Finally got the car to do it when I video'd

doesnt matter if its summer or winter but in this case the car has been in my unheated detached garage and hasnt been started in about a month, will also do it if im driving the same day


batter relocated to trunk, 0 gauge to block under hood, 4 gauge right to battery
does same with current full sized 800cca batter that it did with 1000cca, car is always plugged into battery tender

 

When my starter acted like that it was due to worn brushes.

 

its a "new" starter


my description should have said 4 gauge directly to starter

get the click clicks then that drag/skip sound but sometimes its skips and doesnt click

 

Try running a battery cable to the trans or the Bolt at the starter.(negative)?.
With a "pure source" from the battery(negative from battery to Starter case and Postive FROM battery to Starter) there isn't too much to figure out if there is something else wrong.

I did use the stock Engine fuse block but also had the battery feed the starter when I relocated the battery.

 

Have a 4 gauge ground from starter to frame, and feed right to starter
Maybe its just a crap starter ?
Had a lifetime gurantee i doubt i have the paperwork for it though but i do think i still have the box

Maybe ill get one of those 2kw starters instead

 

mine used to do that all the time, I went through a few starters and then finally wired up the starter trigger with a relay and it fixed it.

basically the 12V to the starter from the key has to go through a lot of things and it looses voltage this combined with an aging key cylinder not making great contact causes the problem.

If you use the starter trigger instead as a trigger for a relay and give the starter straight battery voltage from the positive post on the starter it's fine.

Stole this picture from a different thread to make it more clear:
Another Click Start Thread!! - RX7Club.com



pettit racing makes a kit... but it's really just a relay:
http://shop.pettitracing.com/starter...-p-120110.html

 

i sell them for half what pettit does, it's just a basic relay with the proper terminations. actually i think mine is nicer since i use weatherproofed terminals.

although this may be 2 problems, your starter sounds like poop and is turning slow for a new starter with heavy gauge wiring and battery, the screeching noise is a little concerning. the click click vroom symptom is half the time due to failing relays and high resistance in the rather overly complex starter circuit. the booster relay only fixes the latter.

 

Mine used to do that too.... sometimes it wouldn't crank, sometimes it would crank like crap and barely turn over and sometimes it would be fine. Maybe the starter is being half engaged? I don't even know if that's possible...

 

it is quite possible, if they used too long of a nose bushing and the bendix isn't pushing out all the way it may be allowing the gears to slip sometimes.

 

I say starter. Have seen many remanufactured starters cause a problem, so unusual for a new starter, but you can always try and
jump the starter terminals with a screwdriver, and try the following:

To check the starter solenoid or relay connections, connect the meter positive lead to positive battery terminal on the solenoid, and the meter negative lead to the starter motor terminal. Crank the engine and note the reading. A good connection should have a voltage drop of 0.2 volts or less.

 

i have a new key cylinder in the car, which I replaced unrelated to this. It did not change the behavior at all
Think ill do a new starter first and see what happens

its funny because it never did it prior to the swap and with everything basically stock, but that was also 10 years ago

 

key cylinder has no effect on the 30 year old relays and wiring.

 

This^

 

eage mentioned it so i mentioned it

 

wonder if I should just go for the starter and relay or just try the relay thing first?
just a 30 amp relay and socket?

 

lets add this text for anyone else skimming through so they have all info in one spot:

"The relay has four terminals labeled 85, 86, 87 and 30. In the above drawing connect the black (ground) wire to 85, yellow to 86, green to 87 and red to 30"

 

You can try it for giggles. Relays are CHEAP. I usually buy them in lots of 15 and they cost a little more each than Raman Noodles.

I think you're gonna love your new 2kw starter eventually.

 

i might have a window of opportunity around christmas to bring my car to my shop and mess with it, but after that it gets pushed off to the side of my small garage so I can fit my snow blower past it and thats where it will likely sit until april-may

I guess I will try the relay thing first, i start the car up every few weeks when I remember so it will be a good test

 

Snow Blower! LOL. I always forget about that whole *snow and cold weather thing*. One of my stated life-goals is to never wear long pants again.

 

You can also throw a multi-meter on the starter trigger wire to see what kind of voltage you're getting when you crank the key.

 

someone linked this thread, I ended up buying one of these relay kits for $15 but never installed it lol. drove the car 3 times this summer and twice was just to bring it to my shop for oil change and some cleaning