic) about 5 years ago. It occasionally has been difficult to start it in cold weather since moving East but otherwise it starts first attempt without issues.

This morning it barely started. This evening, it didn’t start using the ignition. Turning the key, the engine attempted to turn over once perhaps twice. After several attempts the engine did not turn over at all - no detectable sound from the starter motor, instrument lights will flash and clicking noises come from the dash. Attempting to jump the battery with another vehicle had no effect - the engine would not turn over at all, the instrument lights flash, clicking from the dash. The battery health indicator is green.

I did get the car started by coasting down a grade, putting the car in gear to turn the engine over, and then using the ignition (I must depress the clutch to use the ignition but getting the engine turning worked first attempt without issue).

After arriving home and shutting off the engine, the car will start on the first attempt without issue (even after letting it sit at 25 Deg. F for 3+ hours).

This seems like a mechanical issue and the starter motor is an obvious place to start. I can double check the battery connections and do some basic electrical testing if someone can tell me how to verify the electrical grounding (I’m handy with a multi meter). I’m looking for suggestions/tips to help identify the problem and avoid multiple trips to my mechanic.

Thanks in advance,

Missing the Sun.

2

Try this: since you are handy with the multimeter, the next time the car doesn’t start, have someone try starting the car while you measure the voltage at the battery. If the battery voltage drops below 10 volts when your helper tries to start the engine, the first suspect would be the battery. I am not certain what the battery health indicator is, but many auto parts stores will load test the battery for free. A battery that will crank the engine in warm weather may not be up to the task in cold weather.

3

Get a booster cable and use just the black wire - leave the red wire dangle.
Attach one side to the negative battery post and the other to a beefy part on the engine or the frame. If it now reliably starts, you have a bad ground connection.

4

Its either a dead or dying battery or a Dying starter pulling too many Amps in order to go about its normal business…

5

How old is the battery? Get a free test, How long since the last oil change? Clean and check all connections including ground terminal ends, the best test is to pull them off and look for corrosion. You may want to use a memory saver when cleaning connections.