How To Test The Starter Motor (1996-2000 1.6L Honda Civic)

In this tutorial, I'll explain step-by-step how to test the starter motor on your 1.6L Honda Civic.

The 3 tests I'm gonna show you how to do will help you find out if the starter motor is good or bad (and behind the engine's no-crank problem).

APPLIES TO: This tutorial to the following vehicles:

• 1.6L Honda Civic CX: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.
• 1.6L Honda Civic DX: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.
• 1.6L Honda Civic EX: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.
• 1.6L Honda Civic LX: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000.

Important Safety Precautions

SUGGESTION 1: The starter motor shown in the photos is removed from the car to make it easier to show you where to probe with your multimeter. When testing the starter motor on your Honda Civic, don't remove it from the car—perform the tests with it installed.

SUGGESTION 2: Make sure the battery in your Honda is fully charged before starting any of the tests in this tutorial. Also, check that the battery cable terminals and posts are clean and free of corrosion to ensure accurate results.

SUGGESTION 3: If you need to raise your Civic to access the starter motor, use jack stands to hold it up safely! Never trust the jack alone to keep the car elevated. Always take safety precautions, such as using jack stands, wearing safety glasses, and working on a stable surface.

SUGGESTION 4: If your Honda has a standard transmission, make sure it's out of gear and in neutral, with the parking brake set before starting any work.

Symptoms Of A Bad Starter Motor

The most common symptoms of a bad starter are:

1. No response when turning the key: You turn the key to crank and start your Honda Civic (Civic del Sol, CRX), but nothing happens.
2. Failed jump-start: You had someone help you jump-start your Honda, but the engine still didn't crank.
3. New battery didn't solve the problem: You bought a brand-new battery, thinking it would fix the no-crank issue, but the car still won't start.
4. Knocking sound when turning the key: You turn the key to start your Honda, but all you hear is a faint knocking sound and nothing else.

Although this list isn't exhaustive, the common thread across all these symptoms—and others like them—is that the engine does not turn over when you turn the key to crank the engine in your Honda Civic.

Tools Needed To Test The Starter Motor

You don't need expensive test equipment to test the starter motor on your Honda Civic but you do need a few things. These are:

1. Jack (if applicable): You may (or may not) need to raise your Honda Civic to access the starter motor. Depending on your vehicle's configuration, the starter motor may be located at the rear of the engine (facing the firewall) and underneath the intake manifold.
2. Jack stands (if applicable): Always use jack stands for safety if you need to raise the vehicle.
3. Remote starter switch: If you'd like to see what a remote starter switch looks like, check out this link: Innova 3630 Remote Starter Switch (Amazon affiliate link).
4. Multimeter or 12V Test Light: If you don't have a multimeter or need to upgrade yours, here's the one I use and recommend: Tekpower TP8268 AC/DC Auto/Manual Range Digital Multimeter (Amazon affiliate link).
5. Wire Piercing Probe: While not an absolute must-have, a wire piercing probe can make it much easier to test the S terminal wire for the Start Signal. If you'd like to see what this tool looks like, check out this review:
   • Wire Piercing Probe Tool Review (Power Probe PWPPPPP01).
6. A helper: You'll need someone to help with the testing process.

As you can see, you don't need anything too expensive to get started. OK, let's dive into the first starter motor test!

TEST 1: Applying 12 Volts To The S Terminal

The first step in determining if the starter motor is bad is to apply 12 Volts directly to it using a remote starter switch.

If the starter motor is fried, applying 12 Volts manually to the starter solenoid's S terminal with the remote starter switch will not activate it.

On the other hand, if the starter motor is good and the issue lies elsewhere (such as a faulty neutral safety switch), applying 12 Volts manually will activate the starter motor and crank the engine.

NOTE: Accessing the starter solenoid's S terminal to apply 12 Volts manually can be tricky, but it's doable. What I recommend is to use a wire piercing probe to pierce the S terminal wire, then connect your remote starter switch to it. Once connected, proceed with the test. If you'd like to see what this tool looks like, check out this review: Wire Piercing Probe Tool Review (Power Probe PWPPPPP01).

S Terminal: The starter motor on your Honda has two wires attached to it. One wire is attached with a nut and this one goes directly to the battery positive (+) post. The other wire, which is usually referred to as the S terminal, attaches to the starter motor using a female spade terminal.

IMPORTANT: Remove the key from the ignition switch for this test.

OK, this is what you'll need to do:

1. 1

   Disconnect the battery negative (-) terminal.
   
   You'll reconnect it back in one of the following steps, for now, it's a safety precaution as you set up the test.

2. 2

   Attach a remote starter switch to the S terminal of the starter motor solenoid.
   
   This is easier said than done. So take your time and make sure the connection is on the S terminal of the starter motor solenoid.
   
   NOTE: You can also connect the remote starter switch to the starter motor solenoid's S terminal wire using some sort of wire piercing probe. If this is the option you choose, make sure the S terminal wire is connected to the starter solenoid when you're done setting up your connections.

3. 3

   Reconnect the battery negative (-) cable to the battery negative (-) post.

4. 4

   Apply 12 Volts to the S terminal (or the S terminal wire depending on how you've set up the test) of the starter motor starter solenoid with your remote starter switch.

5. 5

   You'll get one of two results:
   
   1.) The starter will activate and will turn over the engine.
   
   2.) The starter motor won't do a thing.

Let's take a look at what your test results mean:

CASE 1: The starter motor cranked the engine. This test result lets you know that the starter motor is OK and functioning. It also tells you that the probable cause, of it not working when you turn the key to start the engine, is a lack of the 12 Volt Start signal on the S terminal of the starter motor solenoid.

The next step is to go to TEST 2 and see if the starter motor is getting the 12 Volt Start signal on the S terminal wire (circuit). Go to: TEST 2: Verifying The 12 Volt Start Signal.

CASE 2: The starter motor DID NOT crank the engine. This usually means that your starter motor is bad and needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

I suggest 2 more tests and these are make sure that the starter motor is getting its 12 Volt Start signal and to test the battery cable (that attaches to the starter motor) for corrosion. This can be accomplished very easily with a voltage drop test.

• Go to: TEST 2: Verifying The 12 Volt Start Signal.
• Go to: TEST 3: Voltage Drop Testing The Batt (+) Cable.

TEST 2: Verifying The 12 Volt Start Signal

One of the things that can lead you to believe that the starter motor is bad is a dead battery. So, it's important that the battery on your Honda Civic is in a fully charged condition.

How can you find out? Well, one very fast test you can do to find out is to: Turn the key to the on position and then turn on the headlights for about 10 seconds (and after 10 seconds turn them off). Then, check the voltage, with your multimeter in Volts DC, of the battery. If the battery's voltage is around 12.4 Volts, then the battery is OK.

One other thing, both the positive and negative battery terminals and posts must be clean before you start this first test.

OK, enough yakking, here's what you'll need to do:

1. 1

   Set your multimeter to Volts DC mode.

2. 2

   With the red multimeter test lead, probe the wire that connects to the S terminal of your Honda Civic's starter motor solenoid.
   
   How? By piercing the wire with a tool like a wire piercing probe (or any other suitable tool that you can attach the red multimeter test lead to).

3. 3

   Ground the black multimeter test lead on the battery negative (-) post.

4. 4

   When you've gotten everything set up, have an assistant crank the engine.
   
   The engine won't crank, but this is the only way to test and confirm the presence of the Start signal from the ignition switch (and by extension, verifying that the neutral safety switch is working too).

5. 5

   Your multimeter will register one of two things:
   
   1.) You'll see 10 to 12 Volts DC (if the ignition switch and the neutral safety switch are good).
   
   2.) Your multimeter will register 0 Volts (which usually indicates that the ignition switch or the neutral safety switch is fried).

OK, let's make sense of the readings that your multimeter recorded in the test:

CASE 1: Your multimeter registered 10 to 12 Volts. This let's you know that both the ignition switch and the neutral safety switch are doing their job and supplying the Crank (Start) Signal.

Now, around 90% of the time, you could stop here and condemn the starter motor as bad and replace it and the problem would be solved. But to be absolutely sure, I suggest doing one more test.

The next test would be to voltage drop test the battery positive wire that connects to the starter motor with the nut. This is an easy and fast test, go to: TEST 3: Voltage Drop Testing The Batt (+) Cable.

CASE 2: If your multimeter DID NOT register 10 to 12 Volts. This tells you that the either the ignition switch or the neutral safety switch is bad. Without this Start (Crank) signal, the starter motor will not come alive and crank the engine.

Now, it's beyond the scope of this article to test either the ignition switch or the neutral safety switch, but you have at least eliminated the starter motor itself as bad.

TEST 3: Voltage Drop Testing The Batt (+) Cable

One common issue I've seen that can prevent your 1.6L Honda Civic from cranking and starting is hidden corrosion on the battery positive (+) terminal.

As you may already know, this cable supplies the starter motor with the power it needs to crank the engine.

If the cable can't deliver the full power from the battery, the starter motor won't be able to do its job and crank the engine.

This is where the voltage drop test comes in handy. It provides a clear result: either a 'YES, this circuit is OK' or a 'NO, this circuit has a problem.'

Alright, here's what you need to do:

1. 1

   Place your multimeter in Volts DC mode.

2. 2

   Probe the Batt + stud on the starter motor with the red multimeter test lead.
   
   NOTE: This stud is the one that has the big cable attached to it with a nut (see the photo above). Do not probe the cable's round terminal, probe the stud itself.

3. 3

   Connect the black multimeter test lead to the center of the battery positive (+) post.

4. 4

   When you're ready, have your helper crank the engine while you observe the multimeter.
   
   Although the starter motor won't crank the engine, a voltage drop test of this cable (circuit) requires that you turn the key and crank the engine.

5. 5

   You'll get one of two results on your multimeter:
   
   1.) The multimeter will register a 0 voltage which indicates no voltage drop.
   
   2.) The multimeter will register a voltage, usually 5 Volts or more and this test results means that there is a voltage drop in the circuit and this is not good.

OK, now that the testing part is done, let's take a look at what your results mean:

CASE 1: Your multimeter indicated NO voltage drop (which is 0.5 Volts or less). This confirms that the battery positive cable is corrosion free and supplying all of the available battery power to the starter motor.

With this test result you can replace the starter motor with confidence. Now, in case you're reading this article because you've already replaced the starter motor and that did not solve your 'no-crank' condition, I recommend doing the following tests:

1.) Turn the engine manually (using a 1/2 ratchet and the appropriate socket). This will verify that the engine is not mechanically locked up. After all, it could've thrown a rod and this is what is keeping the engine from cranking. Or the A/C compressor could be locked up too (I have seen this a lot!) and this will also make you think it's a bad starter motor.

2.) Bench test the starter motor. You could have received a defective starter motor right out of the box! Bench Testing a starter motor is easy and you can find the step-by-step instructions here: How To Bench Test A Starter Motor (Step By Step) (at: easyautodiagnostics.com).

CASE 2: Your multimeter registered 5 Volts or more. This result confirms that a voltage drop indeed exists in this circuit. In non-technical terms, this means that corrosion is keeping the cable from delivering all of the battery's available power. This corrosion almost always shows up on the terminal ends of the cable.

To solve this issue all you have to do is clean both ends of the battery positive cable. By both ends, I mean the end that connects to the battery positive (+) post and the end that attaches to the starter motor solenoid. In case you're wondering how to clean the end that attaches to the starter motor solenoid, you can use sand paper to sand both sides of the round terminal.

Once you're done and have reconnected both ends of the cable, re-test or simply crank up the car. More than likely it'll now crank and start.

More 1.6L Honda Civic Tutorials

You can a complete list of 1.6L Honda Civic diagnostic tutorial in this index:

• 1.6L Honda Civic Index Of Articles.

Here's a small sample of the tutorials you'll find in the index:

• How To Test Engine Compression (1995-2000 1.6L Honda Civic).
• How To Test The Throttle Position Sensor (1995-2000 Honda 1.6L).
• How To Test For A Blown Head Gasket (1995-2000 1.6L Honda Civic).
• How To Troubleshoot A No Start (1995-2000 1.6L Honda Civic).