Keep Blowing Starter Relays or something

[gotboostsc]

I was having a starting issue where I would go to start the car and I would just get a click. So after resarching and a bit of diagnosing I came to realize it was the starter Relay. I jumped out the starter selonoid to verify this. So i went to the junk yard and got one, replaced mine and it instantly started right up. So I drove it for a few hours, started it a few times then I went to start it again tonight and it did the same thing. I turn the key and all I get is click! Anybody have any suggestions?

 

[luv2rallye]

Check/adjust/replace (or disconnect) the clutch pedal position switch which disables the starter (actually activates the starter relay which disables starter) if the pedal is not pressed down.

 

[gotboostsc]

Thanks for the reply, but i already unplugged it.

 

[canada88]

check to make sure that the starter has a ground.

ground it on the trans bolt.

 

[gotboostsc]

Thanks for the reply, my starter is grounded.. Im thinking about running a seperate engine ground and a seperate dash ground just to make sure I have good grounds. Any other suggestons?

 

[frankenclipse]

I am not sure if the "click" you are hearing is the one from the relay or the sound of the solenoid engaging the flywheel???? it could possibly be that your starter is on its way out and acting flakey to let you know the end is near.... if you hear the relay when you press the clutch then that is good......if you hear a click when you try to turn the key that is more likely to be the starter...

 

[luv2rallye]

When key is turned to ON a click under the dash will be the MPI relay or IAC in the engine compartment. When key turned to Start, a dash click will be the FP relay or a starter click will be the starter solenoid (on starter). If starter click either the starter is bad or the battery cable connections are bad. Disconnect battery cables both ends, clean them and what they attach to, and reconnect tight. Make sure the large negative cable goes under the starter mounting bolt, not just to transaxel casing. Negative must also go to body/frame on separate cable.

 

[gotboostsc]

Its not the starter or soleniod because i can start the car from jumping out the soleniod to the battery... I actualy rebuilt the starter thinking i had a bad starter then when then still didnt fix it, I jumped out the starter selonoid directly to the battery and the car fires right up. I think i am just going to bypass all the electrial problems by just adding a push button switch wired from teh soleniod inside the car to start it. Basically doing the same thing I was outside the car but havign a button for it.

 

[luv2rallye]

You DO know that the starter relay actually activates (clicks) to DISABLE the starter don't you? To start, this relay should not be activting at all - did you get the proper relay and wire it up correctly? Are you sure this is the relay that is clicking? With your clutch position switch unplugged and if you don't care about an alarm, you can just remove the starter relay and replace it with a jumper (black/yellow to black/red).

Other possibles are your start position of ignition switch is bad, or black/yellow wire from ig sw to start relay is bad, or most likely the black/red from start relay to starter is bad. (Bad being shorted, or open, or connected wrong, or something else connected there that shouldn't be)

 

[gotboostsc]

The thing is though the "click" doesnt actually come from the relay, it comes from what sounds like the actual selonoid in the engine bay. When I first thought it was teh relay i relpaced it with a new one and the car started for like 4 times then I had the same problem. I actually just hooked up a wire from the starer selonoid through the firewall to a momentary push button I mounted yesterday, an then supplied the button with 12v from the fuse box (the gauges port). Now My car starts everytime with turning the key on and pushing my start button. Its actually kinda cool, not the correct fix but its a a neat mod.

 

[luv2rallye]

Glad you got it working. It does prove that something in that starter circuit is intermittent or bad (most likely the ignition switch (expensive), or less likely the black/yellow wire from ig sw to start relay, or black/red from start relay to starter or a connector). As always this would have been resolved much sooner had you given us the correct "click" info. But anyway enjoy you're new race car start switch.