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Full Battery Power, One Click, Won't Start
Topic Started: Jan 30 2015, 06:33 PM (1,782 Views)
yiffzer
Forgot His Manpurse

Soooo, it happens to me at the worst time.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/rochester-ny/14614/weather-forecast/329674

13 F degrees, snowing, and windy at where I am. And it's so dark. And I'm at work.

My car won't start. Fuel pump works, turn the key, it clicks and no power. The dash dims. Repeat, same thing. If you do it enough, maybe you'll hear two clicks.

But headlights are bright, my domelight works, the dash light works. Clearly power is there. Time is reset to 1:00.

This is not the first time it has happened. It has happened literally 6 or 7 times in the past and it had always been at the most awkward moments (going to work, leaving from a gas station, you name it). I thought it was the battery. It was. Replaced that. Then it happened again. I saw some corrosion in the battery cables -- cleaned it up. But it happened again. This time, it's not the battery or the ends of the cables.

I've read from the forum that it's all related to a possibly bad solenoid. The problem is that I don't know where it is (let alone what it even is). Where is the starter? Where is the solenoid? Pictures, for the love of God.

Metromightymouse wrote that he installed a relay. Is it the Samurai starter kit? How would you hook it up? How quick was it?

Thanks. :)
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Coche Blanco
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Troll Certified

It's possible it is the cables themselves, but that's just a guess. Does it happen with any consistency?
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yiffzer
Forgot His Manpurse

Checking, recleaning, reinstalling cables now.
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yiffzer
Forgot His Manpurse

Where is the starter?
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Hanuman
"The Almighty Grounds Cleaner"

Coche Blanco
Jan 30 2015, 06:50 PM
It's possible it is the cables themselves, but that's just a guess. Does it happen with any consistency?
:gp

next time, grab each battery cable clamp and try and turn ever so slightly....see if that makes it suddenly work.....
if so, clean, position clamps on posts where they seem to fit the best, and tighten.
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Silver2K


If my starter clicks, the first thing I do is clean the battery posts. But if the posts are clean then step 2 is to clean the spade connector on the starter. And you can check the clutch position sensor. I actually took mine apart and cleaned it. But in the end what was causing the clicking was a bad ignition switch. This is a common problem across Metros, Samurais, and Trackers. There is an active post right now discussing this.

As the ignition switch degrades you will get the clicking more often. Replacing things like the starter, solenoid, battery, cables may fix the problem, or not. When you get tired of replacing parts you can either add a starter relay, or add a push button to the dashboard or replace the ignition switch. The relay solution will cost you less than $10.

Google geometroforum starter relay

Now if you have an automatic, then your problem may be the sensor that tells the ECU you are in park.
Edited by Silver2K, Jan 30 2015, 09:49 PM.
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94RHDRollerskate
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Forum Stud Muffin

Suzuki Clicky Starter Kit

Suzuki Clicky Starter Kit web page
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yiffzer
Forgot His Manpurse

Well, I spent like 30 minutes really, really, really cleaning the cable ends, clamps, and nuts. I even boiled some of the really rusty pieces in vinegar. There were copper sulfates on the copper ends of the cable so I really cleaned them up.

It started right up.

I think you guys figured that since it wasn't a very common occurrence that it wasn't the starter. You guys may be right. I've got a multimeter that I can use to test the voltage of the starter. Except... I'm not quite sure where it is. Bottom rear of the engine?
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

Passenger side of the engine compartment back side of the motor. If you follow wires from the positive cable one will go to the starter. It will also have a small wire that that is plugged onto a spade. That wire is the signal from the ignition switch. If you jumper the battery to that terminal the starter should spin (ignition off, car out of gear, emergency brake on). If it doesn't the problem is with the starter or a really bad battery cable. If the starter spins every time it will be fixed by the use of a relay. The fact that your lights dim indicates that it is more likely a cable problem or a starter problem since it indicates a large power draw, leaving less for the lights.
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Woodie
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Metromightymouse
Jan 31 2015, 01:00 AM
The fact that your lights dim indicates that it is more likely a cable problem or a starter problem since it indicates a large power draw, leaving less for the lights.
:gp
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Metromightymouse
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Inspired partially by this thread, the new starter help post.

http://geometroforum.com/topic/5753206/1
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yiffzer
Forgot His Manpurse

I'm back. :p

And this is getting pretty stressful considering I got a new job and my wife has to drive me to work everyday while I try to get this fixed. :(

Here's what I've done so far:

1) I cleaned grounds -- one on passenger side, two on the firewall top section, one on the driver's side (from battery's negative terminal post to the chassis). I cleaned them by sanding them down -- they all look shiny. I tightened them all back on.

2) I went further to clean one more ground -- the battery's negative terminal post to the transmission. Sanded it down, it's shiny. Tightened it back on.

3) I replaced the top post clamps with brass clamps -- the original was damaged (one was broken off, not giving enough contact). I cleaned the top posts of the battery, it's shiny. I put the brass top posts on and made sure it was tight. I made sure all cables are screwed down and contacting the brass plates.

I tested it -- the starter now makes a very rapid click-click-click sound. This is much better than before because it used to slowly click. I figured it had something to do with the battery being low but it was already 1 AM so I left at it.

Came back from work and decided to do one more thing:

4) Checked the solenoid -- it is corroded and dirty. Unbolted both nuts and cleaned the ring connector from the battery's positive side cable directly to the solenoid. I saw that the cable connecting from the starter to the solenoid was exposed and therefore had sulfur residue on them. I tried to clean what I could with a brush wire. I couldn't get the ring connector on the other screw to come off so instead I sprayed bar keeper's on the connectors, gave it a minute, then sprayed it down with warm water. It's difficult enough to put my hand through there because it's so tight.

While unbolting the one closest to the starter, I noticed that the screw started to bend. I managed to get the nut out but saw the damage was done. I put it all back and had no issues though. Does the placement of washers matter at all?

I jumpstart the car, left it running for 5 minutes, drove the car for 15 minutes. While driving on a long straight road, I turned off the engine, re-started it up. It worked fine. I went home, parked it.

Now at 7:30 AM right before work, I jump into the car, tried to start. It clicks only one time (this never happened before). The dash stays lit (this never happened before).

So... what happened here? Why did it used to click rapidly and then now it only clicks once?
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

Instead of fighting it, do the test outlined in the MMM starter theory thread in my signature. If it starts every time, no click, it is in the small ignition wire somewhere and the easiest way to fix it is a relay. Do it several times and if you have any doubt, leave it for a couple of hours and try again. Any clicking indicates it is something else and you need to look at the components. If it starts every time, put a relay on it and be done with it.
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yiffzer
Forgot His Manpurse

I'm a guy who likes everything done properly. If it is indeed the issue with the ignition wire (that's the positive terminal wire connecting directly to the solenoid, right?), then replacing the wire should do the job, right? It should be pretty affordable!
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

Only that isn't necessarily it. It could be worn contacts in the ignition switch, worn contacts in the clutch safety switch, corrosion on any of the various plugs, corrosion in the wires themselves, partially broken wires or any combination of all of those. If you choose to pursue replacing what is creating the issue you can still use the jumper test to confirm the starter is working properly and the problem is only in the ignition wire side.

Good luck.
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