HELP, starter does not start. Where to start looking?

[94-302-vert]

Ok, Yesterday went to a cruise night with the family, when we go to leave the car won't crank. No solenoind clicking noise, nothing at all... Starter has not acted up beforehand so I don't think that is the problem. However we were able to bump start it to get us home (thankfully as we were 45 miles from home)...

I want to get this narrowed down tonight so here is what I have tired, am thinking, or need help with:

1. Fuses: Checked all 3 40A fuses in the underhood panel and all are good.
2. Clutch safety switch: I bypassed it jsut to be sure (cut the wires and twisted them together). No change.
3. Starter Relay: haven't checked it as I didn't know which it was. It is suspect as it still has factory white paint on it and I don't recall hearing any clicking from it at all. Can I use my horn relay in it's place to test one/both?
4. Ignition Switch, How can I test this?
5. Starter has two wires going to it right? One constant positive and one switched positive right? So I could always do a bypass wire to check that it is not the starter right? Then potentially just do a wire through a fuse ans switch to have a starter button rather than using the key right?

Anything else?

Thanks!!!

 

[loudpedal99]

Try cleaning the connections at the battery and at the starter. I've had the same problem and it was dirty/loose connections.

 

[94-302-vert]

Battery is good, have to check the starter...

 

[HISSIN50]

To check your ignition switch's crank trigger, just put a test light or meter on the CSS wires you bridged together. If it lights up while cranking, your ignition-switch crank-trigger should be fine to that point.

Good luck.

 

[94-302-vert]

Thanks for the Thoughts guys.. I am hoping to find a couple hours to check this out tonight and I'll post what I find (if anything) tomorrow....

 

[Navi Man]

Thanks for the Thoughts guys.. I am hoping to find a couple hours to check this out tonight and I'll post what I find (if anything) tomorrow....

I'd almost guarantee it's the starter. Same thing happened to me last fall as it just quit without any warning. Checked all connections and everything looked good. I further checked by testing the wires down to the starter to see if I had a constant hot and a hot when cranked. Both wires lit up so I knew it had to be the starter. After pulling it (pain in the azz) I took it to the shop and it tested out faulty. It's common for these starters not to give any warning. By they way, mine was also a 94'.

 

[HISSIN50]

I'd almost guarantee it's the starter. Same thing happened to me last fall as it just quit without any warning. Checked all connections and everything looked good. I further checked by testing the wires down to the starter to see if I had a constant hot and a hot when cranked. Both wires lit up so I knew it had to be the starter. After pulling it (pain in the azz) I took it to the shop and it tested out faulty. It's common for these starters not to give any warning. By they way, mine was also a 94'.

The important part is that you spent 10 minutes doing proper diagnostics before removing the starter - by the time you removed it, you were pretty sure it was a starter issue (or motor-ground could have been possible). That's the smart way to do it because nothing sucks like swapping out a perfectly good part, leaving one poorer and still having an issue.