Hey guys, I went outside last night to move my car for a friend and it wouldnt start. I'm pissed because I just bought a battery for the car earlier in the day because the car wouldnt start every morning when I would come out in below freezing weather. I thought it was just the battery but I guess not. I dont think its the alternator because with the battery I had the day before I was able to jump it and let the car run for a long time to heat up and the I drove it for a few miles to charge the battery. As soon as I got home and turned off the car I tried to start it to see if the battery charged. It wouldnt start within ten seconds of me turning the engine off. So I bought the new battery and came home around 5pm after I put it in myself. Even when I first put it in it still had the same weak turn over but it started after a few turns. Now it wont turn over at all but all the electronics come on and the defrost will even blow. However there is a whining noise when the the fan comes on so I turned it off. That never happened until the day before I bought the new battery. I can hear a click but I cant tell if its from the dash lighting up. I think its something to do with the starter. I had the 05 TSX and the starter went but atleast I could pop the clutch to start that so I knew it was the starter. Its at 119K but I replaced the engine at 109k so the engine has 12k miles on it right now. Is there anything else to check before I spend too much money to have it fixed? Maybe the recall on the fuel pump? Or a fuse I could check? When I last went to start it cranked a few times then stopped. Then cranked 2 times before stopping. Then a half crank, now nothing.

 

My guess is the starter. You said you replaced the engine (10K?) ago, but was the starter replaced as well or did that carry over? Try giving the starter a couple of good whacks with a hammer/mallet/bar and try starting again.

After replacing the battery, I would have expected it to fire right up and not have "the same weak turnover." That is unless you were unlucky enough to have purchased a bad battery. Does the dashboard light up? Headlights work? Radio?

 

I believe it was just the engine that was replaced. I'll give it a few whacks with the hammer and see if that does anything. I just downloaded the service manual so atleast I know where all the components are now. All the electronics come on and the headlights and highbeams are strong so I dont think its the battery. Even the defrost fans come on strong.

 

Just out of curiosity, why was the engine replaced? Anything to do with water?

 

I drove from Upstate NY to Akron, Ohio to get the RL for $400 cheaper than anything comparable around me in NY. After buying the car for 12K after taxes, the engine blew on the way home. In Buffalo NY, still an hour from home. Once I got the car looked at by the mechanics they found a piece of a piston head the size of a golf ball in the oil pan. I had to buy a new engine before I even made it home with the vehicle I put less than 150 miles on. There was also a hole in the bottom of the engine block. The dealer refused to accept any responsibility and The powertrain warranty that I bought from the dealership was through a 3rd party that rejected the claim stating that it had pre-existing damage. I ended up buying an RL engine with 1,300 miles on it for $3,500 because I paved the mechanics driveway and he hooked me up.

But getting back to the current problem, I tried give the starter a few good taps but it didnt make any difference. Still no Luck. I called the only Acura dealership around and they quoted me $630 for parts and labor on a new starter. est.3 hours of labor. It looks like I'll be buying one online and finding someone to install it for me because thats way too much. If anyone has any other things I could try while I wait for the starter to arrive I'd love to know

 

do you have a multimeter? If battery is good, and alternator is putting out 14.7 volts or so, then the next thing I would do is a voltage drop test on the cables. Will tell you if starter is not getting full juice due to bad cables or connections. If they check out, then you can throw a starter at it, or at least yank it and have it bench checked...

 

Very long shot but you might want to try starting with the gear selector in neutral as opposed to park. Sometimes the safety interlock switch can fail, but I don't think this is your issue.

 

Check the battery terminals.

 

Can you jump it? That would tell you if it's your starter or charging system. I'm betting bad alternator killed both batteries.

OR, your battery cables on the other end from the battery aren't making a connection. Similar to Heavy's suggestion, but away from the battery.

 

Hey guys, I finally got everything fixed. It turns out that the starter was fried somehow. I took it out in about 15 minutes to get it out and I took it to Autozone to have it tested. The starter failed to even function. I took it to a rebuild place that said it was completely fried and several parts would have to be replaced so I just opted for a new one from Autozone. I put it in and the car started just fine. I'm glad the Starter in the RL is so easy to get to because I've never done any car work besides changing the wheels from all seasons to snows. Unfortunately the battery that I bought before I knew it was the starter isn't a flat top so I had to go to Pep Boys to get post shims to make the terminals fit

 

Congrats on getting it figured out and solved.