My 90 T2 with J-spec motor has a problem... it won't start sometimes. When you turn the key, you hear some clicking, but it doesn't turn over. This is accompanied by a whirring sound that might be the fuel pump. Usually after a few clicks it will finally turn over and start right up. This happens much more rarely in hot weather or when the motor is still hot from having been run. Now that it's cold outside, you have to really fight it. To get it started today I actually had to stick it in 3rd gear and rock it back and forth a little to free up any stiction (yes it's a real word tho I'm misusing it a tad) in the motor. Once I did that, I turned the key and it started right up. So what are the possible causes? I'm thinking either bad contacts in the starter relay not passing enough current for that first kick loose, or a bad starter motor itself. Any ideas?

 

Is it a wirring or clicking?

Clicking is probably a bad starter. Wirring means you flooded the engine & it's not getting compression. You may need a bit of ATF to re-esablish the oil seal after flooding it.

If you can turn the key several times and it finally engagues & cranks i'd say check the starter.

 

How low does the voltmeter dip when trying to start - could be battery - or battery connections..

 

There is a click which sounds like a relay action, and a whir that sounds like a pump or a motor, it's very faint. I know what an engine with no compression turning over sounds like, and that ain't it, it's a much quieter sound than a whole motor turning over and sucking air. I don't have a voltmeter in my gauge cluster, I think that's an NA thing instead of the boost gauge. I don't think it's the battery connections, because I had this problem before I did my battery relocation, and I did a very nice job on the connections when I moved it. Could be the battery I guess. I know it got deep cycled once before I bought the car, and it does die in a hurry if you leave the headlights on by accident. hmmm...