Here's what I have:
1983, battery's a week old, the car has been starting on the first spin every time. When I tried it yesterday, I heard a bizarre noise. It sounded like a grind but it wasn't mechanical, more like electrical. Today when I turn the key it's nothing!
Nothing burned, all other electrical stuff works fine.
I cleaned off the battery cables and terminals. The wires on the solenoid are tight.
I tapped on the starter...nothing.
Could this be the solenoid? How do you test it?

Thanks,

Wiley Winter
Memphis

 

It's easy enough to bench test the starter. Remove the starter and try hooking up the solenoid to a battery and see if it's kicking out.

 

remove the starter and put a 19mm socket with a breaker bar on the front pulley's blot. It shouldn't take much force to rotate the motor (i can grab my belts and spin mine over), so don't over-do it.

 

Also, most auto parts chains have the ability to test your starter for you.

 

When i tried to start the rx7 im buying yesterday (84 gs) it did the same thing. After I left it on the charger for about an hour it started cranking again. Think you could have left something on? The electrics (headlights and such) all still worked but the battery just didnt have enough charge to crank the engine. As far as we could tell it was just a flat battery but we left it charging over night and are going to try and fire it today. I'll let you know if it turns out to be something else

 

Checking the battery voltage should have been step one. You may have a short or miswire that drained the battery over the course of a week (or might have left an interior light on, etc).

Some car stereos are notorious for draining the battery when the car is left without starting for more than a week or two; I own one myself.

 

Folks,
thanks for the replies. The battery did check out fine...I suppose my next step is to check the starter for power from the switch. A mechanic at church sd it may be either a relay between the ignition switch and starter or the ignition switch. The last time I messed with one of those was 1976 and it was a disaster!
Now that the Sisters have taught me to read I think I'll have better luck.
I'll keep you abreast!

Thanks,

Wiley

 

I am having a somewhat similar problem with my starter. Sometimes it kicks out, but sounds like it's not going far enough and you can hear it spinning freely, then it'll get jammed in the flywheel and just grind. Pain in the ***, so I'm just going to wait until I get the trans from the parts car I'm buying and use the one off of it.

 

Well gang here is your latest installment of Days of my Mazda!
I have power to the solonoid.
I am anticipating a solonoid and/or starter rebuild. I've not rebuilt a starter in about 25 years but if my booze-soaked memory servers me, it's only replacing the brushes, right?
I don't remember there being anything in the solonoid except the Bendix spring (at least in a 1973 GMC P/U) so not much to rebuild.

Thanks,

Wiley

 

Did you try turning the motor manually yet?

 

Generally, people tend to just swap starters out, rather than rebuilding them, but I've no idea what availability is like now. Haven't needed one in a long time.

 

Personally, I would give this ENTIRE article a read first as it sounds to ME to be related.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...hreadid=281207

 

As recommended, I replaced the starter. She fired up right away. I felt it was the solonoid or starter the entire time but I did not want to crawl up under that car!!
Now, I don't have to rev my engine at a stop light; I just grind the starter a time or two and my challenger, because I have this new awsome starter, is scared to death!!!

Thanks for all the input.

Wiley

 

Thanks for posting your findings. Glad you got it resolved....