spencang

I just tested the starter last week at O'Reilly's and it passed. It's a little cold this AM, so I'll try to get under the car later today.

Let me know if you're interested in coming down to Gilroy to take a look...

GPA951s

When the car doesn't start and all you get is the "click" That means the solenoid is energized, and should Take power from that big honkin cable going to the starter and energize the actual motor to spin. Smack it with a wrench and it should wake it up, from the car sitting it leads me to belive that the brushes are stuck and every time the starter is actuated it wears a little more of the brush off. after some time this creates a gap from the brushes to the armature and becomes an intermittent problem. OR the solenoid is not making good contact with the starter motor itself. Either way, have your starter rebuilt for a few bucks or get a recon, you will be much happier.

Tom M'Guinn

Agreed. With all due respect to the O'Reilly's test team, I still think it would be worth trying another starter. Intermittent electrical issues are tough to rule out with one test at an auto parts store. It's possible your cables are loose or there is some other odd-ball wiring/key issue, but I'd start with the most likely issues and work from there.

If you keep trying and coming up empty, I may be able to get down there at some point, but let's try the basics first. Bill is in Gilroy and knows his way around a 951 -- maybe he'll pitch in too....

Humboldtgrin

You just have to become a member and You will get a lot more support. I would even be willing to drive down there with a bin of parts for a member, oh and fuel and beer. Let's keep it real.

spencang

There's another 951 guy down here!!! There's someone with a red one around the corner that just sits under a tarp but I have never seen any others in the area.

I won't be able to make any more progress until next weekend but I will update you with what I find. I'm going to check voltage at the starter and at the solenoid when I turn the ignition key.

Humnoldt- if you check my sig, you'll see that I have been a member since 2007. I just haven't paid this year....

Humboldtgrin

Check your battery to see if the ends are swollen and not flat. You can have what seems to be good voltage and not the amperage needed to turn the engine if the battery is sulfated. Meaning it sat too long dead before it was charged again and the sulfuric acid has sulfated the lead plates causing them to swell. Which bulges the ends of the battery out because that's how the lead plates set in the battery.

Humboldtgrin

Does Sorry work? Sorry my bad.

Luis de Prat

Next time you get under the car, take a hammer and give the starter housing several moderate taps all around. That may just solve the intermittent starting issue. BTDT

spencang

So I took the readings from the voltmeter at the NEW battery and got 12.5v. Then I took the reading at the igniter/solenoid and got the same. Next, I turned the ignition and saw the voltage go to -9.01 and still the normal sounds of pumps, etc. and the single "click".

What does this mean??

spencang

tapped it with the hammer and got the same result

spencang

I took out the starter again and had it tested by a local
Alternator shop and it tested good, again. Next is to attach a remote starter and see if it will start.

spencang

Update: the whirring I was hearing was the starter spinning. I still wasn't sure about it so I bought a new starter and go the same result. So, I have a new starter and a new battery and I have 12.5v at the starter BUT still no start! I took pictures of the gear that it engages with to turn the engine over and there are NO missing teeth or damage to be seen.

I have bypassed the Alarm, which worked the first time I did it, but not now.

I am at a total loss as to what to do at this point. Any suggestions before I take it to a mechanic?

spencang

I just rechecked this thread from the beginning and the only thing that i haven't tried/tested was the ignition switch. I will check that before she goes to the mechanic...

Tom M'Guinn

Have you confirmed that you can turn the motor over by hand? You can confirm by using a 24mm socket on the big front crank bolt, with car in neutral. Assuming the motor spins, try a remote starter switch to see if that gets it moving. Harbor Freight has them for $10, or you can just clip a length of wire to the S terminal on the starter and carefully/briefly connect it to 12 volts. If it then spins, it's most likely the ignition switch or wiring to and from...

spencang

Yes, to both. I have turned it over by hand and I have used a remote starter. the starter spins both on and off the car. I even made sure that the piston was moving to engage the motor.

I'm extremely frustrated right now, so I will wait til tomorrow to take the steering wheel off,etc. to test the ignition switch. If I work on it now, I may brake something...

Unless you know of a way to test it without taking everything off...