locked up accord?

Question

hi,
I'm helping my roommate fix his 91 accord. To get the bumper off I had to pull the battery, and now the car won't start with the battery in, and the "security" system is acting up. I think some security systems from that time would lock down after having the battery disconnected to prevent theft. How do I disengage the security lock down to start the car? If security didn't lock the engine down what could it be?

(I haven't touched any engine parts yet, and the car got into the garage under it's own power. The lights and everything else works with the battery in).

Thanks!

Answer 1

The battery itself is the first check you should make especially if it is 4 or more years old. It may not be holding a charge well, so when you took it out of the car, it discharged. Even though the headlights come on, that doesn't mean the battery is good enough to start the car. Take the battery to the auto store and they will "load test" it to see if it's good and will hold a charge. They will also charge it up for you if it is good. Before installing the new battery or old battery, clean the insides of the battery cable connectors and battery posts with the wire brush type below until the metal is shiny and clean. They sell the wire brush cleaners for the battery terminals at the auto store. Here's a great online video for properly jump starting the car if you want to give that a try first:
http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/howto/articles/43793/article.html