anakin

hey folks got my car to make a different sound now im getting the dreaded click click click click so im think maybe flywheel or starter. but heres the thing i got under there to change the starter and my jack busted so i could only lifted enough see under the car. anyways there are two wires hanging from the starter. i cant see anything other then that and they are plain old skinny wires. would those wires cause my starter to malfunction, i figured if those wires were from the starter it wouldnt even make a sound. anyone with any ideas im open to sugestion

robfeltner

On the top side of your starter, you'll find a wire that "clips" on, I think that is the soleniod wire. The wires hanging down may be to the tranny, neutral safety switch, back up lights, etc. Anyway, hard to answer much if you can't get under the car. If you are having starting problems, and your battery is good, then I would suggest that you change your battery cables. Here's a quick trick you can try...it will only help with half the problem though: get a set of jumper cables, connect one end to the negative side of your battery, and the other to any good spot on the engine. then try to start the car. If it fires up okay, then you know that you are not getting a good ground, and you can be sure that the positive side is equally bad. I'd be curious to know how that works out. Rob

anakin

sadly i dont know whats going on. I got a better jack today so i could get under the car. anyways i had an extra starter from my parts car so i put that one in. still doesnt start and im getting the same clicking noise. the solenoid wire was connected (the two wires are from the tranny or the lights they connect to a harness right above the starter) it may be my battery cables i swapped out the ground and stuck it between one of the starter bolts and the bell housing. then i got a buddy with a new ranger and connected his running car to my battery terminals and im still getting the click. so i might get a set of new cables. i got someone to try and turn it over and i took my test light and checked my plug wires and none of them are getting juice. not the secondary or the primary on both sides

KillaKitiie

check your ignition switch mine went out and now i start with a button.

anakin

would the igniton switch really do that? ive never heard of that. also my o2 sensor is disconnected and i cant find the plug would that be a part of my problem. And while i had someone try and turn it over i took and test light and tested my plug wires and im not getting anything. from any of them. any ideas

DerangedHermit

I think the O2 sensor plug is in the same area as your primary injector wires. IIRC, it's a green circular connector.

seven1997

iTrader: (2)

Give the starter housing a smack with a wrench and then see if it will start? try it two or three times! If the starter will turn over after that it is a sign your starter has a flat spot and needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

anakin

i dont think the problem is in the starter i just put another one in. but ill smack it a few times. im hoping the problem is my positive batt cable so im going to replace them. and my spark plugs and wires. then maybe, maybe if the rotary god shows some mercy it will start.

KillaKitiie

I got mine apart right now too and i think its the positive battery cable im trying to figure out were it goes let me know if you find out before me.

robfeltner

I just changed my cables, and it was a total bitch. The damn things are wrapped tight in the wiring harness. If I had to do over, here's the way I would do it:

Cut the positive and negative cables off.

New positive cable (red) from pos side of battery to the starter (can't miss it, big bolt on top of starter) run second wire (about 8 guage) from positive side of battery to the engine compartment fuse block. You can trace this wire, but I'm pretty sure it is on the firewall side of the fuse block.

Next, run negative cable (black) from negative side of battery to driver side fender well (if you look, you'll find a bracket that holds some wires) from there, run another battery cable (yes, that's two) from the bracket to the back of the engine, on the driver's side (you'll see the old ground wire).

If you do it this way, you will save at least a day's worth of work in cutting apart the factory harness. I would expect it to take 1-2 hours to do this.

Here's a quick way to find out if it's your cables or not:

Get a set of jumper cables. connect one side of the black to the neg side of battery, other side to a good ground on the engine. Connect the red to the positive side of the battery, and the other red to the bolt on top of the starter. You'll probably have to jack the car up. DO NOT LET THE POSITIVE SIDE TOUCH ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT BOLT!!! Get in car and bump start it. Just see if the engine turns even a fraction. All you're looking for is to see if the soleniod engages. If so, change cables. If not, at least you elimated that problem.

Write to me to let me know if this helps.

Rob
robfeltner@cfl.rr.com

anakin

wait so the ground connects to the back of the engine and the starter. am i reading it wrong or do you mean connect it to the starter. ( right now im praying that my engine isnt seized i just spent alota time getting it to my house and alot of work hours getting the extra money to even buy it)

robfeltner

No, the neg side of the battery goes to two places, the back of the motor and to the driver side fender well.

Only the positive goes to the starter motor, to the fuse block in the engine compartment...firewall side I think.

Rob

robfeltner

By the way, you can take the starter off the car, take it to autozone and they'll bench test it for you. That would help elimate some of your guess work.

Rob

anakin

yeah im going to do that. i have 12 units of school and 30 hours of work every week so i have no time

robfeltner

I don't have the time either, I have 16 credit hours of school this semester.

That's why I wrote out those directions for you, so that it could save you some time. Look, at least try this: get some jumper cables and connect to the neg side of the battery, and a good ground on the engine and see if that does anything. You may just have a bad ground.

Rob

ls1hybrid

anakin, im telling you man!

if you turn your key and you here a click (and the car does not turn over) ITS YOUR IGNITION SWITCH!

i had this same problem. i went to advanced auto parts and bought this trigger that connects my solenoid (the thing on the starter the a clip is on) and my positive battery terminal. now i turn over my car with it. cost like $15. totally bypasses the ignition switch and works like a charm.

*i am not responsible for what i say*

anakin

it is the ground. when i got off school today i went out there and turned the engine over by hand. to make sure its not seized and its not. i tried to start it and i got it to start to turn over and then the ground behind the engine that connects to the fire wall got so hot the wire fried. so im positive now its the ground

dajusta

are you POSITIVE?


i have the same problem, a clicking noise that happens 1 in every 3 cranks.

i was told to get a new starter

robfeltner

Get the damn jumper cables and clamp one end on the neg side of your battery and the other on any raw part of your engine where you think you might have a good contact. Then try to start the car. If it even trys to start, IT IS YOUR BATTERY CABLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM TRYING TO SAVE YOU TIME, MONEY, AND FRUSTRATION. I'VE HAD 5 FCs. TRUST ME

Rob

robfeltner

Did you flood it? if so, you'll need to fix that. Here's a quick way, but you'll need to change your oil afterward, because it will be contaminated with gas. Know the fuses in the engine compartment? Pull the one out for the fuel injection. Might say ecu or something, can't remember. Anyway, pull that out. Get in car. Put foot on gas a hold all the way down to the floor...keep holding it, now turn the key, crank car over. You'll hear it try to fire, and might even start for a fraction on a second. After that, get out, put the fuse back in, get in car and start it. DO NOT touch the gas this time. Let it run and warm up, then you can shut it off and change the oil. Remember all that gas that flooded your engine is now in the oil pan, so if I were you, I'd change it before going far.

Rob

anakin

it might be flooded. I changed the ground wire and the marine connectors today. and then i did the battery cable thing with the negative side just in case and i got nothing. not even a noise from the starter so im lost. thanks for your help every one but i think im going to sell it for parts. cause i dont think its flooded and its not the ground

ls1hybrid

dajusta, my car used to turn over everytime i turned the key. then it would only crank every two times i turned tghe key, so and so forth. Then it just stopped turning over with the key. So I did the pre-mentioned action and boom it turns over.

anakin

no longer a starting issue. well sorta...my starter now shoots sparks. so i figured my starter was bad so i go to push start it. when i drop the clutch my back wheels lock. i try it again, same thing. i tried it again, same thing i tried it in reverse, same thing. so i called the person i bought it from. They forgot to tell me that the trans bad thats why they gave me an extra one. so im thinking maybe the transmission is maybe siezed somehow and the pilot shaft isnt letting the flywheel move. do pilot shafts seize