# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**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, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/21 "2017-11-20T23:50:42Z")
There must be another connection between the body and engine. Can you find one? ---
**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 21, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/22 "2017-11-21T00:00:24Z")
One engine ground is from the power steering bracket to the core support and the other is from a transmission bracket to the side rail (frame rail). But just replace that loose battery cable for now. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/23 "2017-11-21T00:07:05Z")
I just looked at my 1999 Honda Civic. One other ground wire I see is from the top of the transaxle to the right fender well. The air cleaner housing is in the way so I can’t see precisely where the wire attaches to the body. You need a good metal-to-metal (no paint) contact there near the battery to begin with, ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/24 "2017-11-21T01:14:18Z")
The negative connection at the frame has to be bright shiny metal against bright shiny metal. No rust in between. And it has to be very tight, so make sure the bolt threads and what the bolt screws into isn’t stripped. Rust doesn’t conduct electricity well enough to power the starter and crank the engine. Solving the problem you’re showing on the photo’s above may not be enough to get it cranking reliably again, but it’s a good start. Once you’ve got that completed, if it doesn’t get you cranking again, post back for some new ideas. There’s a circuit with a big loop involved, and a single bad connection problem anywhere in that loop or multiple smallish bad connections in the loop will lead to this symptom. The squeaking or buzzing noise is probably the starter solenoid contacts. They start to make contact when you turn the key to run, but once they do make contact the voltage drop at the bad connection is so large they can no longer make contact, so they turn off, then there’s no current flowing , no voltage drop, so they turn back on again, like an oscillator. bzzzz ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/25 "2017-11-21T18:39:31Z")
![1511289513787849154801](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/5/53fb3e2fd64eccf6a35b6564ca2d44640bf94297.jpg)is this a leak?? ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/26 "2017-11-21T18:52:36Z")
![15112903244871043066751](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/f/f4a661d4fc535c7a91f00e85051f2d29b2733290.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/27 "2017-11-21T18:56:45Z")
![1511290554895893155151](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/a/a0319d9c9de767f31bf3149de2f2f04d65480f77.jpg) ---
**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 21, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/28 "2017-11-21T18:57:58Z")
That is the engine to body ground cable above the dipstick. Where is the timing belt cover? ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/29 "2017-11-21T19:09:29Z")
I don’t think it has one ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/30 "2017-11-21T19:34:37Z")
![15112928441021162602942](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/3/30c1473c9816fdb40808998b907367bd80d00ea5.jpg)this is the body to engine bolt ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/31 "2017-12-02T23:12:45Z")
found out the problem, it was the starter , once I put in the new on it started right up ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/32 "2017-12-02T23:25:01Z")
Thanks for reporting back! ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/33 "2017-12-03T02:30:21Z")
Glad your Civic is reliably cranking again. Good for you for sticking with it. Did you use a re-manufactured starter or a new one? ---
**Author:** ![Honda98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Honda98](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda98)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535/34 "2017-12-03T03:17:47Z")
Thank you very much and I used a new one for 100$ [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/98-civic-not-cranking-but-lights-work/109535.md?page=1)