Starting issue - takes a couple of tries to get it to turn over

[LeviGideon]

I've got an issue where when I try to start the car I'll turn the key and it will just "click" once each time. Eventually it fires up after a few tries, though. Worn out starter, maybe? Oh, and it's an a15, auto trans with a matchbox dizzy, if that might help.

[Laecaon]

Clicky Clicky!

 

Not enough voltage to the starter!

 

Clean battery contacts! Clean starter contacts!

 

Consider new Battery Cables!

 

I simply replaced my positive cable and I resolved my clicky issue.

[ggzilla]

Yep, that's the number one cause. My wife's 2006 car even did that. Cleaned the cables and it fired right up! Here's how to clean the battery cables: http://datsun1200.com/modules/mediawiki/index.php?title=Battery_Maintenance#Cable_Cleaning

 

Other things can cause the click issue, however. It could be the starter solenoid or the ignition switch, or ANY wiring connection in between (automatic interlock, or Fuse Box may need cleaning in particular). If you hold the key to start and move the gear shift from P to N and it starts up, start looking at the interlock. Don't buy new parts until you've narrowed it down.

[Spades]

I would suggest checking for loose battery cables, testing the battery(if you can't do a proper load test, take a multimeter and see if the voltage severely drops when cranking), and checking the voltage at the starter and going to the starter solenoid.

 

Most of the time if you have a click no start, it is due to a poor ground or positive connection to the starter motor or relay. The click you are hearing means the solenoid is engaging, and it is very rare that the solenoid clicks but is non functional. If the battery to starter wiring is perfect(and your battery is good), the usual cause is the windings in the starter motor wear out. Electric motors tend to stop at the same spot each time after spinning, and eventually this will wear out one spot on the windings, and can cause the starter to pull 200+ amps and not actually move. The way to test if that is the problem, hold the ignition key down after it only clicks, and while holding, have a buddy take an object and lightly smack the case of the starter(a rubber mallet works best). If the car starts, it is a bad motor, and needs replaced. You could find out this also by testing the amp draw during starting, but most people do not have that sort of equipment around, where as a deadblow hammer most people can find or buy cheap.

 

If you still have a click no start, and the battery is not weak, and tapping the starter motor does nothing...

 

Take a multimeter and check the voltage at the starter solenoid. If the voltage is perfect at the power wire to the solenoid from the ignition key and the main power (and ground) wire from the battery, but the starter motor is still not getting proper power out of the solenoid, you have a very rare failure where the solenoid is engaging and functional but the contacts inside going to the starter motor are worn(frequent issues on 80's-90's toyotas, not common on other cars that I have seen).

 

If the voltage at the solenoid is less than battery voltage(should be around 12.4v), or drops lower than battery voltage when cranking, the click may be from it starting to engage, but dis engaging or being unable to close fully from lack of power. This means you have a relay, wiring, or ignition switch problem. Start taking your multimeter and checking the power at the relay and ignition switch, and slowly identify which wire or contact has the voltage drop. Hook the multimeter to a ground, and check the power going into each relay/wire/switch, and test the power going out of it...eventually you will find which one is the culprit.

[LeviGideon]

Thanks guys, it ended up being dirty battery contacts. They didn't look dirty, but after a good scrub the clicking went away. I got a new battery a while back and I guess the new one wasn't as adjusted to the grime as the old one.

[jesusno2]

putting a relay on the starter circuit will help too

[LeviGideon]

And now it clicks and won't start at all. Back to trying to find the solution tomorrow. Probably just going to invest in a new starter and some fresh cables.

[datzenmike]

Thanks guys, it ended up being dirty battery contacts. They didn't look dirty, but after a good scrub the clicking went away. I got a new battery a while back and I guess the new one wasn't as adjusted to the grime as the old one.

And now it clicks and won't start at all. Back to trying to find the solution tomorrow. Probably just going to invest in a new starter and some fresh cables.

 

Try cleaning the ground cable where it is bolted to the head. Next take the positive cable off the starter and clean it and the stud it's bolted too. A battery cable has TWO ends so clean both. The fact that cleaning the battery ends seemed to work indicates that moving them around may have made better contact at the other ends.

[Laecaon]

Yea, new starter sounds like a waist of money. Unless of course the bindex gear is dead.

[ggzilla]

Don't spend money buying things unless they are broken.

 

* Do the battery cable look OK? They usually are unless they look really bad (green corroded wires is one bad thing)

 

* Ditto for the starter, it could be wiring or switch. Find out what is bad first, instead of spending money on chances.

[LeviGideon]

So I've narrowed it down to this: It clicks key and never starts with the key now. But I touched the ignition switch contact to the battery cable contact with a hammer and it fired right up. Cleaned up the contact for the ignition switch, didn't help. The wiring diagram shows that wire goes to the inhibitor relay, then to the ignition switch.

Would the inhibitor relay affect more than the starter if it was bad?

[HRH]

Take a trouble light and put it on the solenoid wire, then turn the key, observe if when you turn the key, the trouble light lights up. If it's doing this, you know your starter relay and switch are working.

 

I'd vote the solenoid is taking a poop. Unfortunately that is rarely verified by having it bench tested because the basic test machines like we have at NAPA, can't test with a load. Plus, a hot start issue is generally not apparent when a cold starter is thrown on the tester. Usually I test it back to back three times, occasionally that works.

 

Either way, test things before you buy new parts. Sometimes it's cables, sometimes it's not.

 

On the inhibitor switch, bypass it with a jumper, see if the condition changes. I didn't think yours had that, but if it does, a malfunctioning one of those would not allow the starter relay to engage at all. So you wouldn't get a click, you would get nothing when you turn the key.

[ggzilla]

If you jump two wires on the back of the ignition switch and it starts up, then the starter solenoid is good. And the inhibitor is OK. But it's something in the switch most likely.

 

It might be the ignition switch. I had to replace one in a 210 back in 1987. what you can do is unbolt the switch and turn it with a screwdriver. You might find it will start by moving the switch to a certain spot, which would indicate a flaky switch. When it is bolted to the key cylinder it won't move as far as you can move it with the screwdriver.

[unhh]

Oh look, I found a problem buddy!

[LeviGideon]

The culprit was..... A gunked up ignition switch. I took the back switch part off and turned it with a screwdriver, she started right up. Blew the key cylinder or whatever out, put everything back together and it worked fine. I've just gotta twist the key a little further for it to fully engage. Total cost of repair: $0. Fantastic.

[ggzilla]

great to hear. keep on driving!