Honda Civic Won’t Start (How to Fix)

Honda Civics are one of the most commonly owned and driven cars in the United States. As is the case with any car, there is a wide range of problems that may render a Honda Civic unable to start.

One common reason a Honda Civic may not start is a depleted battery. Signs of this include faint interior lights or a sluggish cranking sound. Addressing this involves inspecting the battery terminals for any signs of corrosion and ensuring a snug connection. If the battery is aged or completely drained, you might need to charge or replace it.

An alternative reason for a Honda Civic failing to start could be a defective starter motor. When the starter is at fault, there’s usually a distinct clicking sound when trying to start, but the engine doesn’t crank. In such instances, replacing the starter motor is often necessary.

Moreover, issues with the ignition switch might prevent your Honda Civic from starting. If turning the key doesn’t produce any reaction, or the instrument panel lights remain off, it’s likely pointing towards an ignition switch problem. In these situations, a switch replacement is typically the recommended fix.

In this article, we will be going over in detail how to identify the cause of your Civic’s inability to start, based on the indications we can gather and what they may tell us. Once we have narrowed down the exact reason for the car not starting, we will provide some potential fixes for each of these unique situations.

Honda Civic Won’t Start but Battery Is Good: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

If your Civic is unable to start, but the battery is good, this, of course, means that the battery is not the problem, and we must look elsewhere.

The most common causes of a Honda Civic that won’t start despite the battery being good are a bad alternator, starter, or faulty corroded cables somewhere along the line.

If the alternator is bad and has failed to sufficiently recharge the battery enough to fully start the engine, receiving a jump from another car’s battery will get it going. To do this, simply hook up the two batteries with jumper cables per positive (+) and negative (-), and with the host car’s engine running, turn your ignition switch over.

Look for an instructional guide for how to jump a car provides step-by-step instructions for those unfamiliar with the process.

If the starter on the car fails, giving it a hard tap with a hammer or screwdriver can sometimes give it enough contact to make a connection and start up your engine.

If you suspect that the wires to the battery may be loose, rusted, or corroded, wiggle the terminals around, and if necessary, disconnect the terminals from the battery and rub the rust or corrosion off of them before reconnecting. Replace them if their wear is excessive.

Honda Civic Won’t Start but Has Power: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

If your Honda Civic will not start up, but all of the power is still present, indicated by the ability to run the heater/AC, radio, and lights, this means that your battery is not dead.

Again, this may come down to a bad starter, a problem with the alternator, a clog or block in the fuel line, or a bad spark plug.

A battery jump from a second battery will allow your car to start if the problem is a failure of the alternator to charge your battery.

It may also be, in some instances, that you simply need to clean or replace the fuel filter. If a fuel filter goes too long without maintenance, it may become jammed up, disallowing sufficient amounts of fuel to pass through and ignite the car’s engine.

Honda Civic Won’t Start but Lights Come On: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

Suppose your Civic refuses to start, but the lights can be toggled on. In that case, this rules out the possibility of a dead battery and narrows down the potential culprits to the starter, alternator, fuel injection system, a bad terminal connection, and the ignition switch.

Tapping the starter with a hammer may allow the car to start up in this situation.

Also, investigate the connecting wires beginning from the battery and make sure they are all connected properly and not loose.

Honda Civic Won’t Start but Turns Over: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

If your Civic is turning over but refusing to start, this is either a problem with the car’s fuel system or its ignition system. Check the fuel filter for any blockage and clear it out if necessary.

Honda Civic Won’t Start Check ABS System: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

If your Honda Civic fails to start and is signaling you via the dash light to check the ABS (anti-locking brake) system, this may indicate a partially failing battery. It is possible that while the battery is not entirely dead, it does not possess enough stored charge to turn over the engine.

This can likely be resolved simply by having a host vehicle or booster pack give the battery a jump while you engage the ignition switch.

If you are interested in purchasing a booster pack that will allow you to boost your Honda Civic if it does not start due to a dead battery, the NOCO Boost Pro Pack is reliable and highly recommended.

Honda Civic Won’t Start and Just Clicks: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

If you tried to start your Civic and instead of turning on, all you got was a clicking sound, this either means that the battery itself is fully or partially dead. It may also mean the alternator is malfunctioning and did not properly recharge the battery the last time the engine was running.

If the problem is the former, then an external boost should be able to start the engine, but in the case of the latter, the alternator may be bad to the point where even if the engine were to start, it would not be able to maintain power in the spark plugs.

In either event, it is worth a try to boost your engine in this scenario.

Honda Civic Won’t Start and Light Is Flashing: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

When your Honda Civic cannot start and the dashboard lights are flashing, this is a sign that your car’s ignition switch may be touchy due to a weak or loose connection to the battery. If this is the problem, your car’s ignition switch will need to be replaced.

If it is not the dash lights, but rather it is the headlights that are flickering, this likely means that your battery is partially dead or that the connection is finicky. Inspect for loose terminals, and boost the car if necessary.

Honda Civic Won’t Start and No Click: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

If your Honda Civic is not starting, and when you attempt to turn the ignition, there is no clicking sound to be heard, the case is more than likely a dead battery. This will be further confirmed if accompanied by the inability to turn on the radio, lights, or any other vehicle’s electronic components.

Jumping the battery should fix this problem, at least temporarily, and get you on the way.

Remember that just because you boost your Civic’s battery and start it, this does not guarantee that you will not have the same trouble starting the engine again the next time you turn it off and back on. For this reason, always leave the car running until you reach your destination or a repair shop to avoid further trouble.

Honda Civic Won’t Start and No Crank: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

If when you turn the key to engage your Civic’s engine, no crank is heard, and the result is total silence, there are a few possible reasons for it, the most likely of which is a dead battery.

Follow the battery checking protocol. Ensure all of the terminal connectors are tight and unimpeded and from there, begin jumping the battery externally from either a booster pack or a helpful samaritan.

Honda Civic Won’t Start While on Incline: Causes/How to Potentially Fix

If your Civic will not start when parked on an incline, but the battery is functioning, and the engine is still able to crank, there is a high probability that the car’s fuel pump system is clogged or defective.

If it is safe to do so, roll your car down the hill in neutral gear onto flat land, and reattempt to start the engine. If the engine can start at this point, this will have confirmed the above speculation, and you should have the fuel pump system replaced as soon as possible.

Conclusion

In this article, we sought to troubleshoot the most common causes of a Honda Civic that cannot start.

Many of the causes and solutions are the same. They reside with a fault in the battery, the ignition switch, the alternator, the connection wires and battery terminals, or the fuel pump system (injectors, filter, etc.).

If there is any sort of power present, the battery is not the problem. Conversely, if no power is detectable, the battery is likely dead and will need to be boosted.

Honda Civic AC Problems

Honda Civic Key Not Working

Honda Civic Display Not Working

Honda Civic Won’t Shift

Honda Civic Gas Tank Won’t Open

Honda Civic Hood Won’t Open/Close/Latch/Lock

Honda Civic Heater Not Working

Honda Civic (Alarm, Radio, etc.) Won’t Turn Off

Honda Civic Doesn’t Accelerate (Rough/Loud/Noisy/etc.)

Honda Civic Brake Leaking

Honda Civic Fuel Injectors/Pump Not Working

Honda Civic Windshield Wiper Fluid Not Spraying