Is there anything other than a bad starter that would cause me to just get a click and no engine rotation? I have an optima red top battery, but I bought it 3 or 4 months ago and just installed it. I have turned the motor by hand so it isn't frozen up. Before I have to lay in a mud puddle and pull the starter, I want to be reasonably sure it's the culprit. My battery charger is ancient and I'm not sure if it is correct to charge an Optima with, but I put it on the charger at 10 amps for 3 or 4 hours and still no start. Suggestions? Options? Oh, the motor is a 12a, 5 speed, no porting, 45 DCOE, RB dual exhaust and header, gen2 alt., beehive, gilmer drive, DLIDFIS, and as yet never started.

 

sounds like a bad starter. do you have a voltmeter? what voltage is the battery at?

 

Battery is reading 12.9V and I also tried using the jump box, same result. click and nada. I ran a new + from the battery to starter, and grounded the starter to the frame as before, and ran my new - from battery to seat mount bolt. Everything appears to be good, but no start! Argh!!!!!!! I been waiting a year to do this and it seems like every time I'm ready, it's another problem! Hell, the starter is just about the only thing I haven't modded or replaced already.

 

sounds like a bad starter. too me. if it clicks when you turn the key that means its getting power, and the trigger is hooked up.

 

You can try the starter trick.....

BE VERY CAREFUL!

Tap the starter solenoid with a hammer while turning the key to start.. If this works the solenoid is bad [Probably still have to get a new starter, but at least you know for sure that's it]

..If you kill yourself with this, you never read my post ^_-

 

I kinda figured as much. But knowing that everything else on these cars seems to be unique, I wanted to get some input before going out and laying under the car in 2 inches of water to remove it. Rain hasn't let up in 2 days and the carport isn't concrete floored. It's also the lowest spot in the yard. Dollars to donuts I can't find a local place that will stock the starter either. More delays! I gotta get this damn thing running. After a year of waiting and shopping parts and planning my patience and pockets are mighty thin. ****, once I finally get it to run, I still have 8 boxes of audio equipment to install, a billet gearshift with push button start, power windows, locks and antenna. Not to mention the fiberglass work I'm doing to the interior. Oh, and I've got the gsl-se swap coming, and springs for front and rear as well as bushings and tie rods etc. sitting on the floor. Then there is the Taurus e-fan, FMOC and lines too. I REALLY want to drive this car before I retire or die.

 

...In that case, is it practical to push start it where you are?

 

Dirty battery posts or some sort of resistance in the power source from the battery to the starter caused by corrosion in the power cable. Seems to be especially common on S4 Verts.

 

No, it's only me, and the driveway is about a 20 to 25 degree uphill from the car.

Brand new platinum battery posts, brand new optima battery, brand new wires.

 

I say starter. Thats my story and I'm stickin' to it!! lol.

 

Well, got a new starter and still the same outcome. So, I'm going to get a charger and charge the battery, and also run a cable from my - to the starter and then to chassis. God, I hope that eliminatews the issue! If not, I'm stumped!

 

voltage drop check that sucker, and if you can, check how many amps your starter is drawing too.

 

Are 7's just notoriously hard to start? I pulled the battery from my brothers merc. and it just barely turned the 7 over. I took my optima and put it in his (the one that just clicked in my 7) and it fired his mountaineer right up!

 

Ray, is it a new rebuild? If so it may be a little harder to start.
Also if it is turning over really slow, you might try taking the gilmer belt off and see if that does it. Also check your pullys at the same time, make sure they spin freely. Good luck! Hope you get it goin soon.

 

It's not a rebuild, in fact it has only fair compression (mid 80's). I'll pull the belt and try again, cause I am stumped. got a good battery and the damned thing does turn, just real slow. Now everything in the loop is new. I gotta get this thing to run soon. It's about to be my only transportation. I'm gonna go pull the gilmer belt now, hell can't sleep anyway. Pissed at missing a days work layin in the mud and still where I started. Let ya know.

 

Ok, update. Pulled the Gilmer belt off, and same thing. I'm lost.alt spins free, water pump turns easilly, motor takes both hands to get a good enough hold on pulley to turn, but does turn. How hard should it be to turn? I'm fresh out of ideas.

I just tried using my jump box to assist the battery, and same result.

 

So is the starter actually engaging and turning the motor over?

 

Yes, starter does engage, but motor turn slow.

 

Well, apparently you need special equipment to test "Optima" batteries. Both NAPA and O'Rielly's could not do it. So, I bought a new charger and am charging the Op[tima now. Should be ready to go this evening. The confusing part to me is that either one will easilly spin the motor in the mountaineer, but just barely turn the motor in the 7. Now with the belt drive off, and a soon to be fully charged battery, IF it still won't spin fast enough to start, I'm stumped.

 

when you get it all back together, pull the all the plug wires from the spark plugs, and seems if it spins up any quicker. You could have the timing all out of whack.

 

I could try that, but I'm not sure what the timing has to do with it at this point. The motor won't spin over enough to fire at all yet. I tried to get the timing right (or close) by removing the plate on the exhaust side of the motor, turning the motor till the "opening" in the flywheel was aligned with the flat side (exhaust side) of the motor, then aligning the marks on the dizzy gear and shaft and installing. I'm told that should be TDC or close. So far though, I have only been able to get the motor to turn slightly and slowly, so no fire yet.

 

I have a similar problem, starter clicks and clicks, but eventually turns over and starts/runs fine everytime, besides the clicking. Once it engages it spins pretty quick tho...

You should be able to easily turn your motor over by hand. If you can't is there any possiblilty that anything may have dropped into the engine? Yikes! Hopefully not... Or any reason it wouldnt' turn over??

How did you replace your starter wiring? Hmm... Something sounds fishy...
Check your grounds and power leads to the starter, sorry if it requires you to get dirty. Good luck, you'll get it going soon!

 

i was just workin on one of the vans at work and ran into that problem. when it was just clicking i replaced the solenoid and then the starter actually started turning very slowly. so i replaced the starter and it fired right up. it has to b one of those 2 things. either ur solenoid isnt giving the starter power or ur starter is seizing.

 

[QUOTE=Nick_d_TII;9735124]I have a similar problem, starter clicks and clicks, but eventually turns over and starts/runs fine everytime, besides the clicking. Once it engages it spins pretty quick tho...
After trying another battery, I did get the starter to turn the motor, just VERY little and slowly. I bought another charger and put my Optima on it, after 5 hours, it still isn't fully charged. So apparently my I had a drained Optima battery, and the one from my brothers car isn't fully charged or is not powerful enough to crank the car over. Add to that that my old charger is apparently **** up, and I'm batting a thousand to this point!

You should be able to easily turn your motor over by hand. If you can't is there any possiblilty that anything may have dropped into the engine? Yikes! Hopefully not... Or any reason it wouldnt' turn over??
It should turn over easilly by hand? How easilly? Is that with the plugs in or without? I can turn it over by hand, but not one handed. That's with plugs in.


How did you replace your starter wiring? Hmm... Something sounds fishy...
Check your grounds and power leads to the starter, sorry if it requires you to get dirty. Good luck, you'll get it going soon!
I have relocated the battery to the bin behind the driver. I ran new positive cables through the hole where the fuel pump wires used to go, put them inside a 3/4" stainless steel braided hose and ran them down along side of the tranny tunnel. One to the starter solenoid + post, the other up along the frame and over to my alternator. I ran new ground cable from the battery to the mouting post on the drivers seat, the a cable from there to the starter housing motor mount. Also ran a new cable from the chassis ground on the shock tower to the solenoids - post. I left the ignition "trigger" wire stock and connected it to the spade terminal on the solenoid.[/QUOTE]

I suppose thats possible, but the starter is brand new, when the old starter did this to begin with, I decided to simply replace it instead of troubleshooting the issue. So, since I had the same issue with the new starter as with the old one, I've a feeling it isn't the starter. Since I discovered that for what ever reason my battery will start my wifes or my brothers cars, even half dead, but not mine, I have it charging on a new charger. I also dicovered my old charger wasn't working properly. Guess I'll find out later tonight once the battery is fully charged if I have some other issue. I sure hope not. I seem to be living by "Murphy's Law" with this thing up till now. It shoulda been runnin weeks ago!

 

I ran new ground cable from the battery to the mouting post on the drivers seat,

I'm assuming you are talking about one of the four bolts that holds the seat to the body of the car? Why not land one end of your ground to the bolt that holds the seat belt retractor to the unibody? Did you sand all the paint and primer off of your body and bolt head, before you landed your ground cable.


Also ran a new cable from the chassis ground on the shock tower to the solenoids - post.

Can you explain this to me, it sounds like you ran a ground to the starter solenoid? If so thats probably not good, and thats an understatement. The ground path for the starter is the starter body itself. You should only be connecting your positive cable from the battery and your wire from the ignition switch to the "S" terminal. Look at page 198 of your Haynes manual.