Hello, I've been lurking here for a few years, but I've finally made an account to join in.
I have a 2007 Nissan Quest that won't start. I pulled the starter and did three bench tests (motor, pinion, and solenoid) and all three functioned just fine. When it's in the car, trying to start it up just makes the starter spin, without the pinion popping forward to engage the flex plate. I'm fine with mechanical issues, but I'm less experienced with the electrical side of things. Since the pinion, motor, and solenoid are still all operable, what might cause this failure? The connector from the solenoid into the harness looks like it's in good shape, but I suppose there could be a corroded wire somewhere in the harness. Would a bad relay cause the starter the solenoid to fail to engage the pinion, even when the starter motor is being powered?
Thanks for reading!