So we've been fighting with this rebuild we've done and we've kinda slapped into a mini-stumper.

We don't have any power to the starter. I've hooked a circuit tester up to the black wire that plugs into the topmost post on the starter while Infini cranks it and there's nothing. That, and the starter doesn't spin (duh.)

The starter was 100% before the rebuild.

Any suggestions on **obvious** places to look for wires that are either not connected or might be improperly connected?

Stuff:
1987 NA (base model)

The ground wire that goes to the backside of the starter (goes to the long starter bolt) IS connected.

All wires to the starter are properly connected.

All fuses are in place and good.


C'mon and make us look dumb! (And help us get this rotary back on the road a little sooner!)

 

i had the sam eprob in my FC it turned out to be the neutral safety switch. i spent days ******* with it. make sure that the large power wire has power too just to be sure

 

Sure your battery is plugged in? Was there ever any issues before? Check your clutch switch, and also is there power at the 12mm bolt on the solenoid?

 

You're saying that the switch was dead? Could we bypass it as a quick check?

You're off our Xmas card list, bub! Doesn't everyone disconnect the battery b4 starting the car to get optimum results?

No previous issues.

Btw, the clutch has nil fluid in it. The pedal goes right to the floor and stays there. I figured that as long as the clutch is travelling to the floor it is also tripping its switch.

Which solenoid?

 

on the starter, or whatever that damn thing's called that sits on top of it It has a terminal with one black connector on it, and bolted to it should be 12v+ from your battery, a rather big fat cable, do you have power at that cable?

 

I pulled that solenoid off and cleaned it during the rebuild. (FYI)

I'll have to look at the damn thing. It was my rotary mechanic who told me to check the power at that black connector (this was over the phone.) There was no power there. Or, more accurately, I attached the tester's clip to the post and jammed the other end's tip into that black connector and then Infini turned the key. The tester did not light.

I haven't checked power at that cable. I can check it tomorrow night.

 

Okay, just checked power to the black connector properly (tester was 'sposed to be grounded.) Nothing.

As a side note, we DO have power to the green connector up beside the WWF neck that you plug into to check error codes (we're using a prong in that connector to power the e-fan.) Don't know if that's directly relevent, but I'll throw it out there anyway.

 

Try checking the smaller wire coming off the positive battery terminal make sure there is no corosion. That wire goes strait to the starter.

 

let me step in...

first off, if you have a power probe, you probably don't, if you do, send power to the wire and see if the starter engages.
if you don't, grab a wire and hot wire the red (+) to the wire to activate the starter. if nothing happens, you got yourself a bad starter.

 

Having the same problem. After the big haltech install, I turn the key and hear the fuel pump, but no starter. The solenoid does'nt even make a noise. WTF. Come saturday though I'm going to hook a black ground wire (very thick) to the battery from a bell housing. Has to be a ground somewhere. We will see. Will keep you posted

 

First off, do you have a Multimeter (if not go to Sears pay the $30 and get one...it's your best damn friend with anything electrical). Using that and a wiring diagram you can seriously fix/diagnose anything! Did you check all wires for continuity (read:make sure no wires are broken)? About the grounds...are they good grounds (make sure they're not connected to plastic or something...never overlook the little things)? Is the battery any good. You said you're not getting power to the starter at all (what about the solenoid). Do you have anything that you could use as a jumper wire (just 2 pieces of wire soldered together...hopefully with a fuse, if not make sure you have a good gauge wire...not 14!!!)? If you do then you could "hotwire" the car to start it (which also would tell you if the starter was any good or not). I need more details in order to help you guys out...there aren't a whole lot of things that could cause this problem, but I still need more info. PM me if you want a faster response.

 

Do take a look at the clutch switch - they DO go bad, and will result in a no-start. Easiest just to bypass it - I usually bypass it anyhow because I hate the damn thing .

There are 2 clutch switches - the one that is easy to see, and the one that's buried up in there. The buried one is the one in question. Follow it, and there's a 2-wire connector going to it. Unplug it, make a jumper wire, and jumper across the wiring harness side. That will bypass the switch.

BTW, it's also handy for driving your car with the starter .

Next in line is the starter disable for the security system (if the car has the security system) - it's a relay near the trailing coil.

Dale

 

why you drive your car with starter?

Are you 4 wheeling and going through creeks and flooding out the engine and using the starter to pull you out?

Sorry I did that...

 

Oops, I never replied. Sorry.

We beat this prob not long after my last post. It turned out that the person who was in the car while I had the tester connected never actually turned the key to the *start* position...



It turned out that we did have power, and also that the engine was carbon locked (and we beat that, too - god bless ATF!)

Please carry on with helping assassin.

 

There is a neutral safety switch on the side of the tranny (check the FSM) that will disable the starter if it fails. Check that, too.

 

When my 10th Anniversary's last motor died and I already had the top half of the motor off, I had to get it into the garage to swap out suspension. No body was home, so I threw in a battery, put it in gear, and drove it with the starter. Cars drive really damn slow with the starter, BTW.

The only reason that clutch switch is there is if you're too dumb to either push in the clutch when starting the car or leave the car in neutral. Mazda didn't want you to have the car jump forward and run over Grandma, so they added that in '87. I prefer disabling it - when you're working on the car and need to start it to test something, you can just reach in and twist the key, instead of having to fully get into the car in grease-covered clothes.

Dale