Not Starting! Options

[n47pt]

Sigh.

I got back in the car after lunch yesterday, turned the ignition key, and heard a single click. My first thought was the battery but a jump left me with a single click. Must be the starter then... Nope. Three starters later I'm still getting a single click.

Battery voltage is 12.53 and drops to 11.5 when I try to start the car.

If I'm hearing the solenoid from the starter and can feel the click, is the issue down to the 4 gauge wire?

I've read: http://www.6gc.net/forums/index.php?showto...&hl=starter but I'm still scratching my head.

[trdproven]

did you check if you get spark? that would be the next step assuming all your starter installs are good. and gas also.

[mindkiller]

If its an automatic it might be the safety switch.

[n47pt]

I'm not even turning the engine over at this point; so no spark!

It is an automatic, please tell me more about this safety switch as I know nothing about it.

This post has been edited by n47pt: Aug 26, 2012 - 5:45 PM

[mindkiller]

I'm not even turning the engine over at this point; so no spark!

It is an automatic, please tell me more about this safety switch as I know nothing about it.

put the shifter in N and try to start it

[n47pt]

I'm not even turning the engine over at this point; so no spark!

It is an automatic, please tell me more about this safety switch as I know nothing about it.

put the shifter in N and try to start it

Thanks! Runs to try it and same one click; sigh.

[mindkiller]

hmmmm like u said the one click make u think its the starter it happened to me last week i had to beat the starter for it to start

[n47pt]

I just tested the 4 gauge cable and it's delivering battery power. I could not check the solenoid but I believe that part is "good" because I can hear the click. What's going on? Could the battery be giving me a false positive? I tried to jump in while waiting in the parking lot and got nothing; I also tried to use my battery charger and didn't get anything.

I am SO confused and need to get my car going as my motorcycle is also down at the moment (got a new transmission that was damaged during shipping).

I don't understand what could be keeping the starter from going since it's getting the 12v; my guess is something wrong on the solenoid side but I have no clue what to look for at this point.

[mkernz22]

did you try hitting the starter at all with a mallet?

[zfjohnson07]

i know this sounds dumb but put it in neutral, try pushing it about 2 to 3 feet and start it. i had a 94 gt automatic and sometimes it wouldnt start i would have to push it (guess for the neutral safety switch to kick in) and it would start.

[199celica]

Not to make a bad experience worse but try to put a socket on the crank pulley in neutral I worked on a jetta last week doing the same thing ended up being that the engine was seized.

[n47pt]

did you try hitting the starter at all with a mallet?

I hit the original starter; it didn't help. The two new ones shouldn't have needed to be hit.

i know this sounds dumb but put it in neutral, try pushing it about 2 to 3 feet and start it. i had a 94 gt automatic and sometimes it wouldnt start i would have to push it (guess for the neutral safety switch to kick in) and it would start.

It only got moved to get on the tow truck. I'll try to move it even though I don't understand what changes. How often did it do that and how did you resolve the problem? New switch?

Not to make a bad experience worse but try to put a socket on the crank pulley in neutral I worked on a jetta last week doing the same thing ended up being that the engine was seized.

While I'd love to know the cause of the problem, I sure hope you're wrong. My friend suggested the same since I did an oil change less then 300 miles ago; the oil level right where it was and the engine didn't have any issues (although I had to change the timing belt due to a bad tensioner 300 miles ago). If it was anything timing belt related, it would at least crank. I could understand a failure to start if it cranked but the one click is leaving me confused.

I appreciate all the help and know someone will suggest the right course of action; at this point, I'm wiling to try options I don't want to hear... including a seized engine.

***If I hear the solenoid click, does it mean that this part of the starter is working correctly and that the rest is not engaging for other reason although it's getting the right voltage? What are the odds my battery is bad although the voltage is only dropping to 11.5 when I'm engaging the ignition and still not starting when hooked up on a charger? I believe the battery is good but don't want to continue to rely on that if it's possible it's a bad battery***

[Bitter]

I've had new rebuilt starters be sticky the first few starts, give it a few gentle taps while someone holds it in crank. Be sure to check the terminals and cables for corrosion and good clean metal to metal contact.

[n47pt]

I bypassed everything this morning to see if the starter would work. With the starter in place and everything connected but the solenoid wire, I used a wire to go from the solenoid to the 12v wire. It was really awkward to get to, and I couldn't really what I was doing, but I heard it try to engage a few times but no turning. My guess is that it's a bad connection on my part. It's an improvement over the one click I'm currently getting.

I then the wire and tried swapping the relays; no change: on click.

did you try hitting the starter at all with a mallet?

I've had new rebuilt starters be sticky the first few starts, give it a few gentle taps while someone holds it in crank. Be sure to check the terminals and cables for corrosion and good clean metal to metal contact.

While the starter in the car seems to be functioning, it got a couple of taps nonetheless; I don't want to leave any stone unturned. No change.

i know this sounds dumb but put it in neutral, try pushing it about 2 to 3 feet and start it. i had a 94 gt automatic and sometimes it wouldnt start i would have to push it (guess for the neutral safety switch to kick in) and it would start.

Done and no change.

Not to make a bad experience worse but try to put a socket on the crank pulley in neutral I worked on a jetta last week doing the same thing ended up being that the engine was seized.

Done; I didn't think it would have been possible for me not to know that the engine seized but as I've said, leave no stone unturned.

[Special_Edy]

Loose battery clamp. Make sure the clamp is tight, there is no corrosion and most importantly that the battery cables are connected to the clamp well.
Other than that your flexplate could be missing a tooth

[n47pt]

I'm sad to say that I'm out of ideas and I'm going to have to give up; it's time to call call the pros as unless I direct wire it, I can't fix it at this point.

The only thing I can think of is that a wire went bad but is still testing well. I've tested everything and everything should be working... SO frustrating!

[zfjohnson07]

well talk to special_eddy he is smart at this. but you need spark fuel and air to get it to start.

my celica would do it randomly, i would shove it into park and into neutral and back to try to get it to work, what you need to do is make a video, i understand you already explained it, but we can get a better glimpse at what your seeing and hearing. and put it on youtube and post in here. Special_eddy helped me fix my car twice, one time it was the timing belt and another time, he leaned on my fuse box and he heard a click, which made him realize that the main wireharness wasnt connected. just check all that.

[trdproven]

check the resistance of all the starter wires. did you ever have trouble with your ignition?

[n47pt]

Fixed!

The positive end of my battery is connected via a flat piece of copper bolts in a lead ring that goes about the battery post. It's been the same for the past 10 years that I've owed the car. I just clean it up every now and then but I've never taken it apart.

Come to find out, there was a little piece of metal between the two that was corroded and made my life a nightmare; it let enough juice for everything to work but the starter. A second set of eyes ($50) was all it took to fix it; now the car also has a new starter.

Thanks for ALL the help.

[trdproven]

good job! if u had a capacitor it may give you some idea that it was that too. cus it reads the battery when off and then alternator when its on.

This post has been edited by trdproven: Aug 28, 2012 - 10:18 PM