Starter won’t crank (unless I trick it)
 

Hello,

Before you say”battery”… it ain’t dead. Twisting the key does absolutely nothing, everything works, just doesn’t crank at all.

However, If I take the relay in the trunk out, jump the fat (YE & YE/BK) wire leads, twist the key and the starter cranks away but the motor won’t start. The two leads to that activate the relay show no voltage when the key is twisted.

I had and identical problem when the computer under the seat got swamped (since been replaced) Took it out, opened it up and it looks fine. So does the starter relay (It’s just not getting V. to it). And of course checked the fuse, fine. I always a make a point of pulling electrical connections on and off a couple of times to assure a good connection.

The obvious choice is the ignition switch. But again, when I jump the starter relay, it will crank when I twist the key. According to my wiring diagram there is only one lead that is activated when the key is twisted to start. ALSO it's not the clutch switch, it's jumped.

This has been an intermittent problem while I’ve had the car up for mods. (nothing that is related to this circuitry that I know of).

Ideas??

PK

Could still be the ignition switch. Could also be the car's ground wire.

Starter solenoid"?

Thanks,

The ignition switch is still on the table. Dosn’t quite jive with the fact that the starter cranks (but doesn’t start) when I jump the relay…but that fact doesn’t jive with wiring diagrams either (as best I can see)

Though I didn’t see any signs of corrosion on the ground straps I bumped into, I’ve clean 3 out of 7, all those in the proximity of the pertinent components I checked.

Sounds like voodoo but this has all happened while the battery had a charger hooked to it. 1 time was when I didn’t have it on charge and ran the battery down and recharged it. Most recently, I’d left the radio on all night with charger on…only pertinent variable I see in the proceeding problem free 2 years.

Regards, PK

Good guess...but the starter does crank with the key, like nobodies biz if I jump the relay...just won't start

Thanks, PK

How, old is the battery? Maybe it's fried since you charged it.

It's fine, like the first line in my post says. Proof, if I "jump" the starter relay, the starter whures away just fine, won't start though.

Thanks, PK

Then something is not connected to your DME properly.