Car noob here. Just pulled the starter out of my car because

U already have it out, either replace the brushes if they are serviceable. Or put a damn starter in there.

>>13836278
thats the plan, a new starter is $150 so tomorrow Im going to find out if I can save some money by cleaning it. I just didnt know merely being dirty can prevent engine turnover.

A leaky rear main seal on the engine can kill starters prematurely.
Check for leaks then check for wiring faults to starter. Clean earth connections.

Are you sure it was the starter, not the battery? Sometimes it will read 12v, but that drops to nothing when a huge draw like a starter motor rapes it.

>>13836464
new battery. 12.6V

>>13836402
thanks will do

Check the wiring make sure it is able to carry enough current to pull in the contact plates in the solenoid.

Make sure your fusible link isn't burnt and your neutral safety switch is operating properly because it will cause the starter not to engage

>>13836402
This. 90% of starters I change are soaked in oil.

>>13836210
To clean your Honda Starter: Get an old toothbrush, a roll of paper towels and a bottle of 90% Isopropyl alcohol.

Take apart the starter. Clean all surfaces with alcohol on paper towels. Ensure all contact surfaces are clean, and that all electrical connections are free of corrosion. Let alcohol evaporate(5-15 minutes)

Reassemble starter. Put into car. Start car. Grow old and die.

>Source: I clean my starters in both cars every 6 months so I never have a failure.

If this doesn't work then I suggest getting a rebuilt or junkyard starter, ordering a $30 starter solenoid and having it not fix the issue is worse than paying $40 for a dirty but working starter.

>>13837081
>Source: I clean my starters in both cars every 6 months so I never have a failure.
holy shit you're retarded.

>>13836210
I'll assume the starter isn't engaging period

The shaft and brushes could be at fault, but before power gets to it there's quite a few things that power first.

See pic, note that the ground is usually the starter connecting to the car itself.

Solenoid contacts used to get pretty beat up from arcing causing connection issues. I can't say if it's still true on newer cars.

Check for voltage going to the solenoid plug when you try and start the car. That should give you a general idea if the wiring is any good.

File: starting_system.gif (12KB, 300x400px) Image search: [Google]

12KB, 300x400px

>>13837171
Forgot pic

>>13837081
the guy at the autoparts store said he was a machinist by trade and he said to only use sandpaper to clean it, no solvents or grease. I use isopropyl on EVERYTHING anyway because I'm an electronics guy.

>>13837171
I actually thought of this but havent tried it yet, im going to need someone else to help me because the starter is under the car.

Back in my car noob days the starter was the first thing that gave me trouble. Had a reconditioned starter fail shortly after getting it. Took it back and they tested it. It spun, but for some reason the throw out gear wasn't connected solid and provided no torque at all.

>>13840338
>guy making $3/hr at GED tier job is a machinist
>sanding brass and metal parts removes petroleum based products

>>13840338
if its broken and you are planning on replacing it anyways it couldn't reraly heat to take it apart and have a look about. but before you disasemble it just hook it back up to the wires and see what happens when you try to start it. if itys just the solonoid thats out ie the gear bit dosent pop out thats an easy and cheep fix if not take it apart and check for ovbious faults such as dirt corrosion and open circets. if you are an electronics guy this should be no problem for you. good luck and happy wrenching

OP here, took the whole thing apart and cleaned everything, reassembled it and slapped it back on. Starts up just fine now, thanks for the responses. Im really glad I decided to do this myself instead of getting it towed to a shop and having them buy a new one and install it.

>>13841591
Yea I actually used mostly rags and isopropyl. There wasnt really that much grease in there, mostly metal powder. I did find 2 larger slivers of metal inside the teeth of 2 different gears, so I'm thinking they might be the main culprits. Honestly I got 75% of the shit out just by banging the individual pieces on a table.

>>13842928
Hope it leaves you stranded. It's a fucking honda starter. You should've replaced it while it was already out, if the car has over 100k just replace it.

>>13842971
Is it going to get dirty again faster this time? An electric motor is a pretty simple device bud.