alright guys....while i start searching for the answer myself, i thought id post this up to see if anyone has had this problem before. its on my 96 drop top with the 5 spd and 2.4.
yesterday morning i went to start my car and it wouldnt start. turned the key and the power/radio/etc came on, but no cranking. not even a clicking sound from the engine. ok, weird, but im like whatever. press the clutch down all the way again and try it again and the car starts w/o any problems. cool. i go to work.
after work i go out and try to start it again. nothing, just like before. only it doesnt start on the second try. or the third, or fourth, etc. im like great, whats the problem. i have my buddy eric look at it and we both come to the conclusion that perhaps its the starter (or just the solenoid) since im getting power but no cranking. so we go to autozone, pick one up, go back and replace it outside in the parking lot in the freezing cold. sweet. then i go to start it and.....still nothing.
so we take the battery off, bring it and the old starter to autozone. they check them out and say that the starter looked ok but the battery failed. so i get a new battery too and go back and try it. still doesnt start. so i try it again and again and then slam my hands on the steering wheel in frustration. try it one last time and....it starts!
so i drive it to the store and when i come back out and try to start it, nothing again. unbelievable. so i start rocking back and forth in my car out of frustration again, while turning the key, and it starts. wtf is going on?
it runs fine once its on, but just cant seem to get it started. my guess is its some sort of electrical gremlin where perhaps something has come loose, but ive got no idea of any problematic areas in the Js to start with, or really where to go from there. any suggestions or experiences like this would be appreciated.
its a cavalier...its to be expected
so says the DTP also. the man is a genius. from now on i decree that any car problems will be run by him before i even think about touching anything. if his solution is correct, then its not only a cheap fix, but an easy one too.
Agreed first thing I thought of was the switch at the clutch pedal that works like a neutral safety switch,prolly sticking or going bad.It would def cause the no start for sure.
lol, you changed your starter for nothing.....
one question, are you getting power to the signal wire when in crank, but it is not starting?? that will tell you if it is possibly your clutch switch.
also, do you have the relay in the starter circuit?
well when i tried to crank it i got no sounds at all. a few people suggested the starter solenoid could have been bad since i still got power to the radio. and since this is kind of my first manual car, im a little out of the loop on clutch/manual related problems.
It's one of 3 things:
- Bad/corroded/poorly connected starter wires or ring terminals
- Bad starter relay, if you have the recall done.
- Clutch switch.
Fastest way to check things is to check for power at the post on the starter when you crank it. Does power get there? if no, go back to the relay, check the terminal where power is applied. Power there? yes? New relay... no? Go back to the switch under the dash.
Just keep working backwards from the starter. I've had this issue a few times and it's always been the wiring to the starter on my 2.2 corroding or starting to come apart, etc.
I wouldn't be shocked if it was the relay if you had the recall done.
-Chris-
-Sweetness-
-Turbocharged-
Slowly but surely may some day win this race...
i pulled the carpet up today and found a purple wire that looks like its been hotwired into itself. i jiggled it around and got the car to start. im going to go out on a limb here and say that that might be where the CSS is supposed to be but that it had been removed at some point. fun stuff.
