93 Accord LX weak crank

[thereelnapster]

My 93 accord recently started having issues where it labors to start and of course the first assumption was that the battery was bad, but unfortunately its not that simple. So I went about trying to fix it in this order:

 

1: I took the battery to autozone to have it tested since I bought it from them earlier this year. It read 12 volts at 50% charge.

 

2: I put the battery in the car and checked for parasitic drain or short and it only has a 4m draw and the voltage reads 12v with the engine off and 14v with it running.

 

3: I charged the battery and took it to advanced auto and they said it was good and then they tested the whole car and said that everything was normal.

 

So as of now the car will crank very slowly and attempt to fire then stop, and it repeats this a few times and then it starts. The battery connections are clean and the battery is charged and there are no noticeable shorts with the engine on or off. A less noticeable symptom is that the engine rpm dips when activating accessories like the heater or defroster or wipers. This car was fine when I got it and this has been a problem that has gotten gradually worse, and I wouldn't have posted anything but since the situation is unique to me and not listed on any forums that I can find I thought I would put it out there before I give in and go to the mechanic.

[James Matteu]

Checking the Starter Motor is next after checking the starting system connections and terminals, all of them.

 

I've read of a load test for starters but have never seen one.

 

I would check the commutator and brush assembly.

Edited March 5, 2013 by James Matteu

[thereelnapster]

It ended up being a bad starter, thanks for the info.