Turn Key and "click click click..." searched as well...
 

I turn the key and I hear "click..." and then I turn it again and then "click..." pretty much the third time I get it cranking. I never had a problem starting the car though... its just the click that is really annoying!!!! and sometimes embarasing... Anyways... I don't think its the starter because I have never had a cranking problem.... so what can it be???? I want a healthy car!!!!!~~~~
How many of you guys had this problem and how many of you guys fixed it??? thanks!!~~

might be the starter soleniod

clutch switch could be bad.

Is your car a 5-speed or auto? Many auto owners have had starter woes - there was recently a thread on that. Mazda has a TSB on this as well for the auto cars.

Dale

I have exactly the same problem on my 5sp. I dont believe its the starter as I pulled that and cleaned it and it works fine.

its prob your battery...

I have the same issue, I think it's in the key assembly.

I'd guess bad (dirty contacts?) starter solenoid or bad battery cable contact. The "clicks" are the clue. If it were the starter switch, you should not hear the click. If it were the battery, it would not start on the 3rd try. If it were the clutch switch, you would not hear the click.

my does the same thing. It always starts but i do get the clicking sometimes.

EVERY BODY LISTEN TO DaveW. He is the only one thats knows what going on.

About 1 in every 10 times mine will do this...I think mine is pointing to the clutch switch Dublup is talking about. Usually when it happens on the first try I will release the clutch and depress it firmly and then it kicks right in. Where is the clutch switch anyway?

under the clutch pedal, silly...

there is actually two. but I think the failing one is under.

this is what is happening to me and another RX-7 here in ATL...except, I push the Engine Start button instead of turning the key, hehehe!!!


I believe there is a relatively easy way to bypass the switch I haven't looked into it yet...busy getting my car ready for Sunday's SCCA ATL region's first points event.

:rolleyes:

bah i had this problem last year in the fall. here is my check list for you:

battery
starter
clutch switch
shorted ground
ignition switch

i actually bought new parts of each (except clutch switch). i had a ignition switch in the works when I found out my prob was the grounding.
Other indicators for bad grounding would be irradic temprature reads and your ABS light coming on.

Dude! don't call me silly. It brings back bad memories of a gay stalker I had.

Little off topic, but how do you like that S2000 start switch? does the key have to stay in the ignition when you start? I thought about doing this since I have a superduper kill switch now.

Great info! thanks.

I know its not the starter as I checked the contacts. I will try the other stuff though, Thanks guys
Ben

I had the exact same problem this week. It was the battery for me....under 12 volts trying to start the car is not enough juice for the starter.

i have done some research and tests on my car and i know for a fact its inside the steering assy... why do i say this? because i get the clicking too but my car has a remote starter where i can start the car from a alarm remote and everytime that i try to start it, it works perfectly. i have never had it click. but i almost alway's get clicking when i try it with the key. the remote starter on my car gives direct power to the ingiter and bypasses the steering assy. thats why i think that whatever the problem is, its from the inside of the steering

the solenoid can get spots on it where it will not engage and will click each click moves it a bit and sometimes it will start. if the s terminal is not seeing 12v on the starter when in crank you may have a drop across the ignition switch

oK, So I went to start the car and I was getting the usual clicking. I checked the voltage on the PFC and got 11.8 each time I turned the key. What does this mean?

Its the ignition switch going out. I hot wired my car temporarily when it finally died on me and made a ghetto start switch, which costed me about 5 dollars. After a while I went by a junkyard and bought an ignition assembley for 35 bucks.

Getting it off the steering column was a fun learning experience.


Rarely do the actual starters on these cars go out. It happens but more often its the ignition switch. Its a fairly easy fix that can be done in about 3 hours if you've never done it before. You might get some weird looks or questions when your asking to buy it.

Check your battery terminals.

-Charlie

I vote for the clutch switch. Mine does the same thing.

mine as well, I guess ill try to figure it out this week before its gone

Clutch switch will cause bad idle issues if it's bad, I allready went through that one, fixed the idle problems, now I have the clicking, I guess I'll have to go through the check list....

And 11.8 V is fine, as long as you see 13-14 v once the altenator is on, you're fine... you can crank the car with as little as 10v given enough aperage....

Same Exact thing here..
I also have a alarm/remote start (did you copy me rzograbian? LOL) It starts every time with remote start but when I start with the key, it clicks.. Sometimes, when I hit the steering column before I turn the key (told by the owner before me), it starts.

I also have to agree with rzograbian, Because it start when I hit the steering column, i also think its something inside the column.. like maybe key assembly.

It doesn't bother me since I use my remote start 80+% of the time.

i cant belive there are like 15 people on here with some form of starting circuit problem and no one has gone out to their cars with a multi meter and found out what is going on. with a meter, jack stand and a friend it should take 15 min

Too lazy!!

Looks like we got a volinteer. Good luck and let us know what you find.

R.K.

LOL!!

Cool, thanks. I do see 14s when the car starts.

Thanks
Ben

i would never let my car or anyone elses i know/work on do this while i typed away at the computer. there are 2 switches on the clutch. the clutch switch for the computer. and the interlock for the starter. the interlock switch closes and completes the circuit to the s terminal of the starter when depressed. should be batt voltage going in and out when starting with the clutch in. a mechanical click from the starter means either you are not getting correct amperage to the motor ( big nut) 12 volts to the s terminal (black spade) or the starter is going bad. motor or solenoid does not matter as you are going to replace it as a unit so what. it is all a guess unless you get some readings so get out there!

im tellin you guys, its the ignition switch... the part that you stick your key into, there is a little white piece on it that when u turn the key it completes a circut (battery to ignition switch to starter, makes the engine turn over.)

This thing goes bad more often than the clutch switch and starter do, I know this because I've been through it twice on two FD's. I have a starter sitting in my garage btw if anyone wants to throw me a few bucks.

But yea.... ignition switch

Interesting. I have been having this problem too. I'd like to see what the real deal is.

I agree with you.. I also think its the ignition switch that your talkin about..

Can you get JUST the piece that is broken, and if so, what's the part number, and price if you have it....

not sure,

I tried fiddling with the old mechanism my self and couldnt separate it.
--I dont think they watned you too.

Just look for a local junk yard or look on ebay, I bet you can find one pretty easily. They shouldnt be that expensive.

hmmm.... and wow.... so many replies on this in just like 2 days!!~~~
Man... so.... can we ever get new assemblies for this stuff??? Or... can we like clean out the ignition switch and make better connection???? I know this is happening to more and more people.... so we should all get together and resolve this stuff....

Do you mean the switch can't be separated from the ignition? So you'd have to replace the ignition as a whole? If so, that's retarded...(having to buy the entire assembly).

I get the clicks every now and then. One time it was the starter for me...got under it, hit it w/ a hammer 2 - 3 times, and she started right up lol. A few times after that I'd get clicks or nothing, tried the clutch pedal a few times, and she'd eventually fire up. I've been suspecting the clutch switch. Shame on me though because under the sensors menu on the PFC, I should be able to check if it's the clutch switch or not. Haven't done this, but I'd imagine the ignition switch will also show up on there as well?

EDIT: I think it's pretty SAD to see so many FDs simply having trouble simply STARTING lol... :shakes head:

Well... honestly, the best way to correct this with out having to get a whole new ignition switch not to mention getting the bitch off the steering column which is a fun experience.

Is to do the s2000 button conversion or just go buy one from sears for 1.50 like I did. Why would this fix the problem you ask???? Because the ignition switch as you know has three settings, the off position, the acc position (or what ever its called that powers the car from the battery) and then the the final one that completes the circuit and makes the starter turn the engine over <-- thats the part that messes up.

So, just like an s2000, you put the key in, turn it one click then press the button u wire up (takes about 10 minutes) and wala, engine turns over.

Anyways, if you do decide to install a start button, have a little fun with it. Hide it and make it some kind of theft deterrent thing, I dunno.

The best part of doing the button, is that you dont even have to mess around with the steering column. Wiring for the button is cake in the bucket.

i wouldnt go to the trouble of an ignition assembly til you check the all the grounding cables.
read my plight, a couple people swore it was the iginition when all it turned out to be was bad wires.

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...hlight=starter

So the grounding wire was the problem and it has gone away and now your car starts all the time? You would be one of the few that has fixed it for "good". I am going to try the grounding wire next. I tried the starter which includes a new solenoid and that was not the problem.

Have other people found the problem and now it is gone? And has the problem they fixed been one of so many failures, in other words not ONE weak point but many?

I have like 20 new grounds on my engine.... but not on my starter...hehehe... and the problem still exists!!!!... I will try to ground the starter but man.... I still think the problem will not change but oh well... lets see whats going to happen. ^ ^

Ignition Switch. Ignition Switch. Ignition Switch.

Do like others have said. Put a push button starter in, hooked up from Battery(or 12V) and starter solenoid, or just test from batter to starter solernoid. If it works every time then it is not the ground or starter, or solenoid, I could have saved myself buying a starter. I did mine and it starts, so it is not the starter, solenoid or ground, but something that is breaking the contact to the solenoid. Other safety switches. harnesses, are in there somewhere that can break the ignition circuit.

I would check the ignition switch first. Some times if you have an aftermarket alarm the igniton kill switch relay can cause it to do that.

Ignition Switch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is the Ignition Switch something you can buy, I don't want to go under the steering collumn, with a soldering Iron, and I'd rather fix the part with a stock part, if not exorbenantly expensive.

just got my car back from tripoint, they replaced the ignition and remanufactured the
starter. before that it was weird how i got the car to start by depressing the brake a couple times, waiting 20 - 30 secs then simutaneously turning the ignition and stepping on the clutch to get it started. hope that helps