Car wont start....

[Kouks]

1990 Nissan 240sx base

Battery is good, fuel pump works, doesnt even crank. Clutch pedal button malfunction?

how do I know when my starter finally dies? This happened to me before, but it would always eventually start again. It makes no sound now.

Help......
Modified by Kouks at 1:22 PM 4/27/2005

[NismoTypeX]

Probally some simple test might help you out. Turn on the lights and see if they Dim when you turn the key. This may be a sign of a shorted starter. Do you hear any noise...A click or something? when turning the key. My car wouldn't crank becasue I had a bad Negative battery cable (check for corrosion).

[Kouks]

No definitely not a battery problem. Headlights dont dim. light on clock dims when trying to start.....No corrosion. Fairly new Optima red top. Help.......

[NISTECH]

by your starter there is a single wire going to it. disconnect that connect and use a test light or volt meter to test for battery voltage at that connector when the key is turned to the starter position.

[Kouks]

Ok, if its good i will get how many volts, and obviously if its bad, I get nothing, if its not getting any power(what do I replace, or look for)

This sounds really bad, but I obviously wasnt thinking. I was in a hurry toget my car started, and I took a wrench, and a volt meter to test for power. (I forgot to take off the negative battery terminal) anyway, I touched the starter connection with my wrench and it shocked the crap outta me.....my arm went numb. its gotta be getting power.........car still doesnt start, starter dead?
Modified by Kouks at 12:23 PM 4/28/2005

[audtatious]

Gotta watch grounding the wrench on the power wire at the starter. I've seen that cause wrenches to bend.

It does sound like a starter problem. To verify, I would remove the starter and take it to a AutoZone (or some similar place) to have it bench tested.

[NISTECH]

you didnt need a wrench to check for power, you mearly need to unplug the single wire gray connector and probe it to see if it got power when the key was turned to start.

[audtatious]

you didnt need a wrench to check for power, you mearly need to unplug the single wire gray connector and probe it to see if it got power when the key was turned to start.

LOL

In my case, it wasn't me, but some idiot trying to remove the starter from a Falcon without disconnecting the battery

[hysteria]

before you check your starter do this....

look down at the clutch pedal button (kind of neutral safety switch) to see that it depresses correctly. see if it is plugged in. check all of that out because those are poorly made and will fail occasionally in various ways. there is a little rubber plug that is attached to an armature on the clutch pedal. the rubber plug is there to push the neutral safety switch in... mine just broke and fell out so the car did absolutely nothing when i tried to start it, so of course i assumed problems with the starter. luckily i just checked that real quick before going to work on the car and i got it started in 5 seconds instead of jacking the car up and working on the starter for hours to find out it's fine.

[Kouks]

I feel really bad not unplugging the battery. I really am smarter than that, ive rebuilt 2 engines before ad they both still run. I have a couple college classes under my belt for Automotive Technology. Dumb mistake, and a risky one.

If that wire has power when it is turned to on, the starter is definitely getting power. If its dead though, that doesnt matter right?

The clutch pedal button i personally pushed in with my thumb, and the car didnt start. How do I test to make sure that button is getting power and its working correctly?

I am gonna try the solenoid by the starter to see if i get a reading.

I unplugged that connector and stuck my voltage meter to the inside of the solenoid. I didnt get reading . Its not a digital voltmeter, ( i had it on the 10v setting) andI didnt see the needle move. Is that connector bad, or could it be something else? Did I do it wrong?


Modified by Kouks at 11:18 AM 4/29/2005

[hysteria]

if you want to try and test the starter aside from the car you can bypass the whole system by running a wire (preferably with a switch) directly from the battery to the starter... then you can just flip the switch and see if the starter moves or not... that way you dont have to remove the starter to test it.

[NISTECH]

The solonoid connector is what I am talking about and i am not saying turn the key to the on position, I am saying have someone help you by holding it in the start position and hold it there with the clutch pedal held down. You should be unplugging the solonoid connector and testing for power, if you have power your starter is bad, if you dont have power then something else is wrong. The starter check is about the easiest test to do on the system as the connector is completely visable from the top and takes about 2 seconds to do the test.

[Kouks]

Alright did the test, I have power to the connector. starter is bad then.


Modified by Kouks at 9:15 AM 4/30/2005

[NISTECH]

yep

[Kouks]

Alright! It runs again! I dont know how long a starter job is supposed to take, but with just a floorjack and one jackstand, it took me forty five minutes to do the whole thing. ( Of course I had basic sockets and wrenches!)

Thanks

KOUKS(Brandon)

[NISTECH]

you did good. in shop best time would be around 20.