starter?
#26
the REAL deal
iTrader: (2)
Originally Posted by CantGoStraight
Chevy's are notorious for the same issue. The problem with our cars is there are switch's and relay contact's in (factory alarm, clutch interlock, not to mention key switch) the way of getting a good voltage to the starter solenoid.
My RX7 went though the same issues with the clicking but no start, sometimes no click. It wouldpop start though. Ran through everything with the voltometer and all was fine. Replaced the starter, it didnt work. I was about to replace the ignition but I took it into a mechanic my friend suggested for one last check. Turned out to be bad grounding. Funny thing is my roommate had the exact same issues with his FD about 2 weeks earlier. After this I put in that HKS grounding kit and Ive had no worries, my headlights are a little brighter too!
#27
Big Snail
Thread Starter
Well I solved my problem. The little black plastic stopper that sits on top of the clutch peddle was worn and broke off. I replaced it with a bolt and some washers and problem solved.
#28
/\ use a plastic interior trim piece. the metal bolt will splinter/crack the clutch switch.
for all the guys who think the ignition switch is bad just pull the connector off the neutral/clutch safety switch
put a multi meter probe in the feed side (dont know color off hand, it is one of the 2)
ground the - meter lead
turn the ignition switch to crank and see what the voltage reading is.
batt voltage 12.xx volts is good. less than 11.8 is bad (unless you are running a pos battery and that is a seperate prob. voltage should be the same as when you put the meter on your battery posts)
for all the guys who think the ignition switch is bad just pull the connector off the neutral/clutch safety switch
put a multi meter probe in the feed side (dont know color off hand, it is one of the 2)
ground the - meter lead
turn the ignition switch to crank and see what the voltage reading is.
batt voltage 12.xx volts is good. less than 11.8 is bad (unless you are running a pos battery and that is a seperate prob. voltage should be the same as when you put the meter on your battery posts)
#29
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Originally Posted by mad_7tist
/\
for all the guys who think the ignition switch is bad just pull the connector off the neutral/clutch safety switch
put a multi meter probe in the feed side (dont know color off hand, it is one of the 2)
ground the - meter lead
turn the ignition switch to crank and see what the voltage reading is.
batt voltage 12.xx volts is good. less than 11.8 is bad (unless you are running a pos battery and that is a seperate prob. voltage should be the same as when you put the meter on your battery posts)
for all the guys who think the ignition switch is bad just pull the connector off the neutral/clutch safety switch
put a multi meter probe in the feed side (dont know color off hand, it is one of the 2)
ground the - meter lead
turn the ignition switch to crank and see what the voltage reading is.
batt voltage 12.xx volts is good. less than 11.8 is bad (unless you are running a pos battery and that is a seperate prob. voltage should be the same as when you put the meter on your battery posts)
Did you one better, measured the voltage at the starter solinoid...7 VDC
#30
/\ ok but what is causing the drop? with 2 switches in the line ahead of the measurement point. what is the voltage going into the clutch switch? if it is around 7 v then yea the ignition switch is bad.
#31
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Originally Posted by mad_7tist
/\ ok but what is causing the drop? with 2 switches in the line ahead of the measurement point. what is the voltage going into the clutch switch? if it is around 7 v then yea the ignition switch is bad.
I have the clutch switch jumpered out of the circuit.
#32
Senior Member
Soul Annoyed
Originally Posted by XSTransAm
I had the exact same problem you guys are all talking about, But its not the starter that is going bad, its the starter solenoid (little cylinder that sits on the side of the big one)
I took my starter off, cleaned everything real well and made sure the brushes moved freely, lubed up everything then began the search for a new solenoid. Unfortunatly autozone sells the solenoid for over 100$ and im sure its the same with mazda.
but i found a mitsubishi solenoid that fit exactly, cost 30$ and now my car starts so quick it would make your head spin. I even brought it to a shop that ONLY does starters and altinators, the guy tested it and he couldent believe how well it was working for a 13 year old starter.
if you guys want i can try to get the part number off the thing when i get my car back.
I took my starter off, cleaned everything real well and made sure the brushes moved freely, lubed up everything then began the search for a new solenoid. Unfortunatly autozone sells the solenoid for over 100$ and im sure its the same with mazda.
but i found a mitsubishi solenoid that fit exactly, cost 30$ and now my car starts so quick it would make your head spin. I even brought it to a shop that ONLY does starters and altinators, the guy tested it and he couldent believe how well it was working for a 13 year old starter.
if you guys want i can try to get the part number off the thing when i get my car back.
How accessible is the starter for remove and replace? I don't have a shop manual and my head is too fat to fit under without putting the car up.
Are the manual and automatics different starter/solenoids?
#33
What's your point ?
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Originally Posted by rousu
Can you still read the now-dirty solenoid part number?
How accessible is the starter for remove and replace? I don't have a shop manual and my head is too fat to fit under without putting the car up.
Are the manual and automatics different starter/solenoids?
How accessible is the starter for remove and replace? I don't have a shop manual and my head is too fat to fit under without putting the car up.
Are the manual and automatics different starter/solenoids?
Manual and automatic starters are them selves different, not sure about the solenoid it self. Jack
#34
Hi sir
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My car does this same crap to me all the time too. Usually if the car has been sitting for a bit I wil get "click" ot nothing at all. One really strange thing I've found is that if I put the car in gear and rock it back and foreth a few times the car will start fine???? What the hell is this about?
#35
Senior Member
Rocky start
Originally Posted by Donovan
My car does this same crap to me all the time too. Usually if the car has been sitting for a bit I wil get "click" ot nothing at all. One really strange thing I've found is that if I put the car in gear and rock it back and foreth a few times the car will start fine???? What the hell is this about?
I have heard of that on other cars. It seems those tales involved moving the flywheel slightly so the starter would disengage and engage the flywheel gears. Perhaps in this case it moves the solenoid just enough to make a good electrical contact. Or even a better ground path to the engine.... A good detective story to follow.
#36
Senior Member
R&R
OK, I guess I will have to put on my grubbies and get under the car; and then maybe pester a parts place about the solenoid...
There is always the wild chance that an RX7 part is accessable and easy to replace... If Mazda's maintainability engineer held sway. That happened with the cigarette lighter.
There is always the wild chance that an RX7 part is accessable and easy to replace... If Mazda's maintainability engineer held sway. That happened with the cigarette lighter.
#37
Senior Member
Things it is not
My intermittant starter solenoid response history:
Intermittantly no click, no noise; put up with it.
1) had an electrical smoking in the column, replaced the starter switch.
Still did it.
The "mechanic" mechanically said it must be a bad solenoid.
I got tired of the worry about it starting and let them replace the starter and solenoid.
Still does it.
A lot of wasted money chasing this one....
Intermittantly no click, no noise; put up with it.
1) had an electrical smoking in the column, replaced the starter switch.
Still did it.
The "mechanic" mechanically said it must be a bad solenoid.
I got tired of the worry about it starting and let them replace the starter and solenoid.
Still does it.
A lot of wasted money chasing this one....
#38
Hi sir
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Back from the dead. The other day I had to charge my battery because the car had sat a few weeks and the battery was pretty low. So as usual I forgot about it and left it on a few days. When I did go out and start it up it started like a real champ. It even seems to be running a bit better now. This was a week ago and I havn't driven it since. I need to go see if it held the charge and get the battery tested. My car likes to flood sometimes too so it's a REAL treat trying to get the car to start when it's flooded AND the starter only engages when it wants to. It's OK though it only happens when there are a bunch of people around so I can look like a reas ***.
#41
2 FD's since '98
iTrader: (11)
I did the same thing rousu did. I figured it was the original starter with ~120k on it. So I bought a low mileage one and it still does it to this day. I suspect it's the clutch switch under the column. But, car always starts on 1st, 2nd or 3rd click so it isn't a big priority to me.
#42
Senior Member
Latest part of the detective story
My intermittant starter solenoid response history:
Intermittantly no click, no noise; put up with it.
1) had an electrical smoking in the column, replaced the starter switch.
Still did it.
The "mechanic" mechanically said it must be a bad solenoid.
I got tired of the worry about it starting and let them replace the starter and solenoid.
Still does it.
A lot of wasted money chasing this one....
Intermittantly no click, no noise; put up with it.
1) had an electrical smoking in the column, replaced the starter switch.
Still did it.
The "mechanic" mechanically said it must be a bad solenoid.
I got tired of the worry about it starting and let them replace the starter and solenoid.
Still does it.
A lot of wasted money chasing this one....
The mechanic finally (on the 6th visit?) was able to reproduce and cure the problem at will, and now thinks it will really be fixed.
The ignition switch had been replaced before (as well as the starter/solenoid and battery), but they only replaced the electrical part of the ignition switch. It turns out the mechanical part of the switch workings in there in the column were at fault and with some movements around in the tolerance slop, it would get out of positon to make a good electrical contact sometimes. (How the car knew to do it on a dark night in the rain next to a hoodlum house, I don't know.)
Turns out that in re-tumblering the new switch for the old key, they buggered the alarm system, so I have to wait one more day to return to summer driving.
The replacement and fix in a shop can run up to 600$ more or less, so you can decide whether that is worth it to avoid de-impressing your friends with a car that acts like it won't start. And the car is not a good necking car for pulling that on a dark back road with your new lady friend....
#43
Senior Member
Bummer.
First start, no problem.
Second start, had to try key 3 times before normal start.
Big bill, no fixie problem.
At least it always starts... eventually. I think the record number of key turns with no response before a normal start is 20 for my car.
First start, no problem.
Second start, had to try key 3 times before normal start.
Big bill, no fixie problem.
At least it always starts... eventually. I think the record number of key turns with no response before a normal start is 20 for my car.
#44
Senior Member
Still doing it
there is another thread on this problem. Search for click click
My car is still intermittently doing the click click ... click start schtick over two years later.
Several proposed solutions are on the other thread.
cheers
My car is still intermittently doing the click click ... click start schtick over two years later.
Several proposed solutions are on the other thread.
cheers
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