# Honda civic starter or something else? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [May 5, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-civic-starter-or-something-else/190446 "2023-05-05T17:11:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stias99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stias99](https://community.cartalk.com/u/stias99)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-civic-starter-or-something-else/190446/1 "2023-05-05T17:11:29Z")
Hi I asked about my Honda civic not starting couple of weeks ago, and then suddenly the problem disappearing and now it’s starting every time, remember? The popular opinion here was show it to a mechanic because it’s not necessarily the starter. well I don’t want to bore you with a wall of text but let’s just say $200 later the diagnosis is inconclusive, it may be the starter, it may not. I don’t know if the mechanic was an idiot or if this problem is really that hard to diagnose. what’s frustrating is the car starts, so if I change the starter and the car starts I dont know if the problem is fixed. I have uploaded 2 mp3 files. for one of them, I put my phone underneath the car, for the other, I opened the hood and put my phone near the engine. can you tell based on the sound if the starter needs to be replaced? > **[Vocaroo | Online voice recorder](https://vocaroo.com/12M8OEFHjy5t)** > > Vocaroo is a quick and easy way to share voice messages over the interwebs. > **[Vocaroo | Online voice recorder](https://vocaroo.com/16ebS9AyqsAc)** > > Vocaroo is a quick and easy way to share voice messages over the interwebs. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-civic-starter-or-something-else/190446/2 "2023-05-05T17:14:49Z")
I for one don’t open files from people I don’t know. If you can describe what does and does not happen when the problem occurs, I and others here may be able to help. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-civic-starter-or-something-else/190446/3 "2023-05-05T17:15:11Z")
I for one am not clicking on the link . I have no idea what Vocaroo is ( dumb name ) and I doubt if listening to it would mean much . Me thinks you need a better shop . ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-civic-starter-or-something-else/190446/4 "2023-05-05T17:17:23Z")
The audios you provided sounds like the starter is operating normally. Tester ---
**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:** [May 5, 2023, 9:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-civic-starter-or-something-else/190446/5 "2023-05-05T21:59:01Z")
Assuming a problem remains, it will be difficult to determine the cause unless you or shop measure the two voltages at the starter motor w/key in “start” at a time it won’t crank the engine. It’s not unusual for a starter motor near the end of its life to be intermittent: work perfectly several times in a row, then won’t crank the engine the next. Can’t speak to your particular starter motor’s design, but on my Corolla there’s a mushroom shaped piece of copper that is pulled down to bridge two flat copper contacts. Each crank, the mushroom rotate a little. If both edges of themushroom that contact the flat copper has good copper, it cranks ok. If one edge of the mushroom has burned copper, it won’t crank the engine. Sort of like Wheel of Fortune. If this is your problem, eventually all of the edges will be burned, & it will never crank the engine. At that point you’ll be halfway to done. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/honda-civic-starter-or-something-else/190446/6 "2023-05-06T02:21:22Z")
If it is starting every time then it will be very hard to determine why it is not starting cause it is starting… lol I hate to say it but you might have to wait until it gets worse…