Year ago my Accord’s starter would not engage intermittently. What I hear after pushing the “Start” button is the starter gear turning against the “flywheel?” but not engaging. My thinking is that the starter has failed in that the solenoid is not pushing the gear far enough to engage. Honda put in a new starter. The problem began again after about 2 weeks. I’m being told by Honda that my battery doesn’t have the cranking power. I’m thinking it doesn’t take cranking power for the solenoid to be pushed far enough into the flywheel to engage it.
Comments?
Have you had the battery tested? How old is it? Is it the correct size?
Honda is correct! Your starter need full power from the battery to turn the engine.
The reason I have doubts about the battery being the issue is that the solenoid never gets the starter gear to the flywheel. The cranking can’t even begin until that point. Also, the car has always started on the 2nd try. So, there is enough cranking power at that point.
Battery was tested by Honda and I’m told it is in the 550ccr range as opposed to 700+. The battery is a year old but I bought one from Honda today to eliminate it as the problem.
At that point, it looks like your starter either not able to mesh its sprocket into the flywheel/flexplate OR the relay engaging the starter motor has problems.
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I’m concurring w/the OP, don’t think the battery is the critical problem, being only one year old and given the battery test results posted above. Unless OP is in the southern hemisphere and it is really cold there now.
hmmm … well, the battery could be ok but the voltages at the starter motor could be too low. That’s where I’d start. Ask your shop to measure the two terminals at the starter motor with the key in “start”. Measure the voltage at the starter motor underneath the car, probing from the terminal to the starter case. Both should measure at least 10.5 volts. If both exceed 10.5 volts and the starter doesn’t crank the engine, replace the starter. If one or both is lower than 10.5 volts, work backwards towards the battery to fine out why.
The standard battery/alternator test makes sense too. Before first start of the day the battery should measure about 12.6 volts. Measure at the battery posts. Immediately after starting the engine, 13.5-15.5 volts.
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TSB 16-002:
February 5, 2016
03001 Version 1
Starter Grinds or Spins at Startup
AFFECTED VEHICLES
2013-15 Accord V6 with A/T only vin-range ALL
2013-15 Crosstour V6 with A/T only vin-range ALL
SYMPTOM
The starter grinds or spins at startup.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
The clearance between the starter motor gear and the torque converter ring gear is not optimal.
CORRECTIVE ACTION
Replace the starter and rotate the torque converter clockwise one bolt-hole.
I left Honda with a new battery. Otherwise, extended warranty kicked in. However, if I get another fail, I’ll certainly have your post to refer to. Thank you!
Logical inputs and I agree. Thank you!
Like I wrote earlier, I took Honda’s suggestion and replaced the battery. Not really happy about it, but I had no real inputs to offer them. If the issue pops up again, I will certainly refer the content of your post to them and go from there.