I have a 2003 Civic Hybrid (~60k miles) and for the past week it has been difficult to start, usually with the second turn of the key it will start up. This morning took about 4 tries. Note there are NO problems after auto-stop.

Has anyone replaced a starter in the civic hybrid? Is it the same as replacing a starter in the standard civic?

Its going to take another week for me to order a starter, hopefully it will last that long. Anyone else had starter problems in their hybrid?

Are you sure it is the starter? I have only heard the starter kick in a couple of times of the past two years. Those were times that the battery pack was at one bar. The IMA usually starts the car.

Good point...I've had a run of bad luck with starters lately and maybe got to that point a little too fast. I'm going to go have the 12V tested after work. When I go to start the car, I turn the key and nothing happens. It takes a couple of tries, and today it took 4...I thought I wasn't going to make it to work. The battery pack shows about 75% charge once it gets running, and then there is no problem. This car is an 03, but was built in 11/03 and bought 12/03, so its not even 4 yrs old yet. Does this sound like what you'd expect with a weak 12V?

Aro, it doesn't seem like the 12v system at all. The car starts with the IMA, unless it's *extremely* cold or the IMA is broke. Unless you can actually hear the 12v starter engaging (it sounds markedly different from the normal startup in our HCH's, which is more like a golf cart starting up), it's the IMA motor spinning the engine. And if it *is* trying to use the 12v starter, then you need to fix two things: 1) whatever is forcing it to the 12v, and 2) whatever's keeping the engine from catching.

And *that* sounds like just hard cold-starting, since it's refiring from auto-stop no problem (hot engine). 60,000 is pretty young to have any of the hardware problems that would create hard cold-starting, unless you've neglected basic maintenance, so I wonder about a bad sensor or a computer glitch.

btw, How long are you cranking the engine when you try to start it?

Regardless, I'd run it by your shop or dealer asap, 'cause that just ain't right.

--doug

2007 HCH: lovin' every minute of it

When I left work the car was dead, definately the 12v battery. It jumped flawlessly and I drove to the parts store, picked up a new one, and everything is running smoothly. Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I'm glad that the problem wasn't as wild as my imagination was!

As far as I know, my actual 12v starter has never been used since the motor starts from the IMA battery silently as your car should do. If you conventional starter is turning (making the old starter sound), then you have other problems that a dealer needs to diagnose. At 60k miles, I would have Honda involved and they will probably spring for costs involved to repair this even if out of warranty. Good luck and let us know what happens.