If the engine won’t start – HONDA 2005 Odyssey - Owner's Manual User Manual

Page 367

Diagnosing why the engine won’t
start falls into two areas, depending
on what you hear when you turn the
key to START (III):

You hear nothing, or almost
nothing. The engine’s starter
motor does not operate at all, or
operates very slowly.

You can hear the starter motor
operating normally, or the starter
motor sounds like it is spinning
faster than normal, but the engine
does not start up and run.

When you turn the ignition switch to
START (III), you do not hear the
normal noise of the engine trying to
start. You may hear a clicking sound
or series of clicks, or nothing at all.
Check these things:

Check the transmission interlock.
The transmission must be in Park
or Neutral or the starter will not
operate.

Turn the ignition switch to ON (II).
Turn on the headlights, and check
their brightness. If the headlights
are very dim or do not come on at
all, the battery is discharged. See

on page

Turn the ignition switch to START
(III). If the headlights do not dim,
check the condition of the fuses. If
the fuses are OK, there is
probably something wrong with
the electrical circuit for the
ignition switch or starter motor.
You will need a qualified
technician to determine the
problem (see
on page

If the headlights dim noticeably or
go out when you try to start the
engine, either the battery is
discharged or the connections are
corroded. Check the condition of the
battery and terminal connections
(see page

). You can then try

jump starting the vehicle from a
booster battery (see page

In this case, the starter motor’s
speed sounds normal, or even faster
than normal, when you turn the
ignition switch to START (III), but
the engine does not run.

Are you using the proper starting
procedure? Refer to

on page

Nothing Happens or the Starter
Motor Operates Very Slowly

Jump Starting

Emergency Towing

The Starter Operates Normally

Starting the