Why Won’t My Honda Pilot Start?

Honda / By

A dead battery, an alternator issue, or a bad starter are the three most frequent causes of a Honda Pilot not starting.

Why won’t my car start even if I have power?

A fading or dead battery, frayed or corroded connecting cables, a defective alternator, or a problem with the starter are the common culprits when a vehicle won’t start. It can be challenging to tell whether a battery or alternator issue is at hand. Here’s how to determine who the culprit is.

Bad Battery Symptoms

Consider a failing battery, a loose or corroded connection, or an electrical draw if your car cranks slowly, starts inconsistently, is harder to start on chilly mornings, or doesn’t make any sound or light up the interior when you try to start it. A low battery with terminal corrosion that is obvious is likely damaged.

If a jumpstart is successful, a battery issue is present. However, you must also determine whether it is just nearing the end of its life or whether there are more serious problems. A malfunctioning alternator may be the cause of a dead or depleted battery. The additional pull from auxiliary lights, fuses, sound systems, alarms, and other devices may also be the cause.

What occurs if your car tries to start but fails?

The car may not start even when it clicks when attempting to start due to a weak battery, filthy battery terminals, a damaged starter motor, or a blocked solenoid. There are a few things to try before using jumper cables or an electric jump starter even though it could just need a jump start.

Try Cycling the Key

Turn on the dome light and keep an eye on it while attempting to start the engine if your car would not start after turning on. If the light goes out, the battery is seriously depleted or close to death. Try the key cycling approach to warm up the starter, battery, and connections. The secret is to continually turn the key to the start position—about 10 times straight. Wait five minutes and then stop. then attempt to start the car. However, if the dome light was still on when you turned the key and your car still wouldn’t start, try the next trick.

Try Tapping on the Battery Terminals

When you’re stranded without tools, there is no way to clean corroded battery contacts. However, you can attempt to shake or at least rattle the terminals slightly to improve contact. If the car won’t start, tap each battery terminal with the heel of a shoe to rotate it a little bit around the battery post. Afterward, try starting the car.

Try Tapping the Starter

Try hammering the starter motor with the tire iron from your car jack if you have access to it. The electrical contacts can occasionally become trapped and be released by tapping on them.

On a Honda Pilot, where is the starter relay located?

Under the hood, inside the fuse block or power distribution center, is where this relay is typically found. It will resemble several other relays that are likely to be located close to the starting relay and will be square or rectangular in shape.

My car won’t start, but the battery is fine. Why?

a poor starter Your starter may be the issue if the battery appears to be in good condition. A starter is a little motor that uses battery power to pull current in order to start an engine. When you turn the key in the ignition, you can hear a clicking sound if the starter fails or malfunctions.

Why do the radio and lights work in my car but not the engine?

Your lights turn on, and the radio is functional, but your car won’t start, and there is no sound. This indicates that there is no electricity going to the starter motor. It therefore indicates a difficulty with the starting ignition system. This can be the ignition switch, starter solenoid, or battery.

How may a sensor prevent an automobile from starting?

An essential tool for tracking the crankshaft position and determining engine RPM is a crankshaft position sensor, or crank sensor. If the crankshaft position sensor is malfunctioning, the automobile won’t start. The crank sensor may malfunction or experience electrical issues. The car can stall or not start as a result of this. Frequently, this occurs sporadically. A scan tool or a multimeter can be used to test a crankshaft sensor. Crankshaft position sensor: read more about it here.

Similar in operation, the cam sensor or camshaft position sensor measures the camshaft’s rotation. Two cam sensors, one for each camshaft, are used in automobiles. Many cars, notably older Nissan and Chrysler models, have issues with the cam and crank sensor.

How can you figure out why a car won’t start?

Why Won’t My Car Start? Diagnosis

  • 1) Does the engine turn over?
  • 2) Examine the RAM for error codes.
  • Crankshaft/camshaft sensors should be examined.
  • Four) Verify the fuel pressure.
  • 5) Inspect the ignition coil’s spark.
  • 6) Verify that the injectors are activating.
  • 7) Verify the timing of the crankshaft and camshaft.
  • 8) Verify the compression and leakdown test.

How can you tell when your starter is failing?

Any grinding, whirring, or clicking sounds can foretell the starter’s demise. Similar to the grinding sound you hear if you unintentionally engage the ignition switch again after starting the engine, worn-out or improper starter components frequently make this noise.

How can I determine whether the starter fuse is blown?

Some starter relay fuse failure indicators are obvious, while others are less obvious. There are a number of tools required to adequately test for defects if you think your starter relay may be malfunctioning, including a voltmeter, wires, wrenches, and sockets.

To better understand whether the fuse is operating properly, you can use the multimeter to measure the voltage that is traveling through it. The sockets and wrenches are required to remove any vehicle parts in order to reach the fuse, and the wire serves as a jumper.

Check Voltage

Connect the red probe of your multimeter to the battery’s red terminal and the other to the circuit for the ignition switch when the multimeter is set to 20V DC. Have a helper turn the key and start the engine while they are seated in the driver’s seat.

Be sure to keep an eye on your multimeter while the engine starts. You have an electrical conductivity issue and require a new starter relay fuse if the voltage lowers by more than 0.2 volts.

Check Electrical Resistance

Put the probes of your multimeter on the ignition circuit terminal and ground lead to test the electrical resistance. The starting relay fuse needs to be replaced if the multimeter value is greater than 5 Ohms.

If you don’t have a multimeter, you can measure electrical resistance using a wire. The wire should have one end on the battery lead and the other on the ignition circuit. The starting relay does not need to be replaced if you hear a loud click. However, a weak click is a good indication that the fuse is bad if there is one.

How can you identify if the problem is with the starter or battery?

Let’s start by diagnosing this problem since it is the least expensive and easiest to replace. Does the car make a clicking noise when you try to start it, but it won’t turn over? That might be encouraging. A dead battery is likely the culprit if a jump starts the car but it won’t start once it is turned off.

Why did my car battery die?

Consider checking to see if you may have left the vehicle’s interior or exterior lights on or if a door may not have closed all the way. We’re confident you already did this as soon as the problem began. Open the hood and inspect the battery terminals if the problem wasn’t caused by the lights. You may only need to give the terminals a brief clean with a toothbrush and some baking soda solution if you notice corrosion (a white powder-like substance) there. Still not an issue? Think about the battery’s age. The average automobile battery lasts 4-5 years. Have your problem diagnosed as soon as possible if your battery is less than four years old and has no other problems. If the problem is with the battery, you might be covered by a warranty and be able to get a replacement. If the diagnosis reveals that your battery is in good condition, the problem may be with the alternator.

The next step is to inspect the alternator if there doesn’t appear to be anything wrong with your battery yet it won’t maintain a charge.

Could a blown fuse prevent my car from starting?

Your automobile may act as though it has a defective starter solenoid due to a variety of issues, such as:

Blown fuseOccasionally the most straightforward explanation is the best one. A no-start issue could be caused by a blown fuse in the starter circuit.

corroded or damaged wiring

A starter may not receive enough power if the battery or starter solenoid are connected via damaged, filthy, or loose cables.

All of your car’s electrical systems will be powered by the alternator when it is in motion. The battery is also recharged by it. The battery might not be able to start the engine if the alternator is malfunctioning.

StarterStartenoids vary in location; some are mounted on the starter, while others are housed inside the starter housing. When the solenoid malfunctions in this situation, it could be essential to replace the starting entirely. Sometimes the issue is with the starter itself.

Electrical problems can be inconvenient and irksome. They may also pose a risk and result in harm. Make sure to have a dependable specialist diagnose the precise issue if your car, truck, or SUV displays signs of a faulty starter relay or solenoid.

Can a dead battery still operate lights?

There are numerous causes of dead car batteries. A faulty battery is frequently to blame. For instance, the average lifespan is 2 to 5 years. Another frequent reason is unattended lighting. A dome light can deplete the battery over night, making the automobile unable to start. Extreme temperatures can also be a factor because they can drain the battery.

Do you suspect that your battery is low on charge or dead? Here are a handful of the most typical signs of a dead battery:

  • No chimes or radio. If you turn on your car and don’t hear the customary chimes, there may be a battery problem. The battery is likely dead if the radio won’t turn on, too.
  • Lights Are Dim or Don’t Turn On
  • The lights won’t turn on or won’t be very bright if your battery is dead or inadequate. Your dome lights not turning on when you open the door is one cautionary sign. Test your headlights if you think your battery is running low; if it needs charging, they will be very dim, flicker, or not turn on at all.
  • Nothing Accessory
  • If your automobile contains digital gauges, an LCD screen, or a GPS screen, the battery drain will prevent these equipment from operating.
  • Starter Makes Weak Turns
  • You will hear the starting spin, but it will putter out or crank very weakly, which is another indication of an undercharged battery. This symptom could indicate a weak battery, a problem with the starter, or an alternator problem.
  • None Crank
  • Your automobile should start to crank as it tries to turn over when you turn the key. If you can’t hear the starter motor cranking, it probably isn’t getting enough power.

If the lights come on, may there still be a dead battery inside? Your battery can still be dead or undercharged even if your lights, radio, or accessories turn on. Compared to the starter, these parts use a lot less electricity. Your battery may therefore have sufficient power to turn on the lights and radio but not the starting.