3rd Gen Starter Problem
 

Hello All,

I am not machanically inclined at all. So I come to you for advice. I have a 93 that is not starting. The battery is fine. But when I turn the key nothing. No juice is going to the starter. In fact if the headlights are on you do not see them dim one bit. I believe it is a relay of some sort because once you get it started and you are driving it you can hear clicking noises from under the driver dash. Sometimes clicking sometimes buzzing like a relay going. My question is is there a relay or is it called something else. Do parts stores carry this part or do I have to get from the dealer??

Thanks in advance.

It's a bad solenoid (located on the starter, attached to the transmission under the car). Very easy to replace. Jack the car up per the instructions in the book. Support the car with jackstands. Disconnect the Negative (-) battery terminal. Under the car, on the driver's side, where the transmission meets the engine, there's the starter. Unbolt it (two #14 [9/16"] bolts). Check the wires and make sure they're all hooked-up properly. If they are, then unbolt the main battery wire (the big one) with a #13 (1/2"} wrench. Disconnect the solenoid sending wire (the small one). Hook a volt-meter to it (+) and a ground (the car -). re-attach the battery, and turn the key as though you're trying to start it. You should see +12volts. If so, then proceed to buy a new starter.

You can indipendantly test the starter yourself or at an auto parts store. To do it yourself, hook a ground to the starter's mounting bracket, and a positive to both the small signal terminal and the larger battery terminal. It may jump a bit, so keep your fingers away from the drive gear. To test JUST the starter, hook the positive to the other large connection.

Now, if you don't see +12v when testing the starter signal wire, it may be something else. If you have an automatic transmission, you may have a bad neutral safety switch. They're a bit of a bear to replace, but not hard. If you have a 5speed, you may have a bad clutch-safety switch (located on the clutch pedal; up where it meets the firewall).