2G TSi starter clicks but won't spin

[Dakota Biddinger]

So I went to start up my 95 Eagle Talon after putting a new engine in it, and when I went to turn the key the starter only clicked. I took the starter out and had a friend turn the key while I watched the starter and the gear went up, but didn't spin. I then put a different starter in it and it did the same thing. We checked if the battery was charged, and it was. We tried multiple things to try and fix it but none worked. Just wondering what it might be and how to fix it? Anything helps

 

[A Sharp]

The first step is to check the main supply voltage at the starter while you're attempting to crank. If that's dipping really low (less than 9 volts), you probably have bad connection(s) somewhere between the battery and the starter. Battery terminals are suspect here, as well as the terminal on the starter itself. A bad ground is possible as well - there is supposed to be a ground wire from one of the starter bolts to the chassis.

Next, if that all looks good, it's possible that the starter solenoid isn't getting enough voltage. If that's the case, it can't engage the starter properly. Check the voltage at the starter solenoid while attempting to crank. It needs at least 9 volts to work properly. I actually had this happen on my car. I was seeing about 6 volts at the starter solenoid. I fixed it by adding an additional relay to operate the starter solenoid.

 

[luv2rallye]

Bad battery cable or connections. Clean them all off and re-tighten. The battery negative cable needs to go directly to a starter mounting bolt (not to the body/frame and from there to the mounting bolt - that can drop some voltage at that connection under high starter current draw). A separate cable should go from battery negative to body/frame. Or it could be a weak/old battery (even though you charged it).

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

Thanks guys I'll definitely try what you guys said tomorrow. Right now there is one ground wire running from the negative battery terminal to the starter bolt and that's it. The battery connection clamps are pretty old and beat up so I'm not sure about those

 

[luv2rallye]

One negative wire is ok as long as it's the large one, no internal breaks, and the clamps on the ends of both battery cables (both ends of each) are clean and tight. The clamps sound like your problem - very common. The huge current the starter requires drops too much voltage across the resistance of poor connection clamps (dirty, corroded, not tight, etc). So voltage at starter drops from battery 12.6V to less than 9V which starter requires. {Other electrical things work because they don't draw as much current so way less voltage drop.}

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

One negative wire is ok as long as it's the large one, no internal breaks, and the clamps on the ends of both battery cables (both ends of each) are clean and tight. The clamps sound like your problem - very common. The huge current the starter requires drops too much voltage across the resistance of poor connection clamps (dirty, corroded, not tight, etc). So voltage at starter drops from battery 12.6V to less than 9V which starter requires. {Other electrical things work because they don't draw as much current so way less voltage drop.}

I'll have to get some new clamps then and see if that works. The clamps aren't good looking at all so I'll get some new ones and see if they work any better. I'll update once I do

 

[mechanized]

clamps and it never hurts to clean grounds and the bolt heads. corrosion can build up under the bolt heads and is easily missed if your not really looking. hope you get her fired.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

If it were me, I'd pull the starter and bench test it, then do all of the cleaning on terminals as mentioned. It could be old, wore out brushes in the starter itself if it doesn't spin. The armature wears them down over time. If you clean everything up and still have that problem, pull the starter and test.

 

[mechanized]

Agreed....if you're battery is charged you can use that with jumper cables( kinda cheap way of doing it )

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

I have two different starter and tried both but they both just went up but didn't spin. And the bolts that hold the ground onto the battery cable are pretty rusty

 

[luv2rallye]

Try cleaning battery cables both ends. Note to tell if your battery is weak (even though you charged it), you can try jumping the starter from another vehicle's battery that you know is good. You must connect to clean connection points or the starter itself however.

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

I took the battery out of a daily driver and that battery is perfect but it did the same thing

 

[IHeartMyHonda]

If you took it out of the car and tried it and they still don't spin, it seems like you have 2 bad starters. It doesn't take very much power at all to spin a starter with no load on it. Of course, all of the things the other people have said need to be checked as well, but I'd try a known good starter first.

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

So I tested the starter with jumper cables and it didn't spin still, and the battery was giving off about 12.4 volts. Does that mean that the starter is just bad ?

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

And everything is wired up right and everything is decently clean except for a couple bolts on the battery cables

 

[drmoreno_1]

If you got the starter out already just take it to autozone or advance and have them test it for you.

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

We don't have an AutoZone or any big stores like that here unfortunately. One starter is still in the car and one starter is out of it and neither of them spun

 

[mechanized]

I would try getting a new one and test it the same way with same battery...if it works then u know they're both bad...if it doesn't...return the new one

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

I ordered a new one

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

Can anybody tell em exactly what goes where on the starter ?

 

[boostdawd]

What do u mean? It should come together with the solenoid. There is a power cable that is held on by a nut. Then u have the clip for the starter solenoid.

 

[steve]

Did you try connecting the starters directly to the battery?
Use your jumper cables with positive to the stud, the negative to the casing and a jumper wire from the positive to the solenoid. Be careful to to short anything.

If that didn't work, they are dead.

 

[Project97GST]

So I literally just fixed an extremely similar issue and after trying everything you have I found that somehow the pins on my clutch pedal were gone so the clutch safety switch was the issue. I would try unplugging that.

 

[drmoreno_1]

Do you have a turbo timer? My car was doing the same thing. And it ended up being my turbo time was shorting out my ignition somehow so I won't get enough voltage to the starter.

 

[Dakota Biddinger]

Well I've heard that there are only 3 wires for the starter which is the main power, ground that goes to the negative terminal, and that little clip. But I just found out that mine has 4 wires. One goes to the positive battery terminal but it's disconnected? Could that be the problem ? I can post a pic if it helps because I didn't know exactly how to explain it