Starter issues...I'm stumped.

[spinningheadboy]

I just finished my auto to 5spd swap and after running the neutral starting switch through the clutch pedal switch, all was perfect. My '91 turbo would start, the cruise control worked with no issues. Then every time I tried to start the car, it took longer for the starter to begin to turn. I limped it home, and took the starter out and had the small 12V plug changed as it almost fell out of the starter, had the battery checked, unbolted every major ground(earth) and cleaned them, checked metered my starter relay.



The car just clicks as I've seen so many others with the same problem.

I even put a battery booster on the battery at 50 amps and then it started right up. So I must have a bad wire to my starter, I completed my additional starter relay close to the starter as described, I have 12V at the small starter lead when the key is turned and still no starter solinoid engagement.



I took the starter out, jumpered it and it works fine out of the car.

I'm really stumped on what to do. I have a 10 gauge wire from the battery to the additional relay, it clicks from the 12V when the clutch pedal is depressed, and the key turned, buy still no starter solinoid engagement.



Any Ideas anyone? Bad solinoid?



Regards,

Chris D.

Idaho

 

[Nick M]

What clicks?

If you are hearing the pluger activate but the engine does not crank over, or cranks over slowly, there is only a couple of things that can be.

1. Voltage drop. You could have a bad connection/wiring to the starter.
2. Bad ground. Not as likely as the starter is mounted to the block. But make sure it is good.
3. Weak battery
4. Weak starter

If you can boost the battery and it cranks over just fine, you likely have a weak battery. The headlights turning on is not an indicator in any way of a good one. They run at about 7-10 AMPs, as opposed to the starter which is close to 200 or so. You could have a charging problem if the battery is ok by they hydrometer, and only discharged.

 

[88YotaTurbo]

i'm going to guess a bad or corroded power wire. assuming you clean and re attached all grounds.

 

[suprahooked]

i'm going to guess a bad or corroded power wire. assuming you clean and re attached all grounds.

I think corroded ground wire.

 

[spinningheadboy]

My ground wires are good. I've even added a new ground strap to the starter bolt-to the manifold support.

I wish I had spare starter. I've jumped the neutral start switch at the plug and it still won't start. I really think there might be something wrong with the starter solinoid. The small 12V starter plug has 12V from a added relay, 10 gauge wire from the battery. If it has 12V from this additional relay, the frickin starter must fire or it must be shot . I know there is voltage at the large positive starter terminal as tried to use a wrench as a welder and did the sparks fly.

cwd



CWD

 

[Jayhall]

toyota starters are designed in a really good way. The contact points in the starter are supposed to burn out every now and then. It will click, if it doesnt work your turn the ignition off and back on, it should start. If it does this, pull the starter and have the points replaced. Ive got a starter here i could sell you too if needed

 

[csr ma71]

i'm going to guess a bad or corroded power wire. assuming you clean and re attached all grounds.

I concur. Do it "Pimp My Ride" season 1, episode with the Caddy. Turn key to ACC, connect wire from starter to the battery's positive terminal and it should start up. Remembering that episode saved me from being stranded at Costco.

 

[90T04]

My ground wires are good. I've even added a new ground strap to the starter bolt-to the manifold support.

That wont help the starter ground, you need to check the ground from the block to the battery!

Edit: Also check that you have 12V at the large battery cable to the starter WHILE trying to crank. You can have a poor connection in which not enough amperage will flow to crank the engine but it will still show 12V at rest.

 

[Adjuster]

Did you run the new ground from the mounting bolt at the starter housing, to the main grounding block at the apron? (Or daisy chain it from the starter to the block, to the main ground, and possibly even back up to the battery ground?)

I have never had the contacts go bad, but that sounds interesting. Have you tried lightly tapping on the starter housing with a hammer? Or just put a rod down to the starter, and lightly tap on the end of the rod while someone is turning the key to start...

If it turns over, your brushes/contacts are most likely worn out. Did not think about this when I talked to you yesterday.

Good luck.

 

[supraguy@aol]

It's the starter contacts.

There's a couple of threads on here that give you the part numbers you need to replace these, or just get a reman from one of the parts stores.

 

[Jayhall]

if youve got a toyota starter in there, and not a remanufactured one, just replace the points, the toyota staters are way better than any reman one

 

[TurboWarrior]

try running a wire from the little spade connector on the starter next time it clicks. If it works when you touch the wire to the + terminal on the battery the wiring from that spade to the ignition has gone bad!

 

[spinningheadboy]

FIXED!

Looks like the small wire that goes to the starter positive was not getting enough amps as I am running the auto neutral start switch through the firewall and through the stock 5spd clutch neutral start switch.

After correctly wiring an additional relay (I had not wired it properly) directly powered from the battery using the starter small postive terminal as a trigger, I now have a starting 5spd swapped supra with cruise control and clutch cruise cancelation. Thanks for all the helpfull advice.

Hopefully, tomorrow I'll have my brand new power steering pump installed and I can drive the pig.

Regards,
Chris D.
Idaho