blacknmild874

ok so i really dont know what to do now.

i have a 12a that when i turn the key it gets power, know this by the lights and fuel pump, but then when i try and crank it it wont turnover. nothing just one click and shes done.

suggestions on where to check and what to check would be nice.

if you need more info let me know.

thanks in advance

-=DanK=-

Ive had that happen to me when I had a weak battery. It had enough juice to run some of the stuff but once I turned the key over, *click*
Maybe check your battery cables both positive and negative, most likely you just have poor connections or a weak battery.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

+1.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

Seems like a bunch of poor 1stgen RX-7s are starting to have problems starting these days...if the battery checks out, you might want to pull the steering column cover and see if the black cap to the igniton switch cylinder has all of its tabs unbroken....a bad contact back there drains power like you wouldn't believe.

blacknmild874

ok well i will have the battery checked out tomorrow and go from there.

thanks guys

any other opinions or things i should check or do would be great.

blacknmild874

the only thing is we checked the voltage on the switch to the starter which gets 12v on ignition on.

blacknmild874

ok so i just took out the battery from our xterra and hooked it up to the 7 because it was a larger battery (750 cold start) and still did the same...

kgray

starter ground

mar3

iTrader: (8)

You need amps to turn a starter. Bad contacts will not allow that. It's not hard to pull that cover and it eliminates one more variable.

Nicholas P.

iTrader: (1)

That sounds like a battery problem. Have you tried jumping it off somone elses car?

-=DanK=-

+1 you could have an optima yellow top battery in there and it still wont do you any good if you have bad connections.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

Have you tried jumping it off somone elses car?

Put the positive cable claw on the positive battery post....put the negative cable claw on the alternator bracket.

If that doesn't do it and it still doesn't turn, they are right. This is assuming you have ruled out the ignition cap on the key cylinder on the steering column and the actual solenoid on the starter.

Never assume new means it will actually work and thus can't possibly be the source of the problem...

bliffle

Many things can cause this symptom, and you will waste a lot of time and money just replacing things until the starter works and the car starts.

To save time and money go to the Radio shack nearest you and buy a cheap "Multimeter" or voltmeter. I prefer the old-fashioned "d'Arsonval" type with a needle that swings because it gives you a nice ballistic readout average, but a digital works OK too. Cost: about $15. I got one for about $5 at Harborfreight but haven't used it yet. Make sure you have some "alligator clips" so you can clip the leads onto things - RS has a bag with about 6 for cheap.

Then you go around measuring both the "loaded" (key on, starter cranking) and "unloaded" (key off: I only mention this because on some rare occasions it reveals the problem, but not usually) voltages across the battery, the cables, ground straps and starter solenoid. You want to see full battery voltage at the big solenoid copper terminal. I've seen as little as 1.5v. deficiency stall a starter, and others have reported as low as 0.5v.

From there on it is a matter of testing voltage to find a corroded ground strap, battery cable, corroded terminals, etc.

It's handy to own a little hydrometer of the type that has 4 plastic ***** in it ($5 at autostore) and a battery brush with ID and OD copper brushes. And pickup an envelope of anti-corrosion goo at the autostore checkout counter.

chava_rx7

ur problem sounds like its your starter motor, i had that same problem with my seven when my starter motor locked up, my lights would turn on but i would just here a click and nothing. u can verify this by trying to push start ur car, caus you dont use the starter. or you can remove the starter and just hook a ground wire the to te ground connector of the starter motor to the battery and a a red wire from the positive side of the battery to the possitive connector on the solenoid and see if it spins, make sure you have the starter secure cause if its not locked it will have a strong kick back.

blacknmild874

ok so we got her started!

we took the starter down to Advance Auto Parts to have it tested. it was shot so we bought a new one and hooked her up and she is running again! w00t.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

I got close!

blacknmild874

haha. yeah.

i just wanted to thank everyone here in the 1st gen forum for the help!

Kentetsu

Don't try to confuse the issue by introducing logic into it, Bliffle!

If we only replaced the parts that actually needed to be replaced, just think of how many more old parts we'd all have on our cars. They'd be falling apart for sure. However, we are all driving cars with many more new parts on them simply because we'd rather replace stuff than investigate causes.

Therefore, the person with the most new parts on their car must be the worst at investigating causes. Right? I know that Trochoid sure does have a nice looking ride....