1991 240SX will push start but will not start using starter

[Owen]

Got up the other day going to work. Car started fine. Got to work and all was still fine. I didn't try to restart the car right away though. Got off work and tried to start car and I got - NOTHING. All the lights came on, the radio, flashers, blinkers, headlights. But turning the ignition netted me nothing, not even the familiar clicking noise of the starter solenoid. I finally got a nice associate to help me push start it. Started right up and stayed running until I got home. It would appear to me that the starter or something associated with the ignition circuitry is seriously wrong.

I really can't jack the car up high enough to get to the starter using it's sissor-type jack. Since the starter is shielded by some sort of mount, I can't even get to the terminals to measure the voltage going to it.

I know there's also a fusible link between the battery and the starter. Do these burn out commonly? I wouldn't think so - but then I don't do this for a living. Is there anything else to look for or is this problem 99% bad starter? Let me know what you think...

Owen

[DAEDALUS]

If the fusible link looks good then look at the relay. It should have 12V available for the starter, and when you turn the key to start it should have 12V on the other set of terminals to close the relay. This will narrow down the problem at least to one circuit or the other. If the link is blown then you might have a short somewhere, maybe in the starter itself. You can check resistance of the motor to ground at the relay socket.

[s13sr20chris]

he knows his stuff eh?