ok, this start up issue has happens 2 times int he last 3 days. it seems to only happen on a hot start.

- symptoms-
1- volt meter gauge drops below 12volts and fluctuates violently
2- rough idle
3- the clicking sound from the starter came back, you know like i have to keep pushing the clutch down until the starter catches.

my observation would be the alternator? i checked battery connections real quick and they seemed ok. any particular procedure i should look for?

 

The alternator is not required to start the car. On the clutch pedal towards the very top of it is an interlock switch that requires the clutch to be depressed to start the car. If you want to quickly isolate that switch as the cause or not of your problem just disconnect the plug that houses the Black/Red wire and Black/Green wire and jumper them together and try to reproduce the same conditions that you're having problems with and go from there. Unplugging the switch and jumpering the two wires will bypass the switch thus you don't have to depress the clutch to start the car. Try that and see what gives. Also, check the voltage output of the battery while the car is not running and it should be about 12.5 volts.

 

would it help if i said. i have notice the volt meter fluctuate ever so slightly when @12.5 when the car is running? also when the issues happens ill turn the key and get nothing. no volt reading.. fuel gauge wont go up. but lights work. tho. like there is no battery i guess. no "click" from the ignition when key is set to on position ( i think that what makes that noise) you know the initial sound you here before you start the car

 

The click would be made by the Main relay. You very well might have an ignition switch problem or power not getting to the ignition switch. One thing you could do is find the two wire plug that connects to the ignition switch and take a reading off of the solid Black wire that is in this two wire plug where the other wire is Black/White. The Black wire supplies power to the ignition switch and w/o this power many of the fuses will not supply power to various items. Lights are powered by the battery bus which receives power from the engine fuse box on a constant basis which is different than the fuses that are supplied power initially by the Black wire. The two wire plug is found between the driver side dash speaker and the steering column. Best thing to do would be to ***** the Black wire with a needle and take a voltage reading during the start up process and even while the engine runs to see if you have constant voltage or not. The voltage will drop from 12.5 volts to a lower number as the car is started due to the drain from the starter but then should rebound back to 12.5 after the car has started but there should always be voltage. This should help to determine whether the problem is occuring before or after the ignition switch. With problems like this you have to start somewhere.

 

^^ cool, thanks satch.. ill check on it tomorrow and follow up with what i find.

 

Another thing. If you can recreate the situation where the gauges that should register a reading aren't but the Black wire I asked for you to check has voltage on it then tap into the Black/White wire in the same plug using the pin trick to see if there is voltage or not w/key to on. The B/W wire takes voltage off of the Black wire at the ignition switch and directs it towards the interior fuse box which powers up the IG1 fuses that powers things like the turn signals, gauges, main relay and so on. If the gauges don't register w/key to on then one reason might be the B/W wire isn't properly taking the voltage from the Black wire at the ignition switch.

 

dammit satch too bad you arent in california...id have you come help me out. ive got all kinds of little gremlins with mine...like intermittent buzzers and electronics issues...some that just come and go...im guessing becaus the car sat in the desert for 8 years and was ran once a week at best in all that time...oddly enough i have the damndest intermittant power steering pump and buzzer combo too...