Car not starting, starter is clicking but not rolling over.

[badass8]

The run down:

My sr20 s13 has had some electrical problems.. and lately my car hasn't been starting like it should. I put the key in and crank it all electrical works.. lights etc. But sometimes it doesn't roll over its not even sputtering or wanting to start.

For example this morning going to class: It didn't want to start at all... I would only hear the clicking from the starter and something under my dash clicking (not 100% sure what it is) then I waited for a good 10seconds and cranked it again, and it started right up. HOWEVER I was only away from my car for about 1hour and 30minutes and I go to my car and try starting it NOTHING happens at all tried cranking it about 30 times... still nothing. But when I jump the car it starts up..

Any help?

[ultramagnus]

But when I jump the car it starts up..

ever tried to replace the battery and check your grounds as well.

[badass8]

ever tried to replace the battery and check your grounds as well.

When I first got the car I did even took it to sears and such and had them test it. Didn't have any problems. Checked that as well. I think I'll have to check ALL my fuses.

[DreamN]

bad starter could be the culprit. apparently it's common in sr20 swaps. search the forums, I'm sure there are more than a few threads on the subject.

[badass8]

bad starter could be the culprit. apparently it's common in sr20 swaps. search the forums, I'm sure there are more than a few threads on the subject.

That's what I am thinking too because I had the starter AND alternator rebuilt, and the alternator actually gave out about 2 weeks after the rebuild.... in which i replaced with a KA24 alternator....

[DreamN]

Bad rebuild is one possibility. Though do some quick searching on the subject. You should be able to find other ideas that might actually be the problem.

[badass8]

Update: So I talked to a friend about the situation that's helping me with my car, and he said it can even be the cold weather which will effect the battery. In which I do have a shitty battery- die hard silver. Is this a possibility as well??

Considering in the morning say for class it wont start, but when i came back from school and tried starting it, it did

[wangan_cruiser]

check the cold cranking amps on the battery

[idlafie]

Check your ignition switch.....they can go bad when you least expect it...

1991-1994 240sx: Ignition switch/lock assembly replacement : 240sx General Discussion (http://forums.nicoclub.com/1991-1994-240sx-ignition-switch-lock-assembly-replacement-t332827.html)

ID

[project_silvia]

if you hear the click its your starter relay opening but not cranking, same thing was wrong with mine, have you tried push starting it if it starts its your starter

[badass8]

Check your ignition switch.....they can go bad when you least expect it...

1991-1994 240sx: Ignition switch/lock assembly replacement : 240sx General Discussion (http://forums.nicoclub.com/1991-1994-240sx-ignition-switch-lock-assembly-replacement-t332827.html)

ID

How would I be able to check it since it is basically brand new?

if you hear the click its your starter relay opening but not cranking, same thing was wrong with mine, have you tried push starting it if it starts its your starter


Ah I see, Well the problem with this is that IF I disconnect the battery cables from the battery every time I keep my car over night or stop for long periods of time then reconnect them the next morning it works perfectly, but IF I keep the battery cables on overnight something drains my battery and I don't have enough volts to even start my car

[laurentj23]

You need a new battery man. KISS( keep it simple stupid) if that doesnt fix it than get back at us.

[fliprayzin240sx]

Check the voltage across the battery while your cranking it. If it drops down 9v or less, it wont start.

[wangan_cruiser]

Op do u have an alarm?

[badass8]

You need a new battery man. KISS( keep it simple stupid) if that doesnt fix it than get back at us.

Haha wanted to try to do everything else before that since I bought the battery August 2011


Check the voltage across the battery while your cranking it. If it drops down 9v or less, it wont start.

Yeah I looked at that and sometimes it would be more then enough voltage to do so.

Op do u have an alarm?

Yes I do. I would even try locking/unlocking it to see if it'd do anything

[mxexux]

Check the voltage drop across the battery cables and for the alternator. Could be high resistance in one of the cables.

[jdunkz]

1. Check battery voltage, using a digital multimeter/ voltmeter
2. Check ALL connections going from battery to starter. Even if you think they are tight clean and tighten them. I've seen battery acid build up stop a car from starting.

Ah I see, Well the problem with this is that IF I disconnect the battery cables from the battery every time I keep my car over night or stop for long periods of time then reconnect them the next morning it works perfectly, but IF I keep the battery cables on overnight something drains my battery and I don't have enough volts to even start my car

If this is the case you have a short somewhere in your car causing it to drain battery power constantly. Charge your battery fully and check what it's reading is in car after having lights turned on for 30 secs or so. Leave the car overnight and check the voltage in the morning if it drained a considerable amount you have excessive parasitic drain. It had nothing to do with your starter, leave it alone and look elsewhere.

[Tantwoforty]

My car dose something like this.
It sounds like the starter teeth are poping out and meeting the flywheel, but it dosent engage the actual starter motor.
I just flick my key back and fourth untill it decides to work.. takes like 1-5 trys.. i figure its a dieing starter but idk, it works enough for me not to check yet

[cbcm2435]

check the connection between the solenoid and starter motor it gets all corroded and make it not work, i had to clean that connection twice, the second time i coated it with silicone and its never done it again

[xBtony]

Mine does the same thing, replaced the started twice, and the battery and tripple checked all the electrical...Im pretty confident the teeth on my flywheel are bad and catch the starter. Because if I rock the car in gear it frees it up and starts.

[badass8]

Ok thanks guys. Just really weird I'm thinking its a short because sometimes it doesn't work sometimes it does. This is why I take off the battery cables because MAYBE when I put them back on everything is all juiced up and ready to go and starts fine instead of my car sitting there with that short taking the juice from the battery away? Is this a possibility?

Having a friend help me with my wiring after he is done building another car just gotta be patient so he can. Since me and wiring... I don't know a thing.

[cbcm2435]

check the connection between the solenoid and starter motor it gets all corroded and make it not work, i had to clean that connection twice, the second time i coated it with silicone and its never done it again

try checking this, mine would work sometimes and wouldnt work other times, i would start it, drive down the road turn it off and it wouldnt start again

[badass8]

ok perfect will do thank you.

[badass8]

UPDATE: been awhile.... But went to a friends house tonight and checked the connection and seen that there was aboutt 1.05volts being drained from the battery from something and every time we would touch the negative terminal with the negative cable it would have this clicking sound which was from the EGI fuse. We took it out(but car the car still ran perfectly without it, weird?) and then the volts went from .60 roughly which was one of the issues. Then we disconnected the ECU and the volts drastically reduced.

We have come to the conclusion to put a battery cut off switch to the ECU so the ECU doesn't have so much power running through it that it drains the battery. So when I turn off the car I turn it off and when I leave somewhere I turn it on, of course.

Any opinions on this??