thomcasey
Well-known member
Have you tested your grounds? I had similar issues, I had to replace all my grounds as 24 years caused them to not be good enough.
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Mystery no start
- Thread starter iceman69510
- Start date
383mazda
Well-known member
Yep - tested all grounds I could get to with volt meter, and had battery checked last night and it was good. Next step is starter I guess?? Although I've never heard of a bad starter killing power to the entire car for a number of minutes...
johnnyRacer
Well-known member
I'm happy you guys bumped this topic back up. Here is my clicking no start issue. Turn the key and all I would get is click from under the dashboard on pass side from ecu area. Look closely at the following pics. My clutch switch is good, however, you can see the switch button is going right through the little hole in the clutch pedal and not being depressed /engaged. The little rubber piece fell out. Lol our cars are getting old, even the simplest things can cause this mysterious no start situation. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bawling.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif
That same thing happened to my wife one day. I explained to her and a friend how to get the car started so she could drive home.
383mazda
Well-known member
Still no luck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
I've got continuity to every ground I can find under the hood, and to starter. I've tried jumping it off my battery charger and nothing happens (car is alive, I turn key and everything dies - nothing comes back on until I disconnect and reconnect battery). And I unplugged that clutch switch already.
I cleaned all the connections I could get to in the fuse box right off the pos terminal; 3 of the 4 fuses I couldn't bust loose though... when my wife turns key to start I get zero voltage drop across the terminals BTW.
Another interesting note though (or clue??)
I tried jumping with my other car - while my other car was running when I hit the key it made a lot of clicking inside the car before everything died (like a low battery would), but everything stayed alive this time? I tried again with the same clicking but then everything went dark again...
I'll try bump starting the starter next, at least that will rule one thing out.
I've got continuity to every ground I can find under the hood, and to starter. I've tried jumping it off my battery charger and nothing happens (car is alive, I turn key and everything dies - nothing comes back on until I disconnect and reconnect battery). And I unplugged that clutch switch already.
I cleaned all the connections I could get to in the fuse box right off the pos terminal; 3 of the 4 fuses I couldn't bust loose though... when my wife turns key to start I get zero voltage drop across the terminals BTW.
Another interesting note though (or clue??)
I tried jumping with my other car - while my other car was running when I hit the key it made a lot of clicking inside the car before everything died (like a low battery would), but everything stayed alive this time? I tried again with the same clicking but then everything went dark again...
I'll try bump starting the starter next, at least that will rule one thing out.
gvr4ever
Well-known member
Quoting iceman69510:
OK, the continued saga. Yesterday it worked in the am, but stranded me again in the pm. Per further discussion with Jedi Master Toybreaker, we decided it had to be the starter. I rounded up three Marines (a few good men) from a local recruiting station to push start me, and made it home. Finally got ahold of a VOM and checked everything electrical. Tested the starter at Autozone 4 times, all good. Tested it back on the car (not fully installed, but wired in) and it worked 3-4 times, then stopped. Tried that method again tonight, worked twice then stopped again.
Put in reman for now, and everything is working. I guess that says the no-load test at AZ is not really a good indicator of health for cold weather and cold oil load.
Anyway, looks to be healed, so thanks to everyone who had input, and to my cousin and uncle for helping me as well as loaning me a car for a day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worthy.gif
How hard is the starter to change out? Can it be done with the intake manifold on? I've unbolted it many times for a clutch job, but never had to take it all the way out.
OK, the continued saga. Yesterday it worked in the am, but stranded me again in the pm. Per further discussion with Jedi Master Toybreaker, we decided it had to be the starter. I rounded up three Marines (a few good men) from a local recruiting station to push start me, and made it home. Finally got ahold of a VOM and checked everything electrical. Tested the starter at Autozone 4 times, all good. Tested it back on the car (not fully installed, but wired in) and it worked 3-4 times, then stopped. Tried that method again tonight, worked twice then stopped again.
Put in reman for now, and everything is working. I guess that says the no-load test at AZ is not really a good indicator of health for cold weather and cold oil load.
Anyway, looks to be healed, so thanks to everyone who had input, and to my cousin and uncle for helping me as well as loaning me a car for a day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worthy.gif
How hard is the starter to change out? Can it be done with the intake manifold on? I've unbolted it many times for a clutch job, but never had to take it all the way out.
Have you done any testing with the starter? Sounds like the starter may be shorting to ground itself.
thomcasey
Well-known member
Yes, you can leave the IM in. Comes out fairly easily, you just have to maneuver it around the heater core lines.
383mazda
Well-known member
Good news everyone... I figured mine out; here was my culprit:
That little body ground that sits under the fuse box. I tried bump starting the starter this morning and it didn't turn over. So I took starter to autozone to be tested and it passed??? So I got back and pulled the starter harness out and went to checking continuity to every wire, and lo and behold I couldn't get anything from the back side of that little bracket (that sits against the body). I took some sand paper to both sides to shine it up, and his the sheet metal a shame well. Threw it all back together and it fired right up!
Glad my fix didn't cost anything /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
That little body ground that sits under the fuse box. I tried bump starting the starter this morning and it didn't turn over. So I took starter to autozone to be tested and it passed??? So I got back and pulled the starter harness out and went to checking continuity to every wire, and lo and behold I couldn't get anything from the back side of that little bracket (that sits against the body). I took some sand paper to both sides to shine it up, and his the sheet metal a shame well. Threw it all back together and it fired right up!
Glad my fix didn't cost anything /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
thomcasey
Well-known member
Yup, grounds will do that every time. They are sketchy little buggers.
