I drove home from work and parked, didn't notice anything funny. When i went back out later to leave, the car wouldn't start. I just bought this car used (1999 Accord V6) and had had a diagnostic on the car done. They had told me the battery failed the load test but that the ignition system was fine. So i figured that was what it was and i went and got a new battery, which i installed. The car is doing the exact same thing. Lights come on, but no noise, no cranking (i can here a little buzz). If i have the lights on when i try to start it, the lights do not dim. The clamp on the negative side is loose, but touching. There was some corrosion in the negative clamp, so i cleaned that off with baking soda, lime and water, but I still can't unscrew the bolt to tighten it. Could it just be that the clamp isn't tight? I checked the fuses and they look fine, thought the battery fuse is missing the clear plastic cap/top that the rest of the fuses had. But the copper itself was intact.

Can anyone offer any suggestions? Should replace the entire negative/grounding cable and clamp since i can't get the screw off?

 

Hm. I'm interested now in case this ever happens to me. There could be a lot of things wrong with it...since it doesn't crank that rules a lot of things out. I would first test all the fuses and relays in the underhood ignition box. Was this car taken in for the ignition switch recall? Call the dealer, they'll be able to tell you how to check.

I guess first you should check to see if the starter is getting power. If not, work your way backwards from it:





And if you're incapable or don't have the tools, just take it to the dealer. They'll charge you $60 to find out what's wrong. I have a feeling it's probably something very simple. If your interior accessories get power but just your starter doesn't, the battery cables must be fine. Check the diagrams and let us know what you find out.