Do I have a current withdraw?

ASSISTANCE Electrical & Entertainment Systems
1

FCM where you at? You seem to be the guru in electrical. My problem is similiar to that “young-richie” post.

Here it goes,

Basically my car doesn’t start at all if I just let the car sit for three days. Heres what happens:
key in the ignition then turn it all the way to start. As I’m holding it steady to the start position, I get absolutly NO sound! Doesn’t turn over. I heard the fuel pump go off. The only way to start it is if I jump start it.

I also get starting delays. Meaning, when holding the key steady to the start postion the engines starts in about 3 to 5 seconds!?

What do you think my problem is?

2

alternator? battery? ever deep cycle it? how old is it? you get dimming lights when trying to start?

and yes FCM is the man. but i never understand the 94

3

[QUOTE=Man A;1739404]alternator? battery? ever deep cycle it? how old is it? you get dimming lights when trying to start?

and yes FCM is the man. but i never understand the 94[/QUOTE]

Two year old “Red” optima battery
Never changed the alternator. First owner
Dimming? The first couple of tries lights don’t dim . But when continuing to start it a couple of more times yes the lights start dimming.

4

with the lights dimming only after a few trys sounds like the battery is good and is being charged meaning the alt is fine. you also said it would not turn over. maybe its your starter. check all your connections. like on the battery and the starter. im also supprised you have the original alt. nice

5

If I understand you, when you turn the ign. key to start the motor does not turn over, but if you hold it there for 5 sec. it will turn over and start, is that correct?:stare:94

6

is this onyl if ur leave the car sitting for a few days? this happenes even over ngiht?

7

have your buddy watch a volt meter over the battery and see how far it drops down. or you can take it to kragens and have them check it with a vat40 (checks performance of starting, charging circuits)

8

Yes that is correct. That is if I’m lucky. Sometimes it won’t start at all.(If left in the garage for a couple of days). But if I start the car everyday say going to work everyday, the car starts normal and fine.

9

Yes. But not overnite. read my post above:up:

10

So as long as it turns over it will start?

If it does not turn over, holding it to start for a bit will sometimes work, or turning it off and on or leaving it for a bit will also work?

Have you checked the obvious things, batt. terminal connections, batt. to starter motor/solenoid connection and the solenoid plug in trigger lead, [starter wire]?

A common problem with G2s is burnt contacts on the ign. switch.

Is this an auto or manual transmission?:hmm:94

11

[QUOTE=fcm;1739969]So as long as it turns over it will start?

If it does not turn over, holding it to start for a bit will sometimes work, or turning it off and on or leaving it for a bit will also work?

Have you checked the obvious things, batt. terminal connections, batt. to starter motor/solenoid connection and the solenoid plug in trigger lead, [starter wire]?

A common problem with G2s is burnt contacts on the ign. switch.

Is this an auto or manual transmission?:hmm:94[/QUOTE]

  1. Yes it will start when it turns over.
  2. yes
  3. I’ve changed both positive and negative battery cables. Cleaned contact surfaces. Battery to solenoid? starter wire? They all look good visually.
    Note: I never changed the starter. (first owner). Could the starter solenoid be bad already?
  4. Is it easy to replace the switch?
  5. I have a manual tranny. 1991 GS Mods are basic performance intake, headers and exhaust.
12

You say there is absolutely no sound when you turn the key to start.

Your sure there is not a “click” coming from the console, below the HU, area?

The starter relay is located there, if the solenoid was the problem you would still hear the starter relay click on and off as you turn the key from start to run and back to start.

Try this, unplug the starter lead from the starter solenoid, then while listening carefully turn ign. switch from run to start, if you do not hear the click hold the key to start for that 5 sec. to see if it clicks, remember to wait after you turn on the ign. to run for the PGM-FI Main Relay to cycle, [it will click on and off] do not turn key to start until after the CEL has gone out.

If you do not hear the starter relay click or it only does after holding key to start or repeatedly turning the key to start, the problem is not the starter or starter solenoid, it can be the starter relay, the clutch interlock switch, the ign. switch or in the wiring associated with the above.

All the above are easy to replace, including the ign. switch, on a G2 only the switch itself needs to be replaced, not the key cylinder or housing.:whisper:94

13

[QUOTE=fcm;1740462]You say there is absolutely no sound when you turn the key to start.

Your sure there is not a “click” coming from the console, below the HU, area?

The starter relay is located there, if the solenoid was the problem you would still hear the starter relay click on and off as you turn the key from start to run and back to start.

Try this, unplug the starter lead from the starter solenoid, then while listening carefully turn ign. switch from run to start, if you do not hear the click hold the key to start for that 5 sec. to see if it clicks, remember to wait after you turn on the ign. to run for the PGM-FI Main Relay to cycle, [it will click on and off] do not turn key to start until after the CEL has gone out.

If you do not hear the starter relay click or it only does after holding key to start or repeatedly turning the key to start, the problem is not the starter or starter solenoid, it can be the starter relay, the clutch interlock switch, the ign. switch or in the wiring associated with the above.

All the above are easy to replace, including the ign. switch, on a G2 only the switch itself needs to be replaced, not the key cylinder or housing.:whisper:94[/QUOTE]

Absolutly NO sound as you discribed. In reality, the ONLY sound I hear is a faint whining sound coming (I think) from the cluster.
Yes I tried instructions on your second paragraph. It worked according to what you said. When the CEL goes out, it makes a normal click sound right? Are you implying that the starter can last 15 years? So why is my car not starting when its been sitting for three days?

Okay, so what should I replace first that is the cheapest buy? And if you do suggest one of the following, can you send me a link going about how to replace it? Thanks.

14

There is no reason a starter can’t last 15 years or more, if you are not hearing the starter relay click when you turn the ign. switch to start, then, as I said, the problem is not the starter, it has to be before the starter.

To confirm that it is not the starter or the starter solenoid, unplug the starter wire from the solenoid, then us a jumper wire and
supply power directly to that terminal on the starter motor/solenoid, [that you unplugged the starter wire from] from the batt. pos,(+), make sure car is NOT IN GEAR, if motor turns over it will confirm that the problem is not at the starter motor/solenoid.

The problem must be before there, in one of the things I mentioned before.

There is really no point in starting to replace things until you know what needs to be replaced.

Do you have a multimeter or even a 12V test light?

There are a few tests, [bypasses] you can do to find the problem.

Start by pulling the HU out, you should be able to access the starter relay without pulling the console, I beleave the relay is mounted, [in a G2] to the dash sub frame below the HU, [and pocket] and has a 3 wire plug, 2 black/white leads, [starter wire] and 1, much smaller gauge, black/blue, or blue/black lead, [clutch interlock switch], if you have a meter or test light, check for power on the black/white leads when you turn ign. to start.
If you have no power on either of black/white leads, it’s a good bet the problem is the ign. switch.

If you do have power on one of them, check for a ground on the thinner clutch interlock lead, when you step on the clutch.
You can also just use a jumper lead from ground to the thinner clutch interlock switch lead, just stuff one end of jumper into plug/terminal with the thinner clutch interlock lead and ground the other end to the chassis. or metal dash sub frame, if car starts, the problem is the clutch interlock switch, will need to replace the switch, [mounted high on clutch lever], you can temporarily bypass it by unplugging it and use a jumper to connect the black lead, [ground input] to the black/blue or blue/black, or you can just leave the jumper in the starter relay.
You can also bypass both the relay and clutch interlock switch by unplugging the relay and installing a jumper between the 2 black/white leads in the plug.:bowthank: 94

15

i have the same problem it sounds like. i want to try the test that fcm mentions. does anybody have a diagram of the starter? im not quite sure which wire is which. its also hard to see all around it so i want to make sure i am working with the right wires

16

alright nevermind about that diagram… i found one and did the test where i connect a wire from the + on the bat to the starter wire connection and i got the same result as i did when i tried to turn the key. same exact result. so this means my problem is the starter motor/solenoid, right?

17

That is correct.:sipread:94

18

i took the starter down to auto zone and got it tested. the starter works fine & passed all the tests. what else could it be?

19

Assuming you did the bypass test properly, from pos.(+) of batt. to trigger input on starter solenoid, it only leaves a poor power connection to starter motor/solenoid or a chassis to motor grounding problem.:hmm:94

20

im have a poblem along these same lines so i wanted to subscribe to check it out later. also mabe “archivethis”