Honda Civic clicks but won't start?

I had something very similar happen a few years ago in my 2004 Honda Accord. When I went to turn the key in the ignition a buzzing noise would sound, but all the lights would come on. I'd turn it off and back on again and it would usually start the 2nd or 3rd try. Got all those parts listed above checked out and they were all good.

My fix was replacing the ignition switch. It sounds complicated, especially if you're not a car guy like me. But I was able to do the replacement myself by watching YouTube videos and copying their instructions. I'm not sure if this is the exact video I used, but here are the general steps for an Accord:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO5fC2L4YV8

I'm sure that there are specific videos for a Civic that will guide you through. I hope this helps!

Thanks for this, but I do have a few questions:

1. How did you figure that it was the ignition switch? I looked up the symptoms of a failing ignition switch and my car doesn't match any of the symptoms though you seem to have figured it out somehow.

2. What were (if any) of the other symptoms your car showed?

3. What was the "buzzing" sound you described? My car only does a short click and then all the lights come on but the engine fails to start up.

Obviously needs a new battery.

So the noise was similar to the one in the video above. Like I said, not a car guy at all, but I wasn't getting any answers from real "car guys" as to what was wrong either. So I took a shot in the dark, and it ended up working out.

Once again, YouTube is the place to go. Try searching "2004 Civic clicking when starting" and see what comes up. 9 times out of 10 you'll find a video with someone who had a similar problem that shows you how to fix it.

If you can hook the battery up to a charger and the car will start and run for a few times after that then the battery itself is fine. The alternator is likely not charging the battery, though, and after a few drive cycles the battery is depleted to where it doesn’t have enough juice to turn the starter. The ‘click’ you are hearing is the sound of the starter solenoid engaging the starter with the flywheel, which the battery has enough power for, but it is failing at the next stage of turning the starter.

Replace your alternator and the ground straps, which could be preventing efficient charging of the battery and causing early alternator failure.

If you've had all the starter main components checked out, I guess, as unlikely as it is, it could be a cabling deterioration. I'm trying to figure out if what the other guy said about the ignition makes sense. I don't know anything about 2004 Civic, but if the ignition is actually on the same circuit as the starter, I guess it's possible.

The root cause of your problem is the starter isn't getting enough juice. If the starter and battery are good, you have to start looking at what is in between the two. A competent Honda mechanic should know the electrical of the car and be able to isolate the problem.

BTW, the corrosion on the battery cables obviously could be an issue. And it's an easy fix. Fix that to rule it out first.

The advice you've been given here so far is good. But since the usual suspects have been checked and "allegedly" cleared, your next step should be to go to a Honda Civic forum and search for similar problems and the solution.

Sometimes, vehicles will have an unusual problem that isn't caused by the usual suspects. Forums can often provide the answer.

You've actually got two problems: you have a bad battery and a bad starter. Replace both!

Buy American & this wouldn't have happened. Japanese cars are garbage.

Wow I hope y'all know how much I appreciate the helpful comments recieved so far!

No Juice, Lucky You, and Joe Jackson- I had the battery, starter, and alternator all tested by multiple different places so far. Is it possible that the tests just missed something important? Is there a way I could test for these issues myself?

Usedtobe...- yeah my plan was to get the corrosion fixed/replace the battery cables first due to it just being the cheapest option. If I knew how to use Imgur I would upload a pic because I have no idea how bad the corrosion really is haha.

In before- i wasn't going to pass up on a $300 car with 130k> on it lol. plus american cars don't exactly have the reputation for reliability that honda/toyata have.

fisky- thanks for the suggestion. I shouldve thought of that before a running forum lol. A similar thread mentioned the battery cables coming a bit loose so I may just check on those come morning.

Thanks again

This is the most egregious troll post I've seen on here. Hondas do not break down.

Could be the engine/motor.

If the battery was not tested under load, then it wasn't tested. Most likely they just checked the voltage. The A/C and starter require a lot of power hence it is logical to presume your battery is kaput.

Honda lost a class action lawsuit in California in connection with faulty transmissions on 2001 Accords that Honda were not prepared to fix under standard warranty. Two million national recalls were instantiated and even then, the replaced transmissions continued to fail. Honda does not honor international warranty of exported vehicles (unlike Toyota) and a significant number of new Accords ended up as scrap.

Alternators can work intermittently. It is possible it worked during the test but is in the process of failing. Easiest way to check for a bad alternator is to check voltage at the battery with the car running. It should be ~14 volts, as opposed to ~12 volts with the engine off.

The fact that the car runs with a charged battery and starts on its own as well (as opposed to needing a jump) is a good reason to believe that the battery and starter are fine. A car with a bad battery but good alternator would start when jumped and run just fine but not restart.

1. Take the battery out of the car and have it checked under a load.

2. I’ve owned many civics and they all have required a new starter at some point in their lives. If your battery is ok in step 1 your starter is where I would go first.

An engine needs three things to run:

- Air

- Fuel

- Spark

Lack of spark due to a dead battery is the most common issue by far. If the battery is good, then just Google “diagnose non-starting car” for a YouTube video or something with next steps. If you can run through everything in on of those guides (bad alternator, clogged air filter, bad spark plugs, bad fuel pump, etc.) you’ll likely have your answer. If not, or if you lack the tools and equipment to complete a diagnosis, then just flatbed the car to a mechanic and be done with it.

in before wrote:

Buy American & this wouldn't have happened. Japanese cars are garbage.

That's right.

American cars just explode.

Neutral safety switch?