intermittent starting problem please help
 

Every day or every few days intermittently, I will turn the key, and hear a clicking sound, but no start.....and if I turn the key a second or third time, the car starts and runs with no problem. The confuzing part is that I had the starter rebuilt last year, and drove the car for at least 1 month with no starting problems. The car also HAD a push start button, that I had to rewire back to the factory set up, that way the car starts now by pressing the clutch and turning the key ( how it should start).

So what do you guys think? a bad starter rebuild, maby I didnt do the wiring properly, relay going bad, or maby neutral saftey switch going bad?? I need to fix this asap were moving! so any help would be great thanks

I would suggest the starter based on your description. I would by one from Ray at Malloy.

you need to wire a relay to the starter to get a full 12 volts. search under started problems its been covered many times.

Jeff

so basically your suggesting I had a bad starter rebuild?

Do a search on my user name and starter - I wrote a post a few weeks back explaining the starting circuit. The "click-click-start" problem is pretty common and is many times NOT the starter.

Dale

This is one of those problems which can have several fixes depending on the root cause. Here's a thread with most of them talked about in one place:

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/starter-click-click-problem-solved%7E%7E%7E-642253/

Chen my fuel line was kinked it was doing the same noise and not starting. When was the last time you changed out your fuel filter?

so basically what Im seeing is that it might not be the starter , it might be the ignition switch. Now im even MORE confused, because before I bought the car, the previous owner told me the car would not start, and they brought it to a shop, and replaced the ignition switch, and then when I bought the car, it started fine for a few months, now its having the intermittent "clicking" problem which seems to be happening more frequently. So I have a rebuilt starter, a new ignition switch installed by the previous owner (supposedly, not sure what to believe anymore)... im REALLY lost now?

I changed the fuel filter about 6 months ago, probably 2000-3000 miles ago

Then the next thing to try is jeff p's suggestion. This is how you troubleshoot, one thing at a time.

I changed everything.. Ignition switch and starter and the end result was the relay switch added . it took care of the problem for over 2 yrs now. the problem is your not getting 12 volts all the time and is resulting in the clicking noise . the starter is not turning. search under this problem and read before going to a shop that will take your money


Jeff

yeah, I will definitley look into this 12 volt switch. the weird part about the whole thing is that, I went to the garage just now after the car cooled down, and tried starting it, and there was absolutley no problem at all?? I started the car SEVERAL times with no problem... I can cross out a bad neutral switch cause if that was bad, the car wouldnt even "click" at all with the key in the start position. well I will look into that option thanks

The next part in the chain is the starter cut relay - again, read my writeup on how the starting system works. Very likely that is your problem.

Dale

I would suggest checking the connection on the starter its self, the main 12v feed and i think the sender wire, I had a similar prob with my old fd, turns out I had a faulty loose connection on the sender wire but it could be a dry connection or corrosion. I cut off the old connector and put on a new female blade terminal. Prob was solved.

That is where I would start.

As others have said, a VERY common problem with lots of discussion in many threads.

I fixed mine by adding a hidden push-button switch years ago and never had any more trouble. This after spending $300 on a new starter, only to find out it wasn't bad after all.
(and that starter is a BITCH to change!)