99 civic starter/ignition trouble. Wont crank or even click

Car was running and starting fine then last night it just quit cranking.
When you turn key to ON all the lights come on and when you turn to START
nothing happens. No click, nothing. Can be push started real easily. Only
other thing is it has died twice in last 6 months for unknown reasons but
would start back up after a few minutes. Both times were while idling at a
stop light. Could this be the ignition switch recall? Defective solenoid? I
have a new Optima battery and all connections are solid.

RM wrote:
>
> Car was running and starting fine then last night it just quit cranking.
> When you turn key to ON all the lights come on and when you turn to START
> nothing happens. No click, nothing. Can be push started real easily. Only
> other thing is it has died twice in last 6 months for unknown reasons but
> would start back up after a few minutes. Both times were while idling at a
> stop light. Could this be the ignition switch recall? Defective solenoid? I
> have a new Optima battery and all connections are solid.


-----------------------

If clicking the switch repeatedly doesn't work, it's probably not the
ignition switch. Get the recall done anyhow if it hasn't been done. It's
free and dangerous to ignore it. Try prying the battery cables off by
hand. Nuts may be tight but if the connector is too high on the post,
it's not tight. Inspect the OTHER ends of the cables, especially the nut
that holds the black one to chassis ground. It could also be the starter
has finally burnt out the copper terminal inside that conducts the high
current. Search this NG for many similar posts too . . . .

'Curly'

RM wrote:
> Car was running and starting fine then last night it just quit cranking.
> When you turn key to ON all the lights come on and when you turn to START
> nothing happens. No click, nothing. Can be push started real easily. Only
> other thing is it has died twice in last 6 months for unknown reasons but
> would start back up after a few minutes. Both times were while idling at a
> stop light. Could this be the ignition switch recall? Defective solenoid? I
> have a new Optima battery and all connections are solid.

I recently had the ignition switch recall done to my 98 Hatch
(277,000km) which corrected the stalling/dieing problem while onthe go.
A month later another problem arose in which the car would not start
after depressing on the clutch and cranking the ignition. Once I
figured out the problem, I decided that it was one of those quirks I'd
have to get used to. Basically, if I went down on the clutch pedal all
the way, the car would not start, but if I ease off a fraction of an
inch, it works (instead of pressing it completely to the floor). Clutch
is still orginal on the car, but it probably will need an overhaul
sometime soon.

Pars
98 Civic Hatch.