Electronics cut out - now won't start...

[renegade_ewok]

Hey, I got a problem with my S14 w/SR swap. I was on a back road and did a quick run 1-3 and when I went to shift the car into fourth all of a sudden everything in the car shut off, engine turned off, tach turned off, etc etc but the clock was still running, the hazards worked, even the alarm which says when the door is open worked. Before I did this pull I drove home 2.5 hours and it was great.

We opened the hood and found a blown ignition fuse after much rummaging around (we overlooked it). We replaced it with another 30A fuse and to my dismay the car still didn't start.

However, after replacing the fuse (and cleaning basically all the grounds in the engine bay) everything in the car works and you can even hear the starter click except that it actually won't turn over.

The voltage gauge reads around 12v which drops when I try to start it (into the 11v range) so I thought it was a dead battery. I charged the battery with a trickle charger and I checked the battery and it said it was 100%.

I put it back in the car and the voltage gauge still reads low. What could this be? Friends uncle (who is a mechanic) said it could possibly be a corroded electrical line (he said possibly the positive terminal) but I looked along the positive and it goes right into the fuse box and is clean. The negative I pulled aside some of the insulation and it looks pretty clean. It could be back further in the harness but is this most likely what it is?

In addition, when I turn the key into the on position the fans in the engine bay start (flexalites) but when I turn the key to start the car they turn off, and when I let off of the ignition they turn back on (when I am not trying to crank the car).

Another thing could be that the viper alarm is locking the car out and won't let me start it. I disable the alarm with the remote everytime so I don't think this is it...

Now when I try to start it (later in the day) the starter doesn't even click and the voltage sits around 11 and when I click to turn the car on the FAL fans turn off but I don't hear a starter click whereas yesterday I heard the starter click and the voltage jumps up like .3

Could the blown ignition fuse have shorted out the starter? I really don't know SRs that well so are there any known problems with this? All internal fuses and all other relays seem okay.
Help? :rolleyes: I really want a working car haha

[Blown240sx]

Hey, I got a problem with my S14 w/SR swap. I was on a back road and did a quick run 1-3 and when I went to shift the car into fourth all of a sudden everything in the car shut off, engine turned off, tach turned off, etc etc but the clock was still running, the hazards worked, even the alarm which says when the door is open worked. Before I did this pull I drove home 2.5 hours and it was great.

We opened the hood and found a blown ignition fuse after much rummaging around (we overlooked it). We replaced it with another 30A fuse and to my dismay the car still didn't start.

However, after replacing the fuse (and cleaning basically all the grounds in the engine bay) everything in the car works and you can even hear the starter click except that it actually won't turn over.

The voltage gauge reads around 12v which drops when I try to start it (into the 11v range) so I thought it was a dead battery. I charged the battery with a trickle charger and I checked the battery and it said it was 100%.

I put it back in the car and the voltage gauge still reads low. What could this be? Friends uncle (who is a mechanic) said it could possibly be a corroded electrical line (he said possibly the positive terminal) but I looked along the positive and it goes right into the fuse box and is clean. The negative I pulled aside some of the insulation and it looks pretty clean. It could be back further in the harness but is this most likely what it is?

In addition, when I turn the key into the on position the fans in the engine bay start (flexalites) but when I turn the key to start the car they turn off, and when I let off of the ignition they turn back on (when I am not trying to crank the car).

Another thing could be that the viper alarm is locking the car out and won't let me start it. I disable the alarm with the remote everytime so I don't think this is it...

Now when I try to start it (later in the day) the starter doesn't even click and the voltage sits around 11 and when I click to turn the car on the FAL fans turn off but I don't hear a starter click whereas yesterday I heard the starter click and the voltage jumps up like .3

Could the blown ignition fuse have shorted out the starter? I really don't know SRs that well so are there any known problems with this? All internal fuses and all other relays seem okay.
Help? :rolleyes: I really want a working car haha

11 volts at start load is normal. Anything below low 11s and high 10s can be considered a dead cell or low battery.

Sounds to me you just have a stuck starter motor. Have you tried clutch starting the motor? Roll it down a small hill or push it up to a little speed and with the car in second pop the clutch and it should fire up if the electronics are all working.

Also Alarms are notorious for blowing fuses. I had a Vital Alarm System on my car and it kept blowing my main ign fuse so I ripped it out.

[renegade_ewok]

11 volts at start load is normal. Anything below low 11s and high 10s can be considered a dead cell or low battery.

Sounds to me you just have a stuck starter motor. Have you tried clutch starting the motor? Roll it down a small hill or push it up to a little speed and with the car in second pop the clutch and it should fire up if the electronics are all working.

Also Alarms are notorious for blowing fuses. I had a Vital Alarm System on my car and it kept blowing my main ign fuse so I ripped it out.
We did try pop starting it before we knew it was the ignition relay so thats kind of out of the question. How fast do you have to go before you can pop start it in reverse? Reason why I ask is because it is at the base of a downhill driveway...

Could a blown ignition relay cause a fucked starter or did I overdo it by trying a ton of times while troubleshooting this?

[kamikazekid]

check the starter solenoid ground on the solenoid, ive seen them pop off and cause the problems you're describing check it, takes a couple of seconds.

[renegade_ewok]

Do you have to get under the car to check the solenoid ground? Reason I ask is because I have no idea where it is let alone can I get a jack under the car, too slammed... Should I just check the starter and all wires running to/from it?

[Blown240sx]

What ground? The starter grounds through the engine.

[Blown240sx]

We did try pop starting it before we knew it was the ignition relay so thats kind of out of the question. How fast do you have to go before you can pop start it in reverse? Reason why I ask is because it is at the base of a downhill driveway...

Could a blown ignition relay cause a fucked starter or did I overdo it by trying a ton of times while troubleshooting this?

It could be just coencidence...

[renegade_ewok]

I went under the car and looked at the starter and everything looked secure - there was one plug on the starter that was kind of loose and would just come off if I pulled it but if it was left alone it would stay on there no problem.

When I would turn the ignition to turn the car on it would drop to 9.5 volts and would sit at 11 when I just turned the electronics on. The fans are wired into the ignition to turn off when you try to start the car so the ignition circuit is actually firing but it won't turn over. Looks more and more like a starter...

What else could it be?

*edit* Just talked to a shop, they said battery most likely is dead because it isn't secured down and I was doing a WOT run and when I shifted into fourth it most likely bumped the chassis and killed a cell. Would make sense...