I was cleaning grounds when I noticed this wire harness (?) that is disconnected. It feels like it is connected to something on the top of the transmission.
Anyone know if this is supposed to be like this?

 

Just the vent for the transmission case.

 

Just had another non-start with this car. Starter turning but car doesn't turn over. Battery at 12.55v
The short version of this thread: new starter, battery and alternator in the car (98/223k). had a non-start condition, cleaned some grounds and it started again. This was 2 weeks ago.

I came back to ask: both times it hasn't started has been right after rain storms. Any possible connection?
I don't know what else to do except try to find more grounds in the engine bay and clean.

 

Is there any buzzing during the no start. Has the ignition switch been changed before?

Ensure grounds and connections are good. If there is no buzzing (typically from the relay you may be looking at the switch going out.

 

There could absolutely be a connection between the humid/wet conditions and the no-start.

That said, I went back and read through the thread again to refresh my memory.

I can’t figure why it didn’t jump out at me before but the 2 times you mentioned drop testing the battery while cranking you showed a reading of 10.4v the first time and 10.2 volts the second time. That’s too low - it should stay at or above 11.3v while cranking, so something in the starter circuit has high resistance when it’s wet.

You’ll have to drop test each part of the circuit individually while the problem is present to figure out what.

 

I disagree with the above post. If your battery is fully charged and a good battery, the voltage should not drop below ~10V when cranking the engine. Your description is the starter spins the engine. If the starter spins the engine at a normal rate, then your battery is not the issue.

The moisture can provide direction. You should test for spark and for fuel when you are having the no start issue.

Does your 98 accord have a distributor cap and spark plug wires, or was the 98 coil over plug to each cylinder? I can't remember right now when the switch happened on accords.

For fuel, get in the habit of turning the key to the II position, but do not try to start the car. Listen for the fuel pump to turn on for about 2 seconds when the check engine light does the bulb check. It is a faint buzzing/whirling sound from the back seat, so turn off the radio, blower. etc and listen carefully. If you do not hear that sound when you have the no-start, then you will need to start some electrical testing on the battery.

 

PAHONDA is correct. Check for pump issues. I'm not an electrical and didn't think about the pump.

 

1998 still has a distributor and spark plug wires. I didn't go back & read everything, but are the cap & wires new-ish? They are suspicious now because you say it happens during or after rainy times.

Dampness and especially any dew or moisture will make it very easy for the spark to "leak" out. Microscopic hairline cracks, dry/brittle insulation, & even track marks across the distributor cap (from past arcing) are much more likely to allow that leakage when it's damp.

 

Maybe you read something I didn’t, but my understanding of the OP’s issue is that the cranking has either been very labored or not at all. If that’s the case, the battery and starting system are the point of focus.

We’ll have to respectfully disagree with 10 volts as acceptable during cranking. Maybe we can discuss/debate at another time and in a different thread. I don’t want to distract from helping the OP figure out the problem.

 

Thank you so much for all this help and knowledge. I am so damn grateful. I am also glad to hear that the rain connection is useful information. Guess hurricanes are good for something after all.

Let me respond to people's individual points.
Gumby, to my ear the car is turning over ok. It is cranking and wanting to turn over. But not doing so.
PA, I can hear the fuel pump pressurizing the system. In this accord the pump is accessible through the trunk so its pretty easy to hear. Also I can smell gas after i try to crank it several times.
PA and Jim, this car has a cap and wires. I'm attaching pics here because I know sometimes you all can spot things visually.

It seems like the next step is to test the spark? It is raining today (hurricane) but I'll try to test while it's still damp outside. Should I test spark off the cap or in the holes? Or both?

Also just for my own knowledge: if the engine is not turning over due to spark, could that be just because there is not spark in one cylinder? Or would it rather be that there's no spark to all the cylinders?