lt1 doesnt turn over

[ib4200]

what are some easy ways to check the sarter/selenoid with or without a multi meat-er

[LTb1ow]

Say what?

You want to check the starter or the solenoid?

[sweetbmxrider]

get under the car, check for constant 12 volts on the lead wire. have someone turn the key to start and check for power on the solenoid wire.

yours is manual right? could have a clutch safety switch issue

[ib4200]

it sounds like the gear engauges but it just doesnt turn the engine over. makes teh clicking noise. trying to jumpstart it doesnt help

[LTb1ow]

Sounds like a weak battery. Can you throw a charger on that can do cold starts?

[sweetbmxrider]

check the battery voltage with a volt meter

[S.J.SLEEPER]

click , click? probably bad starter solenoid.
have someone bang on the starter w/ a hammer while your trying to start it. if it turns over get a new starter or have it rebuilt

[ib4200]

i replaced the battery right before it happened cause the old one wouldnt hold any charge, battery voltage was around 15 volts and it couldnt even turn the engine even a little, so i doubt it was that

[LTb1ow]

And the starter is clicking? Can you crank the engine over by hand?

[deadtrend1]

i replaced the battery right before it happened cause the old one wouldnt hold any charge, battery voltage was around 15 volts and it couldnt even turn the engine even a little, so i doubt it was that

Alternator putting out enough voltage that its not draining the battery?

[S.J.SLEEPER]

make sure your terminals are clean and not coroded inside the plastic sheathing where bolt goes through the eyelet.

[ib4200]

it doesnt make the multiple clicks that you get when the battery is low, it just clicks once no matter how long you turn the key, its more of a click like the gear enguages and the starter motor isnt getting voltage, how do i test the selenoid?
after working on it for a day a jumpstarted it since it had been sitting awile and it ran fine, i parked it and cleaned up the tools, when i went to leave it started doing it. since the battery was crappy and still under warentee i returned it and got a new one, when i put the new one in it shows good voltage but still wont start, jumpstarting it with another car doesnt help so the battery issue is ruled out. its not the alternator cause it wont even start.the battery terminals on the car arnt really corroded but i'll try hitting it with a wire brush tomorrow. somebody said i could try jumping the relay with a paper clip and it might work?

[LTb1ow]

I wouldn't jump the solenoid with a paper clip, but yea, you can do that... use a screw driver at least though...

[transmaro93]

just replace the starter and be done with it... i think your looking way to far into this... it can only be 1 of 2 things... nuetral safety switch or the starter... or loose connecting... check your batt connections...

[ib4200]

haha, yeah all this happened on the weekend and i have been away from the car long enough to think about it too much

[LTb1ow]

Have some one crank it and smack the starter with something...

[BigAls87Z28]

I had a list of things to check...but this thread got locked! Damn you Matt

1 check connections
2 check battery
3 check starter
Starter can be taken out and brought to any Zone/Advance/ or other place that has a in-store starter test machine.

[ib4200]

its just weird cause it worked fine then i shut it off and 10 minutes later it didnt work, im pretty sure hitting it will get it going though

[wretched73]

its just weird cause it worked fine then i shut it off and 10 minutes later it didnt work, im pretty sure hitting it will get it going though

yea in my acura i had the same thing happen, drove to the basketball courts, an hour or so later just got a click, starter was dead, it happens

[Stupercharged]

He just called me and said that he got the starter checked it works fine but when its back in the car its a no go. What else is there in the circut that could go bad

[LTb1ow]

Well does it click and engage when the key turned? He wasn't to specific on that...

[BonzoHansen]

get under the car, check for constant 12 volts on the lead wire. have someone turn the key to start and check for power on the solenoid wire.

yours is manual right? could have a clutch safety switch issue

Hey meathead, did you do what this guy said and check for voltage or did you just pull the starter out?

[LTb1ow]

What year is the car?

If the starter checks, it may be security related. Can you try your spare ignition key?
http://shbox.com/1/pass_key.html

[ib4200]

i tested the voltage getting to the starter and it was fine, meathead at the auto bone told me the starter assembely was fine but didnt check the solenoid thats attatched to it, the positive sending wire that goes to the solenoid comes on when the key is turned so the starter is definatly the problem.....this took way too long

[sweetbmxrider]

DON"T BE A DUMBASS AND DO STUPID STUFF!!!!!!!! use jack stands and all that fun bs.....

[transmaro93]

i tested the voltage getting to the starter and it was fine, meathead at the auto bone told me the starter assembely was fine but didnt check the solenoid thats attatched to it, the positive sending wire that goes to the solenoid comes on when the key is turned so the starter is definatly the problem.....this took way too long

i told you just to buy a starter and be done with it! damnit!

[BonzoHansen]

i tested the voltage getting to the starter and it was fine, meathead at the auto bone told me the starter assembely was fine but didnt check the solenoid thats attatched to it, the positive sending wire that goes to the solenoid comes on when the key is turned so the starter is definatly the problem.....this took way too long

Then how did he test the starter?

Honestly, if you had power at the starter lead at the starter (likely a purple wire) with the key turned, then the starter or solenoid is beat, or your battery cables are bad - all assuming your battery puts out decent amperage.

I never saw a starter tested on a bench at a store. How do they load it? I mean they don't just throw 12v across it and see the bendix spin, do they?

[LTb1ow]

^ yea... what exactly did they test? The fact that with 12v on the starter it makes noise and spins?

[BonzoHansen]

http://tvmedia.ign.com/tv/image/article/937/937329/southpark-big-gay-al_160_1229026831.jpg Al might know how they test them in-store

[LTb1ow]

http://buy1.snapon.com/products/diagnostics/eecs304.asp?partno=EECS304B1B&dir=catalog

You can test em while they are on the engine... but I really dunno how you would simulate a load on it while on a bench.

[BonzoHansen]

http://buy1.snapon.com/products/diagnostics/eecs304.asp?partno=EECS304B1B&dir=catalog

You can test em while they are on the engine... but I really dunno how you would simulate a load on it while on a bench.

Yes, I used a VAT 40 for years. It's off the car I am wondering. Either way it is bogus test since on the car gives you much better view, including theose pesky battery cables and impact of heat, etc. But they must have some way to simulate load - more falses = more sales.

[ib4200]

they put some aligator clips on it depending on where the arrows on there little screen says to put them. they dont load test them, im pretty sure they bypass the solenoid and just hotwire the motor

[BonzoHansen]

then they do not test the starter properly. fail

[JL8Jeff]

I bet the contacts in the solenoid are burned and not allowing the full power to go through to the starter. I remember reading somewhere that they said majority of the starter problems are not actually starters going bad but instead solenoid issues. I know the Toyotas burn the contacts really bad and will eventually stop working properly. I took the solenoid apart on my SS396 and cleaned it up and it worked fine. On my old Toyotas, you can actually pull the contacts and rotate them 180 to use the other side since only 1/2 of it gets worn down when it engages.