Resolved 97 Eclipse Spyder GST Click No Start

[margowski86]

Drove the car to work and when I went to go home, it would only click. Thought I’d be able to jump it and it was a battery, but it wasn’t. Push started just to get home. Battery is old and tested bad so I replaced it. Still just clicks. The ground to the engine tests good and the voltage to the starter tests good. The resistance tests good in the wires. Pulled the starter and took it to AutoZone for them to test it and the crackhead there said it bench tested bad so I replaced it. Still just clicks.

Recommendations from anyone? I’m about to throw a starter relay at it unless there’s any other ideas. I appreciate it.

 

[luv2rallye]

Any large battery cable (+ or -) connection point that has even 0.1 ohm will prevent starter from operating properly. The huge current (50-100A) that flows to the starter will drop too much voltage at that point leaving not enough for starter. This point may be a cable terminal (either end) that is not clean, is corroded, not tight enough, large enough (or broken strands), etc or a cable that has a burnt/damaged point inside. The point often cannot be found by measuring resistance because either the meter will not measure that low or the resistance changes when the large current flows, or there's an internal crack in the cable that shows up only with vibration or bending, etc. The better way is to measure voltage drop ONLY WHILE CRANKING. Start by measuring battery voltage while cranking to make sure battery has enough power. Then measure voltage AT THE STARTER TERMINALS to see how much has been dropped while cranking (most starters need 9.6v minimum while engaged to turn engine over). If interested in finding the drop, measure voltage across any connection point (eg. battery terminal to battery post) and also along length of cables while cranking. All these voltage measurements must be done when ignition key is in Start position (ie. while cranking or trying to crank).

Usual remedy:
Disconnect both large battery cable terminals, both ends of each, and clean them and the battery posts they go to (make sure negative cable goes under a starter mounting bolt head). Clean their contacting surfaces with sandpaper or special wire brush cable terminal cleaning tool. Then re-tighten them securely. Coat positive terminal with dielectric grease, or petroleum jelly.

 

[steve]

Where is is clicking, at the starter or inside the car?

Get out the multimeter and check to see if you're seeing the signal at the starter. Then look at the starter relay and see if you're seeing it on the input and output of the relay.

Since it's a manual make sure the Clutch Safety Switch is functioning or disconnected. It's not unusual for the rubber bumper that pushes the CSS in wears out of falls out. It's also possible that the switch itself has failed. The point of the CSS is to break the signal from the ignition to the starter if you're not pushing the clutch in when starting and it does so by the clutch relay opening the connection (and clicking in the process) between the two.

Also check to see if the car has a factory or aftermarket theft/alarm. Either can cause issues here.

 

[margowski86]

Thanks all for your help, everything tested good. Jumped the starter relay and it fire right up. Ordered a starter relay and now it starts up. However, I broke off the throttle body hose connector to the intake blowoff valve now it’s running rough. can’t find a stock one anywhere is there a easy plug and play aftermarket one anyone recommends?