420A Once the car is warm and turned off it will not restart or try

[Nutsbad10]

I just purchased a 98 5 speed eclipse with the knowledge that it would need some work. The car is in great shape with 85k. Aside from a header that someone put on the car everything else is stock. That creates some excessive heat. The car will start and drive great. Once the car it turned off it will not start. It won't even try. All of the power turns on just no crank. It has only done this once the car is warm. I've replaced the thermostat, both of the heat sensors on the thermostat housing, The crank and cam position sensors along with a few other things. The battery has more than enough amps. I haven't pulled the starter to see if the solenoid is starting to fail yet. I'm hoping that is it and not a computer issue. Has anyone else had a problem like this or does anyone have any suggestions. Thanks!

 

[DogWhistle]

The starter probably is your problem. Sometimes high engine heat expands the solenoid and/or housing so much, that it will not spin. It will be hard to reproduce this symptom on the bench. You may just have to get another starter to test with.

 

[DSM1G90]

Yea, more than likely that the four brushes inside at the end of the starter are shot..been there and done that with a starter replacement on these reduction type starters.

 

[Nutsbad10]

Thanks guys I will give that a shoot and let you know for future reference.

 

[dsmTripp]

My car does this as well but only after I have drivin it for around 45+ mins. Then it has to cool for around 30 min befor it will start. As for my starter I replaced it a couple years ago.

 

[ervin00]

You could try to jump the starter with a hot wire or a remote start switch to see if it is indeed the starter. But all signs points to the starter solenoid being bad.

 

[Nutsbad10]

Yeah Dsmtrip that is exactly the time frame for mine. I hope it is the solenoid on the starter and not the computer. Today when I got home I turned it off and it started back up. So I turned the car on and off until it wouldn't start, probably about 5 times.

 

[spyderdrifter]

So, since this hasen't been asked yet, will your starter gear even come out of the housing once you try to restart it?

 

[DSM1G90]

cool for around 30 min

Points towards a bad temp sensor, or even a tired ECU.

 

[dsmTripp]

Well as for my car ecu is fresh from ecmlink so I doubt that's my problem. To the op I can start mine up right after I turn it off as well but if I let it sit for any amount of time it won't start. It will crank but won't start.

 

[Nutsbad10]

No, mine won't do anything. The starter won't even engage. There is a slight draw of power because the lights on my instrument cluster will dim such as the brake or door open light but nothing will happen at all. The only sound you get is the fuel pump if you listen very carefully. The temperature sensor is brand new. I replaced both of the sensors below the thermostat housing along with the thermostat.

 

[DSM1G90]

Wire from the battery to the starter isn't connected, the key switch wire not attached to the solenoid, starter bendix assembly jammed, brushes in the starter burnt ... a host of things that can keep a starter from turning and engaging.

 

[Nutsbad10]

I replaced the starter. I will drive it for a few days and let you guys know if the problem persists.

 

[01GSX]

There is also a starter relay inside the cabin. That might be the issue too.

 

[Nutsbad10]

Okay, coming back to this. I have changed everything and had the computer rebuilt. I have changed the ignition switch that is in the steering column twice just to ensure that I didn't replace a bad part with a new faulty one. I have not replaced the starter relay behind the radio yet. I'm not sure why heat would matter for that but I'm going to try it out anyway. I'd love to have this car repainted, its in great shape but I'm not going to take that time or spend the money if I can't figure this out. Guys, I am running out of options here.

 

[lasershark]

Instead of spending money on a starter relay you can just bypass it, at least to rule it out.

 

[pauleyman]

Does the car not crank? Or not start?

 

[inthemidst]

Get the car hot to where it won't start grab a long wire attach it to the positive terminal and try touching it to the solenoid to see if its your starter or wiring/relays .

 

[asexton6969]

Stop throwing parts at it and think logically. If the car will NOT CRANK, then none of the coolant temp sensors, thermostat, cam and crank sensors have anything to do with that. We are looking at the starting system at this point. Is this a 4G63 or 420A? With or without FACTORY alarm? Is there an aftermarket alarm on the car?

 

[msheller]

Just to verify....YOU replaced the starter?

 

[pauleyman]

All the grounds are present?

 

[Nutsbad10]

Yes, I replaced the starter. There is an alarm on the system that is not connected. I do not have a key fob for the alarm and it has never gone off. All grounds are present. It does not do it all the time. It just seems to do it until the motor cools back down. During the winter it hardly ever does it. It seems like something is telling the computer that its too hot. In the summer when its 90 out if it s parked in the sun I seem to have the same issue. When it does do this nothing happens, there is not crank. I will get a click in the starter relay area behind the radio and that's it. Thanks for your input.

It is a 420A

 

[Nutsbad10]

Its got to be something electrical. I was just hoping that someone else had experienced the same issue. Prior to me purchasing the vehicle someone installed a header. I had originally thought that the starter was getting cooked by the header. I've replaced that twice with that thinking the second one failed the test. I wrapped the header to help shield the starter. There's not much to these vehicles.

 

[asexton6969]

Is the vehicle automatic or manual? You said there is an aftermarket alarm installed but you are not sure if this vehicle has a factory alarm installed?

 

[91dsm]

I had the same problem with my 420a a few years ago. I never solved it but I ended up making a killswitch. I found that if the battery was disconnected for about 30 seconds and then reconnected the car would start right up. Hopefully you dont have to resort to something like that.