pretty interesting starting problem...
 

Ok... before the problem is discussed, I have a new 3rd gen rewired alternator, new battery, new starter, FD fuel pump just installed, starter relay mod (diverts more power to the starter for faster cranking), and I think that is it.

The car is cranking but not starting ...but in a way I have never experienced before. It is cranking maybe 5 times as fast, and on every downbeat of the crank the car clicks and lights everywhere flicker. So to me, the car is seriously spazzing so I don't try to start it too much cause it's frightening.

What do yall think? ...that's it the best I can explain it without actually being there.

sounds like a couple things happening at once.

Number one, a borderline starter (or miswired starter relay mod (what ever that is)). what is this funky starter relay mod diverting power from??? Everything that is on (during cranking) needs to be on.

And probably flooded. Is there a controller for the extra fuel you are dumping as you are using a FD pump?

kinda off topic but seeings as u mentioned flooded, after its flooded, when i put the gas to the floor on the second attempt, it cranks, and is this because it kills the power to the pump?

i believe if its an S5 then yes thats what happens but i dont think thats what happens on the S4's

yeah its an s5 and that explains why my buddy is right...once again, damnit....i wish i was all knowing like the rest of u guys :(

The starter relay mod is nothing more than a relay that pulls more power from the battery to the starter. It was installed by a very reputable rotary shop who when I spoke to them, said that they have never heard of this part failing, especially so soon. I apologize, divert was the wrong word to use because obviously it is not meant to divert power from anything.

There is no seperate controller for fuel, and the FD pump just replaced a walbro that was heating up my wires too much. As for flooding, I have flooded my car a few times, but in that scenario the engine would crank like normal and not nearly as unusual as this. So I would pull the fuse and start it up. However, I have been told by others it may be flooding. But I can't stand cranking it because of how violent it seems.

I still dont get what you mean by a starter relay.

How is it wired, how can it possibly be getting any more power than normally through the system??? The car is a 12 volt system.

You can not get more power from the battery than 12 volts unless you have some sort of dual battery. Either they ripped you off or there is something you are not telling us.

And if it is radically flooded (have you even removed the plugs to see) then it would sound very bad and fast when cranking.

I suppose I am not the best person to describe this device because I did not install it or create it. I was told that because the systems are old, not all of the 12 volts gets to the starter. So this scenario is very similar to our fuel pumps not seeing all 12 volts. Just like with a fuel pump relay, this starter received a relay to make sure that the starter sees all 12 volts.
-I will contact the shop later on to get more information. However, it did fix my problem of not cranking sometimes when I turned the key. Now it starts all the time when I turn the key ...well when it actually was able to start.

I haven't checked anything myself yet. I am trying to grab a consensus then move from there. My lack of time and available tools at the moment is limiting my diagnosing time. I already know to check for spark and fuel and flooding ...which would generate a long list of potential points to check in the event that no one can pinpoint the solution to this problem from the get-go.

Thanks again for ongoing attention.

See the starter main power is fed by that large cable from the battery. So the only way to get more power to the starter is too run a new larger gauge wire.

Perhaps they mean the starter solenoid. Of course that would be pretty much a waste, as the solenoid is really only the switch between the starter and that large gauge wire.

perhaps they bypassed the clutch and alarm relays... that would explain that.

Of course you wouldn't need any relays for that.

The only other thing I could think of is that the ignition switch was failing and instead of fixing it, they hooked up a relay to have the ignition switch's starter wire feed to the relay to take the load off the switch. But this of course would not increase the battery power in any way.

A little off topic, but could that be cause by a bad clutch sensor/relay? My rx7 and mx3 do it and the idiot at the lube place told me it was a bad battery connection, shich i know its not.

Maybe that is what he did. All I know is it was $30 and it fixed my problem for now ...which was important at the time.

I will talk to him more about it. Thanks for the insight, I will be sure to use it.

However ...I don't think that correlates to my starting problem ...unless you were planning on linking it?

well my concern was that you had a multi battery system, and were doing a true starter hop up.

I still think that your problem is simply badly flooded.

My car was doing this, and eventually just completely let out, turned out to be my ignition switch, mazdatrix has brand new ones for $110. Maybe its the same thing, maybe not.

I want to think that too, and I will definitely try it, but it's just so much more different than any other flooding I have had ...and I don't think it explains the reason why the lights and accessories flicker rapidly as well.

Well yes it would... because if the RPMs are just getting high enough to turn the alt fast enough to start making power and then dropping below that trheshold.

Of course a bad alt would also cause the flickering.

Ok.

The alternator is a new/remanufactured FD model. Can they go bad that fast?