rousu

OK, I found Pettit and the item.

http://www.pettitracing.com/rx7/index_electrical.htm

theorie

iTrader: (31)

i could be wrong but i'm pretty sure the pettit 'starter booster' is just a high amp relay ($10 part) wit a pre-wired harness ($5 worth of parts) and a huge mark-up.

i could draw a diagram and give you part numbers to make this kit...it's actually a very similar process to re-wiring the fuel pump (that is, taking power direct from the battery instead of running though the stock harness).

pettit tends to have a HUGE mark-up on their parts, which is sad because i'm sure they would get more business if they had more reasonable prices.

tt7hvn

iTrader: (5)

you know, i like the oem security.....always provides a good laugh for my friends and new people

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Has anyone had any success doing this or am I the only one ?

rousu

So, ... this seems to imply you installed the Pettit booster on your vehicle? Did it work to cure the click, click, ... , click, starter problem?

rousu

Heck, I'd pay the $50 if I was sure it made the click click feature go away, left the security ignition lockout operational, and wasn't going to fry anything.

zenofspeed

iTrader: (1)

I did the bypass a long time ago.. It temporarily fixed the "click, click, start" issue, but it permanently fixed the "car won't start at all" issue I was having at the time...

So the clicking issue came back after some time, probably as other wires or w/e wore out. I have found that if I turn the key THEN press the clutch pedal (not visa versa) the click problem happens 90% less frequently...

theorie

iTrader: (31)

i'm not talking about the security relay bypass. i think you missed what i was saying.

you don't have to pay $50. you could pay around $15-$20 for the same thing:

you can build your own "starter booster", exactly the same as pettit's:

All you need is a relay like this and some wire:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=350276478042


Save yourself $30-$40.

sevensheaven

iTrader: (1)

For automatic guys don't overlook the inhibitor switch on the tranny. Mine is bad, and what's worse its high $$ as I recall over $200.00. Infact the number $280.00 sticks in my head. Not likely I will change it anytime soon. On top of that it is unaccessable with out removing the down pipe. Of course I wouldn't pay that either. I know Ray can get it some what cheaper. Right now I have mine rewired. I have a stand alone switch that shoots battery power straight to the starter, spinning it untill I turn it off.

Dudemaaanownsanrx7

iTrader: (23)

I added a similar second switch in my engine bay so I could turn the engine over while diagnosing problems, helped quite a bit since I rarely have an assistant helping me. Seems like you could bypass the inhibitor switch and still use the ignition switch for starting the car, but I guess whatever works. (I wouldn't pay $200+ for a dumb switch either)

smog-guy707

iTrader: (11)

nice find guys.... i too have to go do this as i get the click click once a week!

thanks to all who helped

sevensheaven

iTrader: (1)

I stumbled on the inhibitor part at Atkins. I know Ray can do better!

http://www.atkinsrotary.com/store/pr...cat=679&page=1

cewrx7r1

iTrader: (2)

A few years ago my clutch starter switch went bad so I removed and bypassed it. After all it was made for idiots who may try to start a car in gear.
I had been driving standard trans cars for 30 years!

Things worked perfectly until one day last spring when all of a sudden my car would not crank one day. No clicking or any sound at all. I bypassed the starter relay and it worked. Moments later all was put back to stock and then it worked normally. So I made the decision then to remove another item that can be a failure point.

After all, this was the first car I ever own with too many friggin extra circuits. Of course this relay is part of the alarm system. That is a reason it some times does not work in some cars.

st4rk

Weird, my car does this too. Thought it had to do with the turbo timer.

zammm

iTrader: (6)

I did this but it didn't get rid of my click click problem what is the next step?

JhnRx7

iTrader: (12)

Ill try it in a couple weeks when I am home... I have been plagued with this issue as well.

ALPSTA

iTrader: (3)

My car makes the click-click-click sound when driving (possibly during on/off throttle) and it sounds like it's coming from the same area (near clutch, footrest, left fr speaker) can it be related to this?

Dudemaaanownsanrx7

iTrader: (23)

The click click we are referring to, is the sound of failed attempts at starting the car. So unless you are driving around trying to start your car this would not be the same problem. That's not to say you don't have a relay clicking on and off, just that in this discussion it's the starter solenoid not engaging making the click sound.

For those that want to build your own starter booster here is a diagram. Just follow the colors.

spooledUP7

On the clutch pedal there is a starter interlock switch that failed on my FD.
It would cause the starter to not turn over unless I pushed the clutch in and out.

At first I just snipped a 1/4" off the plastic plunger so the slide contact would engage at a different location, but eventually a new switch was the true fix.

You could bypass the switch with a jumper but then you don't have the safety of the switch.

Just a tip from someone having delt with this off and on for almost 10 years.

rousu

Since the problem seems to be not enough voltage difference to the starter relay, another hope is to remove and clean the contacts for all the various ground straps, so the only voltage drop is across the relay, without some of the drop being to ground. Perhaps add a grounding strap. Clean the battery terminals. Make sure all the other current pullers/voltage droppers are off: radio, lights, fan, wipers, window heater.

Sure would be an easier mess if it was easy to add another cell to the battery! Just for starting...

I have more appreciation for the old 42 pickup we had, where you manually pushed a rod that went through the firewall and activated the starter.

Eien

I kept having this problem quite often just after I bought the car three months back, but (knock on wood) the problem has gone since. And I haven't done anything to it.

zammm

iTrader: (6)

I have already cleaned all the contacts on the starter...maybe I will try making one of those boosters when I get annoyed with it enough..

-Max

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

When I was moving an FD in and out of the shop I noticed a customer (Yuri/kwerks) had this problem pretty badly despite having a low mileage chassis.

I went ahead and unplugged the security relay and jumpered the connector for him (I left the relay bolted to the firewall so it can be easily reversed) and it seems to have cleared up the problem. Car went from 2-3 clicks every time before starting to starting up immediately

tom94RX-7

iTrader: (5)

My car has always had this click click click start problem since I had it. after reading this thread I checked this relay and found it was already jumped with a wire from the previous owner. I think the problem happens mostly due to a little lower voltage, like after letting the car sit for a week, plus I have not always had the most powerful battery. I also have a zip tie holding my clutch switch in because I use a remote starter. I wonder if I should unplug this and use a wire to jump it.

FD3S4Life

iTrader: (51)

I bypassed the security relay but the problem persisted so I went ahead and fabbed up a Pettit starter booster as shown in the diagram above and it starts up everytime without any hesitation.