After jumping my other car my VX won't start up

[sebass]

After jump starting my other car with my civic threw jumping cable my civic now won't start up. I had + to + and - to - on both batteries. It took good few minutes to start V8 Lex thew my VX and after i shut off vx it would not start up.

So i reversed the jump start and tried to jump start VX but it won't crank. Headlights turn on and all instrumentation panel lights up. I was able to run with VX forward jump in it put it in second gear and she started that way so now i'm thinking either i've blown starter fuse or some other electric fuse. So i changed or rather swapped 7.5A fuse where starter fuse is it. Still she won't crank. I was thinking it's batter fuse by batter terminal but headlights come on.

I'm scared sht1less i've killed starter. Did I? What else can it be? Aren't fuses for it to prevent that from happening? If they can't what are fuses good for then? If it's a starter how can an jump start kill starter. That's crazy!

Please guys help. If anyone's a mechanic please state so so i know. As always i greatly appriciate everyones input.

[sebass]

What in the world is this? I didn't see any rubber stopper there!!!! Just a hole into which this switch goes into and doesn't depress????

Won't Crank Problem - Check Rubber Stopper at Top of Clutch Pedal! (diagram)



Reference: Starter section
http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1998336

[sebass]

I moved some cables around battery terminal and by starter and it started. I also fiddled with that switch showed in pictures but i'm unsure what really fixed it. If it's cable that it will probably happen again as there is no constant electric flow i would assume but this switch i do not understand. I will try to clean out cables by batter with wire brush but it also could be braking cable by starter. I really don't know what fixed it NOW IS THE ISSUE and i'm afraid it will happen again somewhere remote. On flip side i know how to jump her now without electrical system.

[trollbait]

I'm guessing the clutch pedal A switch is a safety interlock. Without it pressed in, the starter won't be engaged. If so, your fiddling probably lined it up to activate without the rubber bumper(which probably just crumbled over time), and the jump starting had no involvement.

That said, you shouldn't have the batteries - to - during a jump start. I've seen it done that way numerous times without problem, but something can get damaged that way. The order way of hooking up the batteries is; + dead battery, + live, - live, and the - line to a ground point on the dead battery car.

[sebass]

I'm thinking it was the cables. Maybe they were corroded or get corroded threw jump starts i did. I cleaned the cr@p out of them with brush, put protectors on bottom and greased ends and made sure it's tight as hell. We shall see later. Hope it won't happen again. At worst case she will run with me and i'll jump here threw running clutch and 2nd gear.

[JanGeo]

Did you by chance push the clutch in while not sitting normally in the car to start it up? You may have just by chance knocked the safety clutch bumper off.

[sebass]

Originally Posted by JanGeo

Did you by chance push the clutch in while not sitting normally in the car to start it up? You may have just by chance knocked the safety clutch bumper off.

Possibly but since i saw this diagram i pressed the switch on and off and tried starting her with pressed and then pressed again, holding it etc. All ways. She wouldn't start. I don't have btw any rubber stopper there. It's only hole threw which that switch does into. I dunno. I also had to put 3 washers on screw of positive as it was moving around even before so maybe it lost connection completely. Now it won't move after 3 washers. Hope my experience will help others and if anyone else has any input please post Happy memorial day weekend. I got scared it's starter. I keep forgetting this is honda not VW.

[add|ct]

Originally Posted by trollbait

I'm guessing the clutch pedal A switch is a safety interlock. Without it pressed in, the starter won't be engaged. If so, your fiddling probably lined it up to activate without the rubber bumper(which probably just crumbled over time), and the jump starting had no involvement.

That said, you shouldn't have the batteries - to - during a jump start. I've seen it done that way numerous times without problem, but something can get damaged that way. The order way of hooking up the batteries is; + dead battery, + live, - live, and the - line to a ground point on the dead battery car.

I also wanted to comment that this is the correct way to jump off a car. Also, there should be no throttle increase from the 'host' during and present ignition to the FORWARD/ON position for the 'dead' system that needs jumping.

Only throttle increase while the dead battery is completely not being given any juice or having any current pulled as much as possible.

That's on a worst case scenario, like one of the cells nearest the post/terminals got really weak and needed a few minutes connected before it would attempt to crank over.

Also, I usually immediately remove the hot cable from 'dead' battery as soon as that car is started. Then remove the ground from that vehicle and lastly remove both at the host vehicle.

[GasSavers_Erik]

If it happens again, turn the blower on high when you turn the ignition to start. If the blower slows or stops when you try to crank the engine, then it is likely a poor connection at the battery.

[Ford Man]

If you had to add three washers to the battery terminal to get it to snug up on the battery post there's a 98% chance this was simply a connection related issue. If it was already lose, when you attached and removed the jumper cables from the good battery it probably moved the terminal in such a way you didn't have as good of connection. Any time after jumping a car, remove the cables as quickly as possible after the engine starts to help avoid damage to the alternator/charging system of the car. As for the rubber bumper, a couple of my cars have them on the brake pedal, there function on my cars is to hit the brake light switch and close the switch when the brake pedal is in the idle position. If the bumper breaks or comes off it doesn't close the switch and the brake lights stay on continually. The bumper broke up and fell off one of my cars about a year ago, instead of replacing it with another piece of rubber that would eventually deteriorate I just stuck a couple 1/16" thick x 3/8" diameter magnets together and attached them to the metal on the brake pedal and it's been working fine. I've also heard of people epoxying 2 pennies together then epoxying them to the brake pedal to hit the switch.