Hey gang I'm on my 3rd battery and think I can confirm our intermittent starting issue isn't that. It also isn't fuel. We can turn the key and sometimes nothing and then turn the key again, and again and suddenly she cranks and starts right up. I'm thinking ignition switch? Starter? electrical wiring connecting them all? Also recently lost the wipers - is there a tie in with the wipers and ignition? THANKS for any sharing of ideas!

 

Check the connectors down at the starter first. There's a small spade connector used to trigger the starter from the ignition switch and they get loose or come off and barely make contact. After that then start looking at the ignition switch itself. Sometimes you can pull it out and carefully refurb it. The casing gets loose on it and causes the contacts to miss.

 

I had that, sometimes the starter would work, sometimes it wouldn't. The brushes were worn, so sometimes they wouldn't make contact. installed several starters that worked for a couple of years from Advance Auto, O'reily's, Autozone.....some would grind the fly wheel sometimes.

Got one from NAPA what has been working since 2006.

If I had to do it all over again, I would have replaced the brushes on the original starter.

A tow truck operator will hit the bad starter to get the brushes to make contact.

Good luck !!

 

thanks t g

 

thanks midnight

 

How old are the Battery Cables?? If unknown or originals, they are waaaaay past their due-date, no matter how good they may look on the outside. For most 1st Gen RXs the OE ones are NLA, but any good auto electric shop can make a new set.
These in poor condition can create all sorts of untraceable issues...
Stu A
80GS

 

thanks Stu - gonna go over all of it