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Bought a $300 non-running Civic off a guy in Fresno and it started with a jump and a new ground strap
Saw a 1998 Civic DX on Marketplace for $300 in Fresno. Ad said it wouldn't start and the guy was moving out of state in a week. I figured worst case I part it out. Showed up with a jump box and a $7 ground strap from O'Reilly just in case. Hooked up the jump box, nothing. Then I looked at the ground from the valve cover to the frame and it was green and frayed. Swapped my new strap in, turned the key, and it fired right up on the first try. The guy just stared at me and said he'd been trying to sell it for three weeks. Drove it home 45 minutes with no issues. My whole point is that a bad ground will make you think a car is dead when it's really just not getting spark right. Next thing I'm checking is the timing belt since I have no record of it being done. What's the dumbest cheap fix that turned a 'dead' car into a runner for you?
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quinnm9010h ago
Bad ground, bad attitude, same thing. We quit on stuff too easy.
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