car won't crank.. not the starter

[Skyline-Tweak]

My brother and I rebuilt a 420a 2g 1995 eagle talon esi n/t engine with an automatic transmission. After the initial break-in we left the car dormant for the night. The next morning (before we tried starting it again) we did an oil change to remove any metal shavings from the break-in. While pouring oil into the engine a repeated clicking noise began to come from the right side of the engine bay. Afterwards the car would not start. There is no power going to the starter at all when in the car. Everything inside the car electronic-wise still works. The fuel pump works as well. We cannot find the starter relay. We also took the starter to advance auto and had it tested, and it worked amazingly well still. We bought a BWD starter cut-off relay but that was not the problem. Does anyone know what's going on??

 

[l3igl3ang]

My starter on my gsx did the same thing it would clikc and barley turn motor I took it out and jumped it it worked and spin like crazy but wouldnt work on the car ao I put another on it and it fixed it. I guess the start was shot I tried to use it on my part out car motor to check compression and same results. I would buy another starter and see if that fixs it

 

[Skyline-Tweak]

It's not the starter. We had it tested 2 days ago at Advance Auto. It's gotta be a switch or relay somewhere but I have absolutely no idea where the starter relay could possibly be. The guy at Advance said it was part of the fuse panel under the drivers side dash but if that's correct then it should work because it clicks.

 

[l3igl3ang]

Well the parts house tests the starter same way as u can but jumping it. My starter will pass and the parts house as well but it works but under a load it wont work. My just clicked and some times it would turn the motor over very slowly. Best way to test it is jump it straight from the starter and see if it turn the motor over. That will rule out if its a relay or not. Its tricky to jump cause u have to touch the cycloid wire to the hot first which engages it then touch hot to the power wire then the motor should take off just keep it in neutral and with the key on it should start the car.

 

[BIRDCLAWTSi]

Check the grounds. One way to eliminate the possibility of a bad chassis ground is to attach one end of a jumper cable (negative) to the negative battery terminal and the other end of the same cable (negative) to the engine on a clean, Bare metal surface, Try starting it then.

If you have a test light you can check to make sure the signal wire is getting signal when the ignition is turned. You will obviously need someone to turn the key while you hold it to the trigger wire. Also make sure there is at least 12 volts on the battery cable on the starter, If all checks out, The last thing is chassis ground.,

There are other possibilities like the relay, And the ignition switch itself. You can try starting it in neutral, Maybe a bad neutral safety switch/Brake switch.

Do you have the service manual?

 

[l3igl3ang]

also a OHMs meter would tell u if your getting enough volts to the starter.

 

[talonesi95t]

When I swapped the engine in my 420a 2g I did not connect the ground from the firewall to where the throttle body bolts to the intake. It would not start or click. Replaced starter and same thing. I was like there's no way this little wire is the cause. Guess what, I bolted it down with the throttle body bracket and fired right up.

 

[Skyline-Tweak]

So this morning we hooked up a 12V battery charger to the starter like you said and it fired right up, but it still doesn't start from the key. The key does shut it off though. I do have the Haynes service manual and it tells me the wire colors but I have no clue which ones they are.

 

[TSiAWD666]

Try cleaning the ignition switch, or better yet (since it's hard to know if once cleaned it will still work) replacing it. It's on the driver's side of the steering column held in by two phillips head screws (you'll need a low profile 90-deg phillips to get them out) and a pretty large wiring harness.

 

[Skyline-Tweak]

I believe we found the starter relay. If it is, it was found dangling behind the driver side kick panel. Here's the relay we pulled out. It has no writing on it or anything. Does anyone know what part number this would be? Or if this is even the starter relay?