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My Honda civic has been having trouble starting. When I turn my key all the way clockwise to start the car, it make a clicking noise near the starter. All the lights come on, but it doesn't start the engine. My battery is brand new and it works when I jump start it. Sounds like the alternator but the battery was all charged up when I checked it. In the past, it wouldn't start for five or ten minutes after turning it off, then it would start. Does anyone know what might be the problem?

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The brushes in the starter may be worn down. That may explain why it was getting temperamental starting before it stopped working all together.

It could also be the worn contacts in the starter solenoid. There is a question on this site about diagnosing a faulty starter. I will look for it, unless someone else finds it first.

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I think the click sound you are hearing is the starter solenoid.

It might be a new battery but if it does not have enough power it cannot crank a starter motor. If your car is starting by jump starting it, the battery is the culprit for now. The reasons could be the battery might be weak or bad.

So what I would recommend is, jump start the vehicle, check your voltage across the battery terminals it should be about 14 Volts. If it less than 14 volts and does not go up as you rev the engine then the alternator might be bad. If the motor is running, under any case the voltage should not be around 12 volts if it is, then the alternator might be bad.

If you have 14 volts at the battery when the engine is running, then you might have to replace the battery, as it is a new one you can get a replacement or some sort of help if it is under warranty.

Other stuff you can do to make sure the battery is okay: 1. Get the battery load tested. 2. Check if there is any drain on the battery when the car is not running.

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Had exactly the same problem on my 2003 car. It was a bad starter, replaced it with a new one and kept the old as spare once I reconditioned it. Do a bit of diagnosing as it could be just the wiring at the starter or bad ground.

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  • Thank you for the input everyone, I'm going to work on it after work today and tomorrow especially. I have a friend who is going to try and figure it out. Thanks again, I'll post anything else I find!
    – Curtis H
    Mar 4, 2016 at 20:05

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