Starting issues

[GVR-4]

I'm stumped. I know starter issues are not uncommon presumably due to the age of these cars, but I haven't found anything helpful. I seem to remember Jeff O. posting something helpful, but I can't find it.

Background:

For quite a while now the car would not start when the key was turned. I would keep trying by repeatedly turning the key and then releasing until it would finally start. More recently I would hear the round relay to the left of the steering column near the fuse box, but the MPI relay was not working. With repeated tries, the MPI relay would start working and then the car would start. As it stands right now I can hear the relay by the fuse box working and eventually the MPI relay will start to work, but the starter doesn't budge. So far I've charged the battery (an Optima red top which reads 12.9 volts with no load), replaced the round relay by the fuse box, replaced the MPI relay and removed the turbo timer from the circuit. I've printed the diagram of the starter circuit, so I have that. I have yet to check the voltage at the starter solenoid with the key turned, but I suspect the problem is somewhere upstream.

Has anyone dealt with this? Please help.

 

[GVR-4]

I just checked the voltage at the black/yellow turn on lead that goes to the starter solenoid and it was 11.87 volts. I'll replace the starter.

 

[gvr4ever]

Can you measure amps?

I thought fresh batteries usually put out about 14 watts before any load is applied. You might be lacking cranking amps. Get your battery tested before you start pulling your starter.

 

[iceman69510]

Does the power to the solenoid actually trigger the solenoid, or do you get nothing? You can jump directly to that solenoid with battery voltage to check it, and you can supply directly to the main starter terminal from the battery (I prefer to use a jumper cable for this to handle the current) to check for starter spin. That will narrow it down to starter or circuit.

 

[GVR-4]

A positive lead from the battery to the solenoid (as Iceman suggested) resulted in intermittent engagement- the starter (or at least the solenoid) is bad. Turns out I have a total of 5 starters here at Dave's junkyard: one M1T70483 (the original Galant starter, which is bad), three M1T70481's and one M1T73383 (I think it's from the Hyundai 2.4 G4CS I bought years ago). Before I knew this, I just slapped in the first one I grabbed- the M1T73383, which didn't engage the flywheel. So I had to repeat the entire removal/replacement process to get one of the M1T70481's in. BUT, the car starts now. Hopefully someone can benefit from this escapade. Thanks for the help.

gvr4ever, in order to measure the current (amps), you have to put an ammeter in the circuit. That would be one seriously big ammeter to handle the 600-1000 cranking amps the Red Top is rated at. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[gvr4ever]

Any place that sells batteries generally has a tester and they can test volts and amps under load. Where you getting under 12 volts just at the starter, or while cranking?

I've seen batteries that measured 11.xx volts that couldn't crank over the starter. We have a really good shop locally that only deals in the cars electrical system and they have some nice equipment. They can simulate a load on the battery and see what is really going on rather quickly.

 

[GVR-4]

I was getting 11.87 volts at the black/yellow turn on lead to the solenoid with the key in the start position.

Yeah, you're right; I could've taken it to a shop/store like you described. I thought you meant did I have an ammeter here at the house that I could check that kind of current flow.

The car's all buttoned up and is starting fine...so far. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif