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Resolved 2G No crank No start

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Leo

Probationary Member
22
1
Sep 26, 2015
Stockton, California
My 97 GST will not start. I have tested the battery, checked fuses and followed many other threads on how to diagnose but can not get it to start. The battery is about 6 years old but through multiple tests it checks out fine. It clicks but the motor will not turn over.

I tried jumping it and it cranks very slowly for a few seconds then stops and only clicks. I hear a strange clicking noise from the engine bay near the starter when I remove the key.

If someone could please help me out, I will greatly appreciate it.
 
Solution
Sorry guys for the late reply but it turns out it was the starter. Bought a brand new starter from Amazon and turned over with no hesitation. Thank you guys, much appreciated.
Sounds like a solenoid issue. From my understanding, it must move the starter gear into the ring gear, and in the process Closes a contact that gets the starter motor turning. Your description has some elements of low battery charge—the classic click of the solenoid acting, but then not having the juice to spin the starter motor. Sometimes this repeats with rapid clicking but no spin.
But yours is spinning sometimes, so perhaps the solenoid contact is poor, so not getting full voltage to starter motor.
This all assumes that your battery really is fine, as you described, and it is not a battery cable drain. Have you pulled the starter out. They can be disassembled and repaired, but obviously easier to swap in a rebuilt/ known good one.
 
Sounds like the starter is probably shot. If you remove it you can test it with jumper cables. Clamp one end on the positive lead wire coming out of the starter going to the solenoid and then tap the negative against one of the mounting ears. It should spin over if its good. It will jump out of your hand if your not holding it well. If it spins over then you need to test it thru the solenoid. You can also bring it to most parts stores and they can just test it. Either way (Starter or Solenoid) you have to buy a new starter as they are only sold as a unit
 
It sounds like a bad starter is a possibility to me too, as long as the ground and positive are good and clean and can be ruled out.
 
Ditto on the starter. I had a similar issue on a different car recently, a 2010 Kia Rio. Usually it turned over and started, but even then it hesitated initially, like the battery was weak even though it wasn't. But sometimes it started to turn over but stopped before ignition.

I replaced the battery, which got it started, but the problem came back fairly soon. So I replaced the starter, problem solved. The car now starts right away, no hesitation, no pause, no weird noises. Cost around $80 at Amazon for aftermarket. You'll probably have to remove some parts to replace it, e.g. exhaust, center member, but as fixes go it's not that bad.

You could also remove the starter and test it or have it tested to make sure it's bad before buying a new one. It might or might not be fixable (as opposed to a complete rebuild).
 
Sort of funny how the factory service manual has detailed steps for repairing the both the starter and alternator, but for the complexity and hassle of finding replacement internals, time and tools, its way easier and not very costly to just purchase a new/rebuilt/good-used unit and swap it out.
 
I recently rebuilt all 4 brake calipers instead of replacing them, including cleaning and painting. A lot of work but more satisfying (and cheaper, if you don't factor the labor value of my free time).

For those looking to save time, though, replacement is definitely the way to go. It's what I did with my other car's starter, in fact. Plus starters are a lot more complicated than most calipers. Then again there are 4 of them to just 1 starter.
 
Agreed. Calipers aren’t too tricky, and you can usually get the parts in one kit, reasonably priced. 1g AWD rears are scarce, so rebuild might be the only option. Alternators and starters, on the other hand, don’t seem to me as applicable, unless it’s part of the hobby-aspect of repairing the original, and there isn’t a laundry list of other project goals/ repairs to move on to. Starting and charging are obviously necessary, Though it seems like most dsm owners have bigger goals.
 
The two drawbacks I've found to rebuilding calipers is that they're pretty heavy, making it a bit hard to handle them, and brake fluid is pretty nasty stuff even with gloves on.

I'm a lot happier rebuilding parts on my road bike, which was my original introduction to mechanical repair and SO much simpler! But I don't NEED a bike. I need a car. :p
 
Sorry guys for the late reply but it turns out it was the starter. Bought a brand new starter from Amazon and turned over with no hesitation. Thank you guys, much appreciated.
 
Solution
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