Starter, Inhibitor, Relay Question

[Alan]

Hi,My wife's '92 Q 116k miles has been having intermittent no start for about a week.

Searched the archives and found a very similar post by Brad, last year. All electrical functions as usual but the starter is not getting power.

The blue underhood relay appears to be working properly, I pried the top off, since I have a new one on the way from Joe T. The contacts look clean and the solenoid is pulling.

Right now the car won't start, but I can't work on it where it is very easily. I am thinking I should look at the "inhibitor", formerly known as neutral safety switch? Any hints on where to find it, how to check?

Also need to know best place to put a garage jack, under pan with wood block? or front cross member.

All input appreciated, as usual.Thanks, Alan

[Q451990]

Use the front crossmember! I use the wood block too, it just stays in the cup on the jack. The oil pan lift point was a typographical error in some service manuals.

Did tapping on the relay cure it sometimes? Even with clean contacts, it could be an intermittant short in the coil, etc... In any case I'd try the new relay first and then go from there.

Heath

[Alan]

Thanks Heath, I will take your advice, this is also what Q45 Tech suggested as a starting place in the other post I refered to. Tapping the relay didn't produce any results.

Looking in the manual and on the car it appears that there is some adustment at the inhibitor switch. If I am not mistaken it was replaced a couple of years ago due to no reverse lights. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Alan

[Alan]

The relay appeared to be the fix, until today. So I am bringing this post back. Any hints on where to go from here?

Thanks, Alan

[maxnix]

Pull the relay and verify its operation. Does it just not turnover at all?

[Q45tech]

Have you monitored the voltage after the relay to the starter solenoid.

Starter failure is rarer than relay failure but not unheard of on a Q.

[Alan]

Thanks for the replies. I have taken your advice, and have traced the problem to the starter. Tapping with a hammer has gotten it working again.

So Dennis, in the archives you mention 4 or 5 hours for r +r. Could you take a few minutes and give me an idea of what is involved. Thanks so much.

Alan

[psychic_mechanic]

I just did mine because I had to bang on it with a hammer to get it to start.

Do yourself a favor and get a factory starter, so you don't end up doing it again.

Unhook battery.

I had to drop the sway bar from the car, I left the end links attached.

Remove metal brace with 4 x 17mm brass bolts that are in there pretty tight thanks to oxidation & hard to get to front bolt.

curse a lot.

Unbolt starter from bellhousing 2 bolts, hard to get at without fine tooth ratchets and universals.

drop starter down a few inches to get at cable with a 12mm wrench

wiggle and turn the starter to get it out of very tight space.

Reverse to install

Clean everything while it is off the car, brake clean is your friend and tastes yummy.

[Alan]

Thanks Vinny, that doesn't sound much worse than anything else these days. Not 5 minutes like a slant 6 Dart, but oh well. I think Dennis and others have also been adamant about a factory starter only, so I guess I will get one from Joe.

Thanks, Alan

[Alan]

Vinny, Your instructions are spot on. Sounds like you may have had the car on a lift, cause the sway bar was laying right on my chest 'til I unhooked one end. This job is a 14 karat ******, made much easier with your specific comments. I know a great auto electric shop, I'm gonna let them have a look inside the starter, see if they can find a specific cause for the intermittent problem. If not, a new one from Joe T, and then try to weasel it back in. Thanks, Alan

[psychic_mechanic]

After I do it again this weekend, I should be even faster at swapping it out. I put in an aftermarket "rebuilt" starter that was under $100 and figured I was saving money. Now I get to do the job again as pennance for trying to buy something that was "good enough" for the Q.

I had to beat on this "rebuilt" starter twice this week to get it to work, and was usually wearing one of my favorite T-shirts when it happened.