Have 83 rx7 went to start turned over for about 4 seconds turned key off pump gas peddle pulled chock turned key nothing.At first all dash lights came on but now only three of them come on .Tested battery showing 13,38 volts looked at engine fuse its ok there is not even a click coming from the starter. To have it turn over then not is puzzling to me any help.

 

1. start by checking the battery terminals. make sure they are clean and secure.
2. check your fusible links.


3. i'm moving this because you're not a newbie any more, so you can post directly in the Gen I forum.

 

Also check your grounds at the drivers side strut tower and also at the joint between the engine and transmission - this one is important because it's held in place by a bolt on the starter, forming the circuit for the starter to engage.

Aside from the standard main electrical stuff, know that depending on how many miles you have on that starter, the Bendix is know for going intermittent just before it fails completely. You can test this by grabbing a hammer and whacking the bottom of the starter and then attempting to restart. If that gets the starter spinning again, you need a new Bendix (at a minimum), and might as well replace the whole start which comes with a solenoid (Bendix) attached to it.

What happens in the above scenario is that the starter solenoid (what I call the Bendix) is also responsible for switching main battery current to the starter motor. When you turn the key, the initial current flows to the solenoid which throws the small pinion gear into the ring gear on the flywheel. Only AFTER the pinion is engaged to the flywheel does the solenoid complete the circuit for the main battery power to go to spinning the starter motor to start the engine. This is to avoid the pinion turning before it hits the ring gear and ramming teeth together. When the Bendix (solenoid) is going out, it only engages halfway and then gets stuck before it completes the starter motor connection. Whacking it with a hammer frees it up to return to the neutral position, allowing you to give it another shot and hopefully it will spin up properly as it should.

I managed to limp along for about a month by carrying a dead-blow hammer around in the car and getting under there and whacking the starter every time I needed to start the car - not very effective, but it works in the short term.

 

I have hit the starter with hammer no go. What fusible links and were besides main engine fuse. What I don't understand is why turnover then not and I only have 3 of my idiot lights now coming on and not all of them?

 

i take it you don't have a copy of the FSM? get one from Foxed.ca. as a matter of fact, get a Haynes manual as well.

the fusible links are on the driver's side strut tower.

 

Thank you for your reply I should have looked at the manuel for the fusible links thank you.I did push the connectors on them and that is when only the 3 dash lights started come on going to look at them.

 

Ok jumped the starter it works looked for fuse able links found one on strut tower other one is under dash can't seem to find looked at ignition switch its working.The only thing is I hear a clicking sound under dash or in engine area working by myself so can't seem to find the problem click is not coming from starter.Any more ideas?

 

Forgot this is an 84 dos it have a clutch peddle switch ?

 

no clutch switch until the Gen II cars.

may be nitpicking here, but you said you "looked for" the fusible links, and found "one on the strut tower." there should be 3 there. you're looking for the one that says MAIN (or something like that). it's the one that would keep the car from starting.

my advice would be to change it anyway. maybe even switch to Gen II fuses.

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...-links-666600/

also, here's another thread that may give you a new lead. https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...e-link-540506/

 

The cluster of fuse able links on strut tower had found the one going to starter it tested ok the one I could not find was the one on steering column. found the wire it is to be on could not find fuse.