# 98 civic not cranking but lights work **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic, honda\ **Created:** [November 20, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535 "2017-11-20T13:38:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/1 "2017-11-20T13:38:06Z")
My car is not cranking but the lights work such as the dash light and headlights, when I turn the key I heard a sqeak sound like squeaaaaak, and when ever I try to start it I see that the ground wire connected to the negative terminal is smoking every time I turn the key , and the bolt is becoming hot any suggestions thankd ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/2 "2017-11-20T15:56:03Z")
Wow! You apparently have a battery with an internal short. You could also have a bound up peripheral component, like the AC compressor or PS pump. Have the vehicle towed to your favorite mechanic for a new battery. Don’t risk a fire. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/3 "2017-11-20T16:21:31Z")
> [@Honda98](#): > > the ground wire connected to the negative terminal is smoking every time I turn the key That sounds like a poor connection. Unbolt the cable, clean the connection with a wire brush and reconnect. ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/4 "2017-11-20T16:27:34Z")
Thanks for the responses I’ll try every thing and I want to add that the car push starts fine also ---
**Author:** ![Camshaft700](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Camshaft700](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Camshaft700)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/5 "2017-11-20T18:15:12Z")
as Nevada\_545 said, clean batt terminals. if you like you can do a voltage drop of the terminals, showing you how much voltage is lost in the connections when you crank the car ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/6 "2017-11-20T19:12:16Z")
I’ll try everything and I’ll record everything to show y’all ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/7 "2017-11-20T21:13:33Z")
![15112123205291489103373](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/7/7af5d4f8843cf78c964eafff0cea2cc403d3db75.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/8 "2017-11-20T21:14:10Z")
![1511212427561944325962](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/3/3e9341713fffbfd38f3529b6f032bdbf3427c731.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/9 "2017-11-20T21:17:32Z")
![1511212616757570515371](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/5/5406925fc3472154f1c70594421b1286c383d048.jpg) this is my ground wire connected to the body ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/10 "2017-11-20T21:20:50Z")
The battery post clamp does not look the right one and you need to clean all ground points before anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/11 "2017-11-20T21:29:02Z")
Someone removed the original cables. The primary negative cable should be bolted to the engine and a second cable bolted to the body with a clean connection, no paint. Edit; there is a separate cable from the body to the engine so just clean that negative connection on the cable and body. ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/12 "2017-11-20T21:31:05Z")
What should I do ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/13 "2017-11-20T21:33:23Z")
[https://youtu.be/\_T9VXhV4Nh8](https://youtu.be/_T9VXhV4Nh8). Here is a link of a youtube video I made and you could hear a sound if you turn up your volume like a squeak ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/14 "2017-11-20T21:36:45Z")
It looks like you have the correct cable. Here’s the replacement for sale on Rockauto: [http://www.rockauto.com/info/154/A11-4T\_PRIMARY\_\_ra\_p.jpg](http://www.rockauto.com/info/154/A11-4T_PRIMARY__ra_p.jpg) I’d get sandpaper or a wire brush on my drill and clean up all rust at the connection and cable, it needs to be metal of metal. Do you have a wrench that you can use to attempt to turn the engine over? KEY OUT, of course! If there’s something preventing the engine from turning it could cause this problem. ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/15 "2017-11-20T22:01:22Z")
I’ll give it a try ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/16 "2017-11-20T23:04:33Z")
> [@Honda98](#): > > the car push starts fine also If the car push starts OK, then the engine is turning over. ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 11:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/17 "2017-11-20T23:16:32Z")
What does that mean ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/18 "2017-11-20T23:25:48Z")
> [@Honda98](#): > > What does that mean What are you asking about ? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/19 "2017-11-20T23:28:56Z")
That means you don’t need to see if you can rotate the engine with a wrench, I missed the post about push starting it. So concentrate on the connections right now. There also must be a cable connecting the body to the engine, that one also needs clean connections, along with the positive battery cable (disconnect it after disconnecting the negative ground cable). ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/20 "2017-11-20T23:34:53Z")
Thanks everyone for the responses !!! So there’s a connection between the engine block and the battery??, my positive is connected to the starter and the negative is connected to the frame which fries every time I try to crank it, but I’m buying a new negative wire since its corroded [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535.md?page=2)