I have a 1995 civic ex, stick shift. It won't crank. It doesn't even turn over. When you turn the key all the dash lights come on but when you turn the key to the crank position all you hear is a faint clicking near the fuse box under the hood. It is not the battery, starter, alternator, cluctch switch, or ignition switch. If you jump the starter the car will crank. If you push it off the car will crank. It is not the starter fuse or the relay. Can somebody please help figure out what it is or tell me what else i can check?? Thank you in advance for any help/advice! it is greatly appreciated.

 

You should start at the key and test for power on the black and white wire, which goes from the ignition switch to the clutch pedal switch and relay (near the clutch pedal) and then to the starter. I think the factory alarm (if equipped) has another relay that interrupts the starter.

 

Thank you but I have done that to. There is power from switch to relay and behind the relay and at the starter.

 

I'm saying step back and test everything again, don't assume that anything is good until after you have tested it in this round, because obviously something is not good. Imagine that you've never seen the car before and someone wants you to find out why it won't start.

So you have power at the little wire to the starter upon turning the key, but it won't crank, yet it does crank if you jump the little wire terminal on the starter to the battery instead? That makes no sense.

If you were jumping the starter by bridging the two big terminals on the solenoid, that does not prove the starter is good, since you're bypassing the contact points in the solenoid part.

 

I checked everything again. And even had somebody else check it. Has power at the little black wire upon turning the key but wont crank. Doesn't even turn over. But if I jump it....viola it cranks. If I run a wire from the ignition to to the little black wire on the starter it will crank that way. It makes no sense to me. I just don't know what else to do. Thank u for helping!

 

With the wire connected to the starter though, you don't get any voltage, right? (If you do, the terminal itself is suspect). So there is a high resistance in the path somewhere. Hook everything up and start probing to find where the voltage is being lost.