Okay, so I Five speed swapped my car a few weeks ago, apart from the starter polarity being reversed initially and the starter still turning when I would let the key back to ACC at times, the car ran and drove. I was actually about to go get it registered.

I regularly let it idle in the driveway the past few weeks just to ensure no problems would crop up, and sure as hell, this happened. Had the car running like I normally do for an hour or two, took it for a drive, it started getting cold out so I cut her off and called it a day. I went out to start it the next day, now this.

absolutely nothing. the starter is not even trying to turn over. Anyone have any suggestions? Car ran perfectly fine for the most part, then the next day I try starting it and This happened. I have no idea what could have possibly transpired overnight when the car wasnt being ran for this to be an issue.


Its like its not even getting juice sent to it. It was getting dark when I tried getting it up on the jackstands, but I know for a fact the Spade connector kevin specifies to run from the ignition side of the black/red plug inside the car to the spade terminal of the car is still connected.

 

Did you hook up a clutch pedal switch or no?

 

No, in my original post I mentioned I just ran a wire from the red/black ignition switch to the spade connector on the starter directly. its been starting fine for weeks (well, aside from the issues i mentioned in my post...now that I think about it, one time during sustained cranking it did smoke a bit...maybe the starter is just trashed), then this literally happened overnight.

The volt meter isnt even dropping, so im thinking something happened overnight and now the starter isnt getting juice from the battery or ignition switch, or the starter just decided to die over night..anyone have any comments on the accuracy of that?

 

Starters don't fail as often as solenoids, so...

It's easy enough to use your multimeter to see if the starter is getting juice and the solenoid trigger wire gets power when the key is turned.
If YES/YES, it's the starter solenoid.

If NO (in any combination), either the power from the battery has been compromised (any easy fix) or the circuit between the IGN and starter has.

 

I assume the solenoid trigger wire (tiny spade connector), this would be done by just simply putting the multimeter in DC volts mode, negative lead on the batteries neg terminal, and positive lead to the female spade connector ive ran that goes to the solenoid trigger wire. Have someone turn and hold key to on, I should see volts being sent at this point right?

And for seeing if the starter is getting juice from the main wire at the battery, same thing? either lead touching pos battery terminal on battery, other lead this time on the post of the starter the battery cable bolts to, click and hold key to on, and I should see little to no volts drop right?

 

Turn key to START and yes, you should see 12v.

Just put the positive meter lead on the starter terminal and the negative meter lead to any ground. Got 12v? Done, it's your starter.

 

Well, Ended up not needing the multimeter at all. I noticed the battery connection at the starter wasnt fully tight, so I torqued it down, held my breath, turned the key, same story. nothing.

So out of frustration and a glimmer of hope, i grabbed the biggest wrench i could find and literally beat the living hell out of the back of the starter with it for a solid thirty seconds.

Got back in the car, turned the key, and it fired up. of course it was smoking so bad again i need to add more aluma seal, that or it could be the four ounces of two stroke in the two gallons of gas left in the tank.


This car i swear

 

Your really gonna cuss it out when you overheat it cause you blocked a cooling port with all the alumaseal your putting in

 

I actually didnt put in much last time, maybe about 20 grams~, didnt add any this time, it just needed to be ran from sitting again.