Won't turn over

[Devin]

I spent some time and money working on this myself but am getting to the point where I am stuck. A couple weeks ago I was leaving a store and had a hard start condition where I turned the key and got a rapid clicking noise, and then the car turned over and started.

Fast forward a few days later and the clicking is all I would get. If I held the key in start for more than three or four seconds I would lose all power to the car. No dome light, no instruments, no chime. Chime back to it later or disconnect and reconnect the battery I get power to stuff again.

To troubleshoot I cleaned all the terminals, from the battery, to the fender mounted relay, to the relatively new(ly refurbed) starter. Cleaned the cable ends, tightened everything down, same result. I put a screwdriver across the relay, same result. I replaced the starter, same result. I swapped out the relay with an old one from my parts bin, same result. I took my battery in today and it tested good.

Any known problem areas that I haven't listed?

Thanks for the help.

 

[zoomlater]

if you search for starter solenoid, some of these posts come up. Can you measure the voltage at the solenoid and at the starter? How old is your battery?

1995 atx no start no crank, just single click

when I try to start it, there's no crank, and the clock and dash lights turn off, if i remember correctly the abs light comes on the dash but that's it, the fuel pump works i hear it whirring, plus it started not 5 minutes before the issue arose, tested battery, shows 12.5 V, no drop to suggest...

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won't restart until engine cools down

Hello. I have an 89' SHO since 1990. Its in pretty good shape in and out and starts and runs good. Its has 150K miles. My problem is that after the engine warms up and I turn the engine off, it won't restart until the engine cools down. The refractory period shortens as the outside...

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Sudden no crank, after oil cooler gasket replacement

Short story: Replaced oil cooler gasket, and did an oil change at the same time. Cranked 3 times with DIS disconnected to allow it to build oil pressure. Reattached DIS now it suddenly won't crank anymore. Turned the motor over using crank pulley nut just to confirm it'll spin no problem. Long...

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94 mtx no crank no start

Hey guys, Recently, my 1994 Mtx began having a intermittent starting issue. Every once in a while, when turning the key, it would no crank no start. Lights would come on, fan, everything, but no cranking and from what I could hear, no solenoid on the starter, until randomly after a bit of...

shoforum.com

 

[ScotSHO]

I vote a corroded wire, potentially the large gauge wire running from the battery to the starter solenoid, or solenoid to the starter. As it sits, check continuity from the positive battery terminal to the starter solenoid. Same on the other side of the solenoid to the starter. Should be very low resistance.

Separate problem symptoms, but I had a bad connection on the large wire running from the alternator to the solenoid. I thought the alt was bad but it turned out the wire was corroded and falling apart a few inches in from the alternator.

 

[Texas Marauder]

Did you load test the battery?

 

[Irish Pride]

Run 12 volts directly to the starter side of the solenoid. If the starter turns over then you need to replace the battery cable to the solenoid.

-Chad

 

[Devin]

Did you load test the battery?

I took it to Autozone and they put a device on it. Not sure if it was a load tester or not.

 

[Devin]

I vote a corroded wire, potentially the large gauge wire running from the battery to the starter solenoid, or solenoid to the starter. As it sits, check continuity from the positive battery terminal to the starter solenoid. Same on the other side of the solenoid to the starter. Should be very low resistance.

Separate problem symptoms, but I had a bad connection on the large wire running from the alternator to the solenoid. I thought the alt was bad but it turned out the wire was corroded and falling apart a few inches in from the alternator.

3 ohms from the battery post to the solenoid post. 0.6 ohm from the solenoid terminal to the positive terminal on the starter motor.

Measured ~0 from the negative post to the ground screw next to the solenoid. From that same screw to the wire on the stud at the transmission case the testing bounced around. To the starter case it was a little bouncy but was between 0.5 and 2.5 ohms for the most part.

 

[Devin]

Ran battery straight to the terminal on the solenoid and the starter turned over. Solenoid?

 

[Devin]

Not the solenoid. Is 3 ohms too high for the positive cable?

 

[Texas Marauder]

You need to do a voltage drop test to find out where the high resistance is.

 

[Devin]

I measured .015 V from the positive terminal on the battery to the solenoid.

You need to do a voltage drop test to find out where the high resistance is.

Should I be getting 12.5v from negative to the other side of the solenoid?

 

[Texas Marauder]

I'm vaguely familiar with the early SHO starting system. What year is your car? How many connections on the solenoid, 3 or 4? Should be 3, IIRC. You want to, sort of, make a chain. Always starting at the battery post. Connect one lead of the voltmeter to the battery post and the other to the connection you are tasting. From the battery post to the battery terminal, then to the next connection, which is the solenoid, then to the other side of the solenoid. You'll have to energize the solenoid to check that. Next, to the connection at the starter. Also, have to energize the solenoid for that. Then on to the ground side. .015V is a good reading. The number should increase as you get farther away from the battery but, nothing drastic. A large change indicates a bad connection.

 

[Devin]

I'm vaguely familiar with the early SHO starting system. What year is your car? How many connections on the solenoid, 3 or 4? Should be 3, IIRC. You want to, sort of, make a chain. Always starting at the battery post. Connect one lead of the voltmeter to the battery post and the other to the connection you are tasting. From the battery post to the battery terminal, then to the next connection, which is the solenoid, then to the other side of the solenoid. You'll have to energize the solenoid to check that. Next, to the connection at the starter. Also, have to energize the solenoid for that. Then on to the ground side. .015V is a good reading. The number should increase as you get farther away from the battery but, nothing drastic. A large change indicates a bad connection.

It is a 90, and there are three studs.

Any idea how to activate the solenoid without using the ignition? Can I just feed it 12V?

 

[zoomlater]

Take a look at that engine harness I gave you, maybe the wires you need might be in there

 

[Texas Marauder]

It is a 90, and there are three studs.

Any idea how to activate the solenoid without using the ignition? Can I just feed it 12V?

Just jump it from the battery +.

 

[lukepe]

I spent some time and money working on this myself but am getting to the point where I am stuck. A couple weeks ago I was leaving a store and had a hard start condition where I turned the key and got a rapid clicking noise, and then the car turned over and started.

Fast forward a few days later and the clicking is all I would get. If I held the key in start for more than three or four seconds I would lose all power to the car. No dome light, no instruments, no chime. Chime back to it later or disconnect and reconnect the battery I get power to stuff again.

To troubleshoot I cleaned all the terminals, from the battery, to the fender mounted relay, to the relatively new(ly refurbed) starter. Cleaned the cable ends, tightened everything down, same result. I put a screwdriver across the relay, same result. I replaced the starter, same result. I swapped out the relay with an old one from my parts bin, same result. I took my battery in today and it tested good.

Any known problem areas that I haven't listed?

Thanks for the help.

take a pair of jumper cables using on side black or red jump from engin block to battery ground wiggle cabels to be sure a good conection and try again jumping solinoid smal terminal to battery side will eliminate igntion circut and cabels will eliminate endin to body/battery issues see what happens good luck

 

[lukepe]

using one side

 

[lukepe]

engine (enddin)

 

[TankII]

I had a bad cell in my battery exhibiting that behavior. New battery, it was fine.

 

[Devin]

I used a jumper cable as the pos with the same result.

Thinking about the @TankII post, I tried putting the battery in thr Land Cruiser and... same result! 12.6V and everything. So I'm charging the Land Cruiser battery and seeing if this will start the SHO