We replaced the starter. We put the main fuse in (when he bought the car it was missing) and now it still will not start on it's own. If we jump it, the car starts just fine. The battery is new and holds steady at 11.4v with the car off, and 14.2-12.4v with the car running.

When we try to start it the engine will turn over once or twice and then it won't move. There is also a faint clicking sound near the throttle body. If we try to crank it a 2nd or 3rd time it won't move at all, but the battery is still at 11.4.

What should I check? I will look at the starter ground on the left fender, but what else? Thanks alot, I'm trying to get this thing running for him.

 

Sounds like a bad battery connection or a bad cable. If you have a DC Voltmeter available check the voltage drop across the battery cables. If the cables are good there should a very small voltage drop. The larger the voltage drop, the worse the cable.
The measurement must be made with the engine cranking. The voltage drop will only occur when the cable is under load. The voltmeter must be placed between the battery end of the cable and the corresponding other end of the cable (like the starter). All this assuming the battery is good. If the cables check OK check the starter current draw. Sometimes a replacement starter is bad. RX7MAVEN

 

Any other suggestions? The fender ground was clean.

 

Personally I would get both the battery and the altenator tested.... I dont know how the alt would hinder a start if the battery is still staying strong but just my .02$

 

I had this exact same problem... I think mine had more to do with timing though. I made sure my starter grounds were good and set my timing, and this worked for me.

 

also when trying to start it the tack jumps up and down but the engine is not turning. and there is a buzzing from inside the dash. dose any body know why it dose this.

 

Checking the ground alone won't do. The cable(s) still could be bad. Try to follow the procedure I gave. Are you sure your battery is good? Where do you hook the jumper cables to? Are you bypassing a battery cable when you jump start?

 

The fender ground is not the right ground to check, the one on the starter itself is. Clean it and all of the contact points and coat with dielectric grease. Check the battery terminals and make sure theyre clean and tightened properly, if they have been overtightened before they will be bent and wont make good contact. Also make sure the positive connection on the starter is good. If you are connecting the jumper cables to thew battery terminals themselves and this is happening it is more than likely bad terminals or a bad battery.

 

it should be more like 14V, something is wrong.

 

Forgive me if I'm stupid, but aren't car batteries 12v? Why would it bet 14v with the car off? Like I said, probably a dumb question, but you piqued my curiosity.

 

not sayin your stupid...but they start out a little hot on charge because like anything else they wear down over time
thats what i've always seen the battery should be more around 14v...ones that sit lower than 12 normally have something wrong...do you have a load tester to test the battery?

 

well I found my problem. the battery. the thing is that I bought the battery a few months ago and found it had a battery drain. so that is when I saw it had no main relay replaced that. this is over a couple of months to much time at work and not enought time working on the 7. and over that time I whould charge the battery and it whould die. this is not good for a battery. and I guess over this time I messed up the cells in the battery and it will not hold a charge so I took the battery out of my 240sx and droped it in and bam it starts right up. good thing I got the warranty.