Alt or starter????

[89accord_lxi_coupe]

well, i was gonna go run an errand earlier. go out put key in and start the car......wait a sec it didn't turn over.........tried 4 time to start it. all the lights and radio come on, so it's not the battery. i didn't here a click when i was trying to start it. the only sound it made was the wuh duh duh duh kind of sound when you start it. how it sounds before it kicks over. that was the only sound it was making. i popped the hood and listened while trying to start it. never clicked, battery isn't bad, what can it be?? i replaced the battery in like oct. of last year, so that's not it. how much is an alternator, if that's what it is, and is it something i can replace myself. i have a haynes manual, plus you guys, if i need help. holla back quickly!!!!!! i was and still am soooooooooo pissed.

[shepherd79]

it is the starter.
Alternator has nothing to do when you start your car.

[MrBen]

Originally posted by shepherd79
it is the starter.
Alternator has nothing to do when you start your car.

Not directly. It could be your alternator if it fails to charge the battery when your car is running. But it sounds like it's your starter.

[sanjay]

agree with ben and alex. it's your starter.
my alternator cost $240 australian to replace incl. labour.
that equates to about $120 US

[ACCORD EX]

you said you hear the sound wah dah or something ! ?? do you mean the engine is turning ?? if yes and you don't hear teh fuel pump , it could be your main relay !
if you don't hear a click then it could be your slow mixture solonoid valve or what's it called ! :)

MIKE

[racerx]

Yeah, definately sounds like the main relay or the fuel pump. If you're carbed, then just look at the carb when someone else turns the car on and tries to start. If fuel is squirting, you have an electrical problem. If not, your fuel pump is dead or your main relay under the dash is fried. I can tell you how to fix it if you want. Oh, if it's injected, just take a fuel filter off and watch the fuel line when you attempt to start.

[89accord_lxi_coupe]

yeah it tries to kick over. the engine is making the attempt to start, but it doesn't. i was at my dad's yesterday and was telling him. he thought of something else, i was intending to put gas in when i was out, that's why i was going out. it's just above the E and he said it's possible my gas isn't being sucked in. i could possibly, but doubtfully, have water in the tank. just enough to where it's not picking up the fuel. i've got a couple little gas tanks with fuel in them so i'll put as much as i have in, just to see if it helps. he was kinda doubtful about the starter, since it's trying to kick over. anyway i'll check it all out.

edit: SHIT!!!:rant: well i put in the gas and it didn't kick. my car is an LX-i, so no it's not carbed. i still haven't tried to jump it off yet. with an FI car, how do you prime the injectors? my dad has an 89 toyota pickup, his ran out once but the injectors self primed on his truck. what's the normal price for a starter? the part number? how much would an electrical analysis cost on average? holla back

[Blue Impact]

How did you get water into your tank? If the car is trying to start then I don't think it's the alternator or starter. It could be your fuel system. Try listening to see if your fuel pump is working or not. You do that by turning the key twice (til the lights on the gauge cluster come on) and just listening if you hear some kind of whizzing sound. I had just "replaced" my fuel pump about two weeks or so ago because I had the same problem you're describing. I think it's an LX-i coupe thing, you know. :D Good luck with it.

[89accord_lxi_coupe]

yeah, i tried again yesterday, just before it started to rain, and i was hearing almost like a hissing sound. i thought it might be the fuel pump, but i wasn't sure. my dad told me to jump it off, and if that worked my battery might have a bad cell. still haven't tried that though, rain. thanks for the help fellas, appreciate it. how much is the fuel pump and what's the part number? i'll have to get some money from mutual fund, which could take a week, damn!!! oh well.

[cruznz]

try disconnecting the fuel return line ,put the end into a container, turn the ignition on(or you may have to feed power straight to pump by using a by-pass at the main relay).......it should pump out about a pint of fuel in about 30sec's....spec's for delivery rates are....2.5 pints/min

If you do try this,please be careful of fire risks

[89accord_lxi_coupe]

who knows how much fuel pumps cost, and what the part number is? i could really use the info. tried going on pepboys.com and autozone.com, but i didn't know which one i needed. they came up with several different ones.

[racerx]

I just bought one from advance auto parts. It was about $70. I wouldn't go to pepboys. They charge like twice what parts are worth and it's the same peice! I don't know part number... Oh, and don't bother buying online. Parts are usually more expensive and you have to pay shipping and wait for the damn thing... Just get a buddy to take you to the store.

[89accord_lxi_coupe]

cool, yeah i got quicker results looking for the part on autozone.com. took me forever to get through pepboy's search feature.