Subzero starting problems
 

Hi all, well it is winter time here and it is cold as hell. My car started yesterday and it ran until warm but unfortunately it got stuck so I parked it. Today went to start it (slightly colder out side) and no cranking or anything. All the lights worked, head lights, turn signals etc. I have no idea where to start, any help would be appreciated!
Thanks in advance

If the starter doesn't turn over check the Main fuse.

main fuse is good

But does the starter engage or not? And year of car would be helpful?

no clicks, noise or anything so I assume that means it's not engaging. My car is an 87 gxl.

Assuming you have the factory alarm, the Starter Cut Relay, located next to the trailing coil, should have voltage on the thicker of the two Back/Green wires w/key to start and the clutch depressed. If not then the likely cause would be the Interlock Switch located towards the top of the clutch pedal. This would cause the starter to not engage.

If the B/G wire mentioned above has voltage w/key to start and clutch depressed then check the Black/White wire in the same relay plug for voltage under the same conditions the B/G wire would have. If it does not then the alarm is the likely culprit. It could then be bypassed by jumpering a wire from the B/W to thick B/G wire.

Battery?

Can I just unplug the interlocken switch, and is the interlocken switch the larger of the two on the clutch pedal bracket? Because I think it is unplugged.

Attachment 518018 This is the starter cut relay??

charged it first thing today

That's the Main Relay. The other relay mentioned would be located between the relay pictured and the coil. Relay you are looking for has but one plug. Main Relay has two plugs. The Interlock Switch has two wires colored Black/Red and Black/Green. Unless it was bypassed it must then be plugged in. If bypassed then the thick B/G wire at the Starter Relay would then have voltage w/key to start.

Sounds like a dead battery, be sure to check your alternator too. A good battery wont do squat if your alternator won't charge it.

Can you turn the radio on? headlamps, blinkers and etc?

I'm thinking it is the alternator. The light and everything work but the car won't start unless it comes right off the charger :/ going to check it with a volt meter when I get home

You can check the electrical system for an amperage draw (takes but a minute to do) and this help to narrow down your problem.

Alternator is charging the battery. Alternator is fine. It just starts when it feels like it.

Mine does not start sometimes unless I push the clutch down really hard (bad interlocker switch). From what I read you have to jumper the switch to bypass it.

mine does that too has done it since I've owned it lol

We already talked about the Interlock Switch. You mentioned that it was possibly unplugged, which as previously stated, could only be possible if the switch was bypassed. Now which way is it? Is it plugged or not plugged in? If it is plugged in then common sense would suggest to bypass it. If it's unplugged and bypassed then common sense dictates you would check the jumper wire between the two wires involved in the switch if not replace the jumper w/a new jumper.

I couldn't find the starter cut relay in the bay, I've seen pictures of it online and I don't have anything like it. The interlocken switch will be bypassed when it's not negative degrees outside ha.

Could be poor connectors for the starter.

If you have the factory alarm then you should have the Starter Cut Relay. If you have the alarm the relay could have been removed and bypassed. If you don't have the alarm then you would not have the relay. If that's the case then you would have a connector near the trailing coil w/a jumper wire in it on one side and a few wires on the other side. Two would be thicker guage wires and the other a thinner gauged Light Green wire. Of the two thicker wires, one would be Black/Green and the other Black/White. B/G comes from the Interlock Switch and the B/W wire runs to the starter solenoid. If you took battery voltage and placed it to the B/W wire then the starter ought to turn over each and every time the voltage is provided to the B/W wire. W/key to start and clutch depressed there should be voltage present at the Bkack/Green wire.