What would kill a starter

[sportyaccordy]

I replaced a bad starter and the second one died a few hours later. The starter's not complicated... a wire from the positive terminal on the battery, a wire from the starter relay in the car, and two bolts holding it to the block.

How could I have messed it up?

[S204STi]

Could be a crap core.  There is a few hundred feet of copper wire inside, and if it breaks at any one point it won't work at all.

[Champ]

Could have hooked it up backwords.

[MX793]

Junk core could do it.  A weak battery can also cause a starter to burn out.

[GoCougs]

How did it die?

[sportyaccordy]

Loose ground wire.

[TBR]

So it didn't actually die? (I am an electronics newb).

[sparkplug]

Cranking it too long could kill it. Check the positve and grounds wire.

[Byteme]

Did you install a rebuilt starter?  A lot of rebuilt starters and alternators are crap.

[sportyaccordy]

Did you install a rebuilt starter?  A lot of rebuilt starters and alternators are crap.

Yea I did. I dunno, I haven't had bad luck with them, even the last one was prob. good.

A lot of it also has to do with your wires... I anticipated the starter to + battery terminal cable being bad, which it is as my starter cranks a little slow now and dims the lights a bit much. I will replace that tonight.

This is my 3rd Accord, and the 3rd one I have had to replace these cables on.

[S204STi]

Just so you know, the starter grounds itself to the engine block.  You should only have to hook up 2 or 3 wires.

[sportyaccordy]

Just so you know, the starter grounds itself to the engine block.  You should only have to hook up 2 or 3 wires.

Yea there were only two wires to connect. The problem was there was a loose ground connection to the engine block.

[Byteme]

Yea there were only two wires to connect. The problem was there was a loose ground connection to the engine block.

Ground problems are a pain to diagnose.  If I were in your shoes, I'd consider running a ground wire from the block to the car body regardless of whatever else is there.  I assume the negative battery cable grounds on the body somewhere in the engine compartment.  Run the ground wire from the block to that point.  It can't hurt. 

[S204STi]

Good idea.  Imroving OEM grounds never hurts.

[Rupert]

I had a rebuilt starter die on that old Jeep after I had spent a million years installing it and breaking wrenches. The PO had welded some bolts so that it was a pain, and then they got stripped. I sold it after that.

[L. ed foote]

Ground problems are a pain to diagnose.  

Having owned a A2 jetta, I can agree...

[sportyaccordy]

Ground problems are a pain to diagnose.  If I were in your shoes, I'd consider running a ground wire from the block to the car body regardless of whatever else is there.  I assume the negative battery cable grounds on the body somewhere in the engine compartment.  Run the ground wire from the block to that point.  It can't hurt. 

Yes I have a ground right off the negative terminal of the battery. I might need a little one elsewhere though.