Yark79

Ok, went out to drive my car to day and it wouldn't start. The starter was turning and the engine would turn with it, but it seemed like the starter just wasn't strong enough to get the engine going. It seemed like each time I would turn the key, the starter was getting slower and slower. After 3 or 4 times of trying to start, it just kind of quit turning. If I wait a few minutes, I can get it to go through the same cycle and it dies again. I tried jumping the car off, but it does the same thing... turn over for a little bit, but after 3 or 4 times, dies. I pulled out the battery and had it checked at AutoZone... battery tested good. I asked my dad about it, and he said starters generally die completely or spin freely. He made it sound like maybe its not the starter after all.
Before I go ahead and take teh starter to be tested at AutoZone, I wanted to know if the problem could be something else. Could it be the battery is "good" in that it showing correct volts, but doesn't have the "cold cranking amps" (i don't really know what that means)? I'd appreciate any input. I really hope its just the starter. Thanks.

Naegleria_Fowleri

Your dad is right. They either die completely or spin freely.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

Well, depending on whether they tested your battery multiple times or just once to see if it continued to hold amperage. Also need to check your connections such as grounds and such. They have to be clean especially between the posts and the cables or there will be too much resistance to give proper amperage/voltage to the starter. It sounds like your battery is just not holding it's charge. do you have another known good battery to put in and try? When you jump start you need to make sure that you attach the negative cable from the jumping vehicle to the jumped vehicle at a alternator bracket or other good ground. The reason for this is that if the battery in the car has a bad cell it will not transmit the voltage properly.

GavinJuice

If they properly Load tested your battery you can rule that out. I had a situation of a bad ground on a vehicle of mine, I had random starts and or weak starts.

To eliminate that situation, you can just use what you have by substituting your jumper cables for your battery cables. Your main ground is grounded to the strut tower and then to the engine block. Remove that and in place use your jumper cable from the battery to a solid point on the engine. You can do the same for your positive cable to the starter. Make sure your using a good 4awg. set of jumpers.

Yark79

So do you guys think I can rule out the starter as the problem. I don't really want to pull it off if I don't have too. Would it be worth while to clean up the connections on the starter and the like? A few weeks ago, my girlfriend was having trouble starting her car too. Her battery was fine, but for some reason, the starter would click, but not turn over. We cleaned the corroded ground post of the battery and I cleaned the ground wire on the starter. The problem has not resurfaced. Could I have a similar situation with my starter?

GavinJuice

anythings possible, you seem to know what to look for. corrosion can make you car start, and then bam your battery's dry and won't restart. it just creates a wall for current to flow, so things like your battery can't recharge. remember your car is mainly running on your alternator while running with your battery being a buffer zone. If you can't pass any current through your battery while running it's going to slowly drain whats left in it. So in your girlfriends situation just enough current was there to "click" the solenoid on the starter, but not nearly enough to crank the engine over. hopefully thats not too confusing.

Yark79

I just think its weird that it'll turn the engine kind of slow, and then each time I try it does less and less until it won't turn at all. One thing I found interesting when trying to jump my car off is that when I hooked up the black cable to the strut tower, it didn't spark. Usually, when I do that, it'll spark. I thought the connections were good though, because when the jumper car was running, my volt meter was reading like 14v as opposed to like 12v when it wasn't running or hooked up. I'm assuming that I don't have some devistating internal problem because I could turn the engine by hand. I'll try to see if I can get anything out of it tommorow after class, but anyone feel free to put up suggestions until then. Thank again for all you guys' help.

GavinJuice

well your draning your battery while you crank it, so it's gonna slow down. It does sound more like your battery tho. I've had my battery so called checked by checkers with some little hand help thingymabob. i think it just checks the voltage, which is no way to do it. An easy way to determing what is and isn't working, but not to check the life of a battery. You have to apply a load half the CCA for so many seconds, i can't remember. But remember if you have bad grounds your never going to be getting the full potential out of you battery.

$150FC

Assuming it's not some other problem entirely, it's your battery and not your starter. Do you have a charger you can put on it for a couple hours?

Nicholas P.

iTrader: (1)

Is it carb or Fuel injected.

If its a carb, there are ways to make it start up better.

84stock

iTrader: (5)

Mine went like that, just turned over sooo slow and drained the battery big time. replaced it, and all was good again.

Yark79

So wait, did you replace the battery or starter? Would it be possible for my battery to be fine in terms of volts, but not enough amps for the starter.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

Battery cannot drop below 10.2 volts when cranking or it will not start. Starter can be drawing too much amperage and killing the battery. But if the battery does not have enough juice after 3 tries then the battery is tired also. So what we are saying is get both properly tested by a competent place and get the damn vehicle back on the road...

Yark79

Could put my girlfriends battery in my car to see if hers will start it? I assume that as long as both cars run on a 12v system, they should be interchangable. Could I use the battery from her Explorer? Would it be ok to roll start my car? Luckily, I'm on the 3rd floor of the garage, so getting up to speed should not be a problem. If all else fails, I could roll start it and take it to my parents house where the tools and jack stands are. I think the stands would make getting the starter off a whole lot easier.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

As long as the battery fits in the tray and the cables will fit on their proper side it doesn't matter what type of 12 volt battery you put in there. I recommend doing that first instead of trying to roll start the car, that could lead to a disaster if it won't start and you have no power brakes to stop the car...

aussiesmg

iTrader: (1)

Be careful about putting the cables back on the correct side or have spare fusible links....seriously it happens a lot.

Get new woven style ground cables and replace the stock ones, they suck to put it mildly.

And if your starter is bad spank it and send it to bed without supper...

aussiesmg

iTrader: (1)

Like this

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-BU...QQcmdZViewItem

bliffle

Usually it's just corrosion on the battery posts. get one of those $4 battery terminal cleaners that has an inside brush and an outside brush that cleans both the ID and the OD of the connectors. After that, it's probably a bad ground cable. If the starter spins at all it's probably OK, since usually it's the bendix solenoid that goes out on starter and the thing won't try at all. A few rare cars (usually made in Italy) have a nose bearing that goes out-of-round and allows the armature to get eccentric with the poles, but I've never seen an RX-7 do that.

Yark79

Ok, a little update for anyone who has been looking at this tread. I put my girlfriend's battery in my car with no progress. The starter would only turn the engine like the distance of one fan blade at a time. I think my plan is to roll start the car on Thursday to take it to my parents' house and swicth out the ground cable for the battery on Friday and if that doesn't work and clean the ground connection to the starter (I guess the hot side too?). If neither of those work, I check back and try to get further suggestions (still assuming starter is ok and battery does not appear to the issue). I'll check back, and thanks for the suggestions thus far.

Yark79

Ok, just looked at service manual. I'm gonna try to barrow some tools from a friend. Before I try to jump start it, I wanna try to clean the ground for the starter. I've looked at the starter, but without being able to lift the car up, I can't find the ground. If someone could tell me where it is, I'll be able to clean it before I try to roll start it. Then, I'll take it home and relplace the battery ground cable.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

Well there a 2 locations where grounding problems can happen. The 1st one is where the negative cable comes from the battery and attaches to the body about 10 inches from the battery. The other one is supposed to be at the engine block where the long bolt goes thru the starter to hold it in place.

However before you get carried away you need to try turning over the motor with a socket at the crank to determine if there is an internal engine problem.

Yark79

That was actually one of the first things I tried when it wouldn't start. I didn't seem to have much trouble getting it to turn by hand. I guess that could be a bad thing too, but if it were something bad in that case, I would expect the engine to turn over a little more and just not start. At this point, the starter is barely kickin the engine at all. So, the ground for the starter is attached to one of the bolts that holds it on, right?

rick-l

Have you replaced the aluminum positive cable yet? That seemed to cure alot of troubles.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

Correct. It's supposed to be attached to the long one that faces outwards towards the front of the motor and goes thru to fasten the starter.