Wont always start just clicks... tried everything

[dsm4life]

Ok i don't know where else to go here guys. What happens SOMETIMES is when i turn the key i get a click sound and thats it, after playing for a little bit sometimes it starts. Sometimes it clicks once sometimes it clicks 30 times before i can start it. I don't know what else to try , this is what i tried:

1) 2 new starters (last one was tested in the store)
2) New battery
3) New ground cables for the battery (batt to firewall and neg terminal to starter)
4) New ign switch

I took to my local guy and he couldn't find out what it was. I am desperate over here

 

[steve]

You're saying the solenoid clicked without the clutch depressed?

No, I'm saying that with the clutch out the and the ignition switch turned to start something clicks, most likely the starter relay in the dash. On a MT car the starter relay contacts are normally closed. The CSS grounds the relay coil so that when the clutch is out and the ignition switch is in the start position the relay opens the contacts and no voltage reaches the starter solenoid and you hear the starter relay click in the car. I wanted to make it clear that there is a sound heard. You may have been talking about the starter solenoid clicking but sitting in the car you can't tell if it's the solenoid or relay clicking.

The basic starter circuit is pretty simple on both generations, the optional theft-alarm adds additional stuff to check because it provides an parallel path to ground for the starter relay coil to the CSS.

I'd check the starter relay to make sure 12v from the ignition switch makes it to pin 3 and make sure there is a good low resistance path between pin 3 and the starter. Depending on what you find work from there. While you at the starter relay check to make sure pin 1 isn't grounded when you try to start.

Steve

 

[huafist]

No, I'm saying that with the clutch out the and the ignition switch turned to start something clicks, most likely the starter relay in the dash. On a MT car the starter relay contacts are normally closed. The CSS grounds the relay coil so that when the clutch is out and the ignition switch is in the start position the relay opens the contacts and no voltage reaches the starter solenoid and you hear the starter relay click in the car. I wanted to make it clear that there is a sound heard. You may have been talking about the starter solenoid clicking but sitting in the car you can't tell if it's the solenoid or relay clicking.

Ahh... makes sense now.

 

[gsxt-rex]

any luck with this issue yet im having the same problem on my 97 x

 

[dsm4life]

I havent gotten my car back from the paint shop so i havent tried anything else yet. I search for the topic here and there and found a post (that i lost) that stated when we have a lot of things hooked up in our cars that sometimes it draws power away from the starter relay trigger. He said i think there was a way to rewire it so it gets the correct amoutn of power. This is why i was going to try and go to a push start to get around that relay.

 

[dsm4life]

how come i got an email about trying to boost someone elses reputation status from my orginal post ?