2002 Honda Accord Owner's Manual - Page 323

If Your Engine Won't Start Nothing Happens or the Starter Motor Operates Very Slowly 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. If you have a manual transmission, the clutch pedal must be pushed all the way to the floor or the starter will not operate. With an automatic transmission, it must be in Park or Neutral. Turn the ignition switch to ON (II). Turn on the headlights and check their brightness. If the headlights are very dim or don't light at all, the battery is discharged. See Jump Starting on page 320 . 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 Emergency Towing on page 336 .) 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 276 ). You can then try jump starting the car from a booster battery (see page 320 ). The Starter Operates Normally 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 Starting the Engine on page 209 . Your car has the Immobilizer System. You should use a properly-coded master or valet key to start the engine (see page 71 ). A key that is not properly coded will cause the immobilizer system indicator in the dash panel to blink rapidly. Taking Care of the Unexpected 319