No start issue

[Mr95Gl]

This problem just developed this morning on my 94 MTX. Clutch in, turn the key, I hear a click, but doesn't want to start. My biggest concern is that after the 3rd attempt, the ground wire that runs from the battery to the body of the car becomes sizzling hot, and begins to melt. I swapped out batteries into the other car, and no problems (it works). The alternator is brand spanking new. Any ideas? Starter maybe? Are the ATX, and MTX starters interchangable? I wanna say no, but I'm not sure.

 

[SASHO91]

check all the wires/terminals....

something is not tight.

 

[Mr95Gl]

I swapped in 2 brand new terminals. I checked the ground by the firewall, and the one by the battery, and both are intact. Fiddled around with the starter, but I wasn't exactly sure what I should be looking for that could indicate something was wrong or out of place. It looks exactly as it did when we replaced the tranny some 2 months ago.

 

[SASHO91]

anything loose on the starter side.. B+ or the Ground....

If that all checks out good, you could always take the starter down to a parts store and have them test it for ya...

 

[Mr95Gl]

Nope nothing loose on the starter. That was my next step, to bring in the starter to have it tested, but I wanted to know if it was normal for that ground wire to be scorching hot like that.

 

[Mr95Gl]

Ok, I'm an idiot. When I was coming home yesterday (last time I drove the car), after I started the car, the starter kept going. I'm gonna go pull the starter right now, and run it to autozone. Hopefully this time, their testing equipment actually works. . . .

 

[St Louis SHO]

ATX and MTX starters are different!! ATX has more teeth on the drive, and it sounds to me like your starter took a crap!

James

 

[projectSHO89]

Yeah. You need a starter and a new ground cable. The starter is drawing too much current due to an internal fault. the overheating of the cable means that either it has been over-stressed or it is suffering from corrosion hidden inside the insulation jacket.

My 89 did exactly the same thing to me about 4-5 years ago. Had to have it flat-bedded home.

The AutoZone starter I installed that time lasted 13 months. No warranty at time of failure. Car got flat-bedded home again, only times that car needed help getting home. I replaced it with a lifetime warrantied one from Advance Auto that's still in there.

Steve

 

[93rev2sev]

They ARE interchangable.

The ATX starter works on an MTX.

HOWEVER...There are 2 different starters listed. One with 12 teeth and one with 10. I forgot which is which. I think the 10 tooth is MTX but search the forums...I posted about it when I needed a starter.

Bottom line...if you have an ATX starter laying around go ahead and use it. But if you need to buy a starter, buy the right one. It will last longer.

I would recommend having YOURS rebuilt at a local alternator and starter shop as opposed to buying an off the shelf reman. Mine was rebuilt while I waited. It took about 15 minutes for them to rebuild it.

 

[St Louis SHO]

Not to hijack the thread, but how can it work? 10 teeth are on the MTX for sure, 12 on an ATX. I'm not being ignorant asking, just wondering. I tried a MTX starter on my dads ATX and it did not work correctly

James

 

[Mr95Gl]

First and foremost, thanks for all the suggestions! Turned out to be the starter. I swapped out the starter from my ATX, to the MTX and it started right up. The one I pulled from the MTX was a replacement.

 

[St Louis SHO]

Good deal, and good to know that the starters are interchangeable.

 

[Racer X]

Not to hijack the thread, but how can it work? 10 teeth are on the MTX for sure, 12 on an ATX. I'm not being ignorant asking, just wondering. I tried a MTX starter on my dads ATX and it did not work correctly

James

The MTX can use the 10 tooth starter and the 12 tooth starter, since it has much less rotating mass than the ATX drivetrain. However, the ATX needs the reducing effect that the 12 tooth offers so that the starter doesn't burn out prematurely.

Interestingly enough, if you're in a pinch for a starter, you can use the starter from a 3.8L Taurus in the SHO MTX.

 

[Racer X]

Yeah. You need a starter and a new ground cable. The starter is drawing too much current due to an internal fault. the overheating of the cable means that either it has been over-stressed or it is suffering from corrosion hidden inside the insulation jacket.

My 89 did exactly the same thing to me about 4-5 years ago. Had to have it flat-bedded home.

The AutoZone starter I installed that time lasted 13 months. No warranty at time of failure. Car got flat-bedded home again, only times that car needed help getting home. I replaced it with a lifetime warrantied one from Advance Auto that's still in there.

Steve

AutoZone starters FTL. The last time I used one, it died ON THE DAY the day the warranty was set to expire.