Starter only clicks

[diceweiss]

if it sounds like a rapid clicking and its not turning over, check your battery. it may be time to replace it. I've had this issue with my motorcycle and that fixed it for me.

[brndck]

where did you get a NEW one from?
if by "new" you mean "ISR" or "Mishimoto", you'd be better off just taking an old oem one and having it rebuilt

I've seen a few of the aftermarket ones fail in under a year.

theres a local rebuilder near me who ive had rebuild a few starters and alternators with zero failures, and only around $100, and they come back looking brand new.

there is probably something similar in your area.

[NukeKS14]

Check your wiring. Is the battery relocated to the trunk? All the engine to chassis grounds are solid and not corroded? Heat and resistance are directly proprortional; as one goes up so does the other for a given current.

There is no starter relay on the s13/14, just a wire from the battery to the starter and the ignition grounds it through that single wire harness connection.

Something in the engine bay is getting heated up after you drive for a while and the battery is no longer able to get enough current to power the starter motor. The resistance in the starter windings goes up as they get hot too. It right next to your engine. Could be undersized battery or wiring are the culprit. What are the rated cranking amps on your battery?

[Kingtal0n]

Really weird problem on my sr20det ive been experiencing for a good year now. My car always starts up fine. After long drives, sometimes the starter will only click and it takes at least 5-10 key cycles for the starter to finally engage and start the car. I have replaced the starter with a new sr20 one and it does the same thing. Once in a while after a long drive I cannot get the starter to engage at all, starts first time with a push start.

Any input would be great.


yep this sounds like battery and cables issue.

Check ground cable from block/intake/chassis. This is a major issue.
Then the big giant cable from battery to starter of course. Nice and tight and thick.

then have a good battery. and a used, ancient, OEM sr20det starter, is the only way to go