2G talon AWD - Starter works sporatically HELP!

[shuedaman]

I've got a 2G, stock AWD talon. i've had it for four months now and it's worked just fine. the other day i went out to car and starter didn't turn! Everything electrical works - sunroof, windows, lights, radio, etc. but car starter does not turn. got the car started, drove it home, and the next day it started up fine. has been starting sporatically like this for 3 weeks now, and when the starter turns it sounds just fine. dead spot in starter? my thoughts are centered around security - previous owned may have had security system installed, i think, and its not there anymore. how about stock security system? all i have is a key, no remote came with car. ideas?

 

[yoshimitsuspeed]

My car has had a simalar problem. The odd thing too was that when I wiggled my shifter around as when I am trying to find nuetral it seemd to have an effect on wheather it worked or not. I asked a couple mechanics and the laughed and said it was unrelated. I think my starter relay is dying and the vibration might have jostled it into position. To complicate things more the wire that triggers the starter was making a weak connection and finally fell off. Since the clip has gotten loose it still falls off ocasionally and I have to plug it back in. This is probably where I would start. They put the starter in a vety inconvienient place. Now that I have done this a few dozen times I can do it in the dark but the first times are a little difficult. The wire is pretty much directly on top of the starter, the starter is directly underneath the intake manifold. The easiest way I found to get at it is by going under the manifold from the drivers side. I do have my AC removed so this may effect accessibility. Use a flashlight and look down between the spaces on the manifold and you should see the starter, if your car has completly died the wire may have fallen completly off in which case you will see a small metal conector and hopefully a single wire nearby otherwise on top there will be a small wire, wiggle it around and see if it easily tries to fall off. If it is secure wiggle the main positive and the negitive wires on the starter to make sure they are tight.
If it is the relay under your dash it should sound different when it doesn't start, asidefrom the starter engaging. When you try to start it listen for a click under your dash. If this sounds different or not at all when it doesn't turn over your relay might be going bad. Of course there are other places your problem could be but these are the common ones I know of. After that I would bust out the test light and start wiggling wires around.

 

[shuedaman]

sounds exactly like the problem i am having, and i know exactly what you're talking about with clikcing under the dash. very helpful, i'll post results when get a chance to look at in next few days.

thanks

 

[shuedaman]

it's been two weeks after replacing the starter, and the problem seems to have disappeared. also sounds much better at startup!

 

[yoshimitsuspeed]

Nice