1G ... and now it wont start

[Matthew Mills]

Hello tuners,
I had repaired my ECU in a previous thread, thanks a bunch. I took it to get smogged and things were looking good. A few hours after I got it home I tried to start it again and all I get is clicking from under the dash, no crank at all. I looked up the "How to diagnose a no-start" and started checking things out.

1. Battery voltage tested fine. Even tried with a jump pack just in case. Also battery leads/posts are fine.
2. Took out starter, it tested fine. I replaced it anyway since the other was the original from 1990 and I had it out.
3. Tested the starter relay and its fine.
4. Disconnected the clutch safety switch. No change.
5. Checked the Alternator fuse (80 amp). Its fine.

Got any other ideas? I'm pretty stumped at this point.

 

[Brembo]

No start or no crank?

 

[Matthew Mills]

No start or no crank?

No crank.

 

[jakk220]

Check your ground for the starter.

 

[Brembo]

Put the car back together and try to jump the starter from starter relay. If it cranks then that part of the circuit works. If not then you need to go check the power wire for power and the trigger wire for power when cranking.

If the car cranks when jumping the relay then you need to check the control part of the relay. I don't have a visual of 1g dsm starting system but that's the usual way of checking for no crank.

By testing starter relay what exactly did you do?

Also any known alarm system in the car installed?

Food for thoughts. My 1g once didn't crank and it was the stopper on clutch pedal fall apart and was not ingaging the switch. It was just long time ago that I don't even remember anymore what I did at night but I am pretty sure I just disconnected it.

 

[Matthew Mills]

Update - I had a mechanic friend of mine give me some steps, much like what Brembo said:

1) Put car back together. Measure the voltage across the battery when turning the key. If there is a drop it means power is going to the starter but its not cranking. Turns out there was no drop in voltage.
2) Check that the relay switch side is getting 12V when the key is turned. It is getting 12V.
3) Check the ground on the starter. Checked okay.
4) Check the 12V power line to the starter. Checked okay.
5) Check the signal line to the starter coil when turning the key. NO VOLTAGE. Looks like something from the relay to the starter coil is having problems.

I did a continuity check from the relay pin to the starter coil. It showed some signal but there was a lot of resistance on the line. I plan to replace the connector and check for breaks/corrosion. If that fails I will run a new wire.

I do not have an alarm system on the car, and I have already disconnected the clutch safety switch.

I had tested the starter relay by putting voltage across pin 1 and 2. The relay clicked. Then I checked the continuity between 3 and 4 while voltage is applied.

 

[Brembo]

Good job. Experience tells me that running a new wire is easier then repairing a broken wire. Simply because you might have to solder in weird places. Sometimes you have no choice. Also if you can try to pull on the wire by the connector or where ever it's easiest to access. If it is partly broken it is possible to find it by pulling on it. Good luck. Take pictures of where the problem was and post it. Maybe someone will find it useful.

 

[Matthew Mills]

Update - I replaced the end connector to the starter thinking it had corroded, but once it was back together, still no crank. The wire is all bound up in the harness and its really hard to pull anywhere. I did check the wires going to the starter relay and they are all fine. SOOO, i need to run a new wire. I tried to find a good place to run the wire but I cannot figure out the BEST/EASIEST place to do that and I would rather not start drilling holes just anywhere. Any suggestions? I tried to fish something through were the A/C relays are but they do a 180 degree turn in the side panels. I tried looking for some examples for turbo gauge wiring but I haven't found a good example yet.