RX7Club.com - Mazda RX7 Forum - gremlin in electrical starter circuit? Ideas?

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gremlin in electrical starter circuit? Ideas?

All, thought my battery was going bad-wasn't it. Turning starter switch on (with clutch depressed), no start-no clicking at all. 'Brake' idiot light comes on and ABS light dims a bit, the beeper starts chiming, and then all goes off. Battery is good. No solenoid engage on starter. Have not been able yet to check clutch switch, but that does not seem to the the cause of this. Could it be the internal voltage regulator in the alternator? Previously I would get low ammeter charge light at idle sometimes.......has anyone else experienced this? Marc

I’m no electrical expert but I wouldn’t think the alternator would have anything to do with initial start up given it only does it’s job when the car is running, have you checked all fuses and relays?

Marc,

You may want to verify the ground wires, especially from the battery to the chassis and all wires running to and from the starter. Wiggle & bend the ground wires when verifying continuity because there may be some breaks hidden beneath the insulation. Furthermore, clean all chassis ground points - make sure corrosion has not built up on these connectors because that adds resistance to the circuit. Lastly, make sure the battery terminals are properly cleaned, attached, and treated. Use the battery terminal washers (green & red / black & red) to reduce the amount of corrosive acid build up on the terminals. You could also use battery terminal sealer or dielectric grease to further isolate the terminals from any acid & oxygen reactions. As a friendly reminder, use water and baking soda to neutralize the battery acid on a battery. If the battery has caps or covers (not sealed) then make sure this mixture does NOT get inside the cell area.

One final safety note: disconnect the battery when verifying grounds and/or working around the starter. I don't think you would like a jolt from a +12V battery. Unless you are looking for a new nickname like "Sparky". Seriously though, a car's battery stores a lot of amperage. Not only does it hurt but given the right circumstances, it could kill a person.

I had the same problem. It was the H302 Security Interlock relay. It's next to the CPU #2 on the driver kickpanel. Bypass the two large wires in the connectors. See: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati.../#post12314393

If that doesn't work, check your clutch switch, then your starter solenoid. My guess is it's H302 relay.

Good luck

Quote:

Originally Posted by ecurbd02 (Post 12317911)

Well, a close examination of the clutch inter-lock starter switch revealed that the pedal grommet has disintegrated. This grommet has a point on it that depresses the inter-lock switch. Anybody know where I can look up this grommet part number? Is there a good full set of parts catalogs on line anywhere? I've looked, no luck. What does this forum do to look up part numbers?

Marc,

Have you contacted Ray Crowe? He is the RX-7 parts whisperer! Alternately, do a google search for "RX-7 reference materials". Follow the link to the wright-here website. You can find all sorts of material there such as FSMs, WDMs, and Parts Books (Fiches). Does that help?

You can get a stick-on rubber foot from the hardware store or go for an OEM-style rubber plug. I've been running stick-on rubber feet for YEARS, they work great and last a very long time.

Dale