Anybody out there handy with cars?

My 93 Honda Accord has decided that it doesn't really want to start when i turn the key the first time, or the second, or the third. usually finally gets going the 4th or 5th time. this morning though, i didn't think it was going to start at all! it took like ten tries!

my idea is that it could be the battery, because i just had the starter replaced about 1 1/2 years ago so i don't think it's that. but i am useless when it comes to cars!

what happens is, i turn the key, and either nothing happens at all, or it tries to start and then dies. sometimes it makes a rattley clicking metallic noise. then once i get it started, it runs normally.

what are signs that my battery is dying? what else could be wrong? any help at all would be appreciated!!   

thanks!

Girl, I've had some old cars so I've experienced all the problems!

If its your battery, it will probably make a slow wah, wah, wah kind of sound and the lights will be dim when you turn the key in the on position.  Since its eventually starting, I don't know if that would be the case.  If it sounds like it WANTS to start, but just not fully turning over, it could be the starter.  If its the starter, it would run normally once it gets started.

Crap, I just re-read that your starter is new.

Hopefully someone will chime in here for you.  Good luck!

I'll ask Alex if he has any idea.  He's okay with cars and has friends who're really good with cars, especially Honda's.

If I had to guess off of past experience, I'd say something with the alternator.  IHOLY CRAP there was a bug on me.

Jules,  I was a mechanic in the Army.  Check to make sure your alternator belt is tight.  When you push on it it shouldn't have any give to it.  If it was your starter it would be making a click-click click-click noise.  Also check the connection on your battery terminals.  Corrosion or a loose connection can interfere with the flow of current.  When was the last time you had a tune-up?  There are all sorts of little things that could be causing your car to only start intermittently.  I would need more info to be able to tell you exactly what's wrong.  Let me know if you get more details or have more questions.

When my car did that last year, it was the ignition switch. 

Sometimes you can take your car to one of those auto places (Auto Zone, Advance) and they will help you figure it out.  most of them will run a free diagnostic check for a check engine light too :)

Two items I've seen in the recent past - with the inclusion of large quantities of electronics to make a vehicle run correctly, a dirty connection at the battery or starter can cause the problem you're seeing - our 1999 Suburban would be running fine and then while sitting at a stop light just die when you stepped on the gas - the terminals on the battery were dirty and since the onboard computer can't talk to the battery it shuts down the car.  This is a safety feature so you don't blow expensive electronics when there isn't a place to store the charge coming from the alternator.  This also would lead to the car not wanting to start and then all of a sudden it would. 

The other item I've seen is that if the problem is usually happening in the morning or after the car has set a long time, then it can be that the starter solenoid is going out.  Had this happen on my 1994 Corvette with exactly the same issues, turn the key it won't start, do this a few times and then all of a sudden it would start. 

sounds to me like you need a new ignition.

And yet it could just be corrosion in the distributor cap.  It's way too hard to analyze a car problem without being able to actually hear the sounds.  Good luck!  I hope it's an easy fix!!