My car would not start today in the store parking lot and had to have it towed home. When I turned the key the lights came on, radio works, Windows work and everything else electrical works perfect except the starter. When I turn the key the starter is silent no movement, no noise. I even tried jumping the car and that didn't do anything.I also let it sit for a few hours to cool off and didnt help. I did put headers on my car a few weeks ago and this was my third time driving it since then so I was thinking maybe the heat has something to do with it . The starter wires near the headers all look fine.Headers are coated. Could the heat of the new headers have killed the starter? Do the symptoms I listed above even sound like that of a dead starter???? Could it be something totally different?? Battery and starter cables have all clean connections also.

I did take off the starter and will have it tested tomorrow.

If my starter is bad what is a good one to get for cheap I am broke and will be for a long time. The starter is the original one, as far as I know, Could it be rebuilt???? Whats involved in rebuilding? I ask becasue those rebuild kits are a hell of a lot cheaper than starters are.


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1987 Iroc 350
GTS headlight/tail light covers
Camaro SS Wheels w/Sumitomo HTR ZII 275 rear, 255's in front
K&N filters
Adjustable Borla cat back
SLP 1 3/4 headers
w/ Air born coating
3" Catco cat
Large tube runners
ported plenum
Holley afpr

FUTURE GOAL:
To go really F'in fast!!!

Some pics of it at
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...949&Auth=false

 

John,

Heat is very tough on starters, particularly the solenoids. If your test of the starter reveals a problem, get the parts you need to repair it. A new solenoid can usually be found for around $20.00, and a brush set is about $5. Get some electromotive cleaner and wash the commutator thoroughly. Use a meter to test the continuity of the armature windings, and test the field windings.

If the starter checks O.K., make sure you are getting power to the "S" terminal on the solenoid when the key is turned to START. If so, check for proper grounding. If not, check the neutral safety switch and/or clutch safety switch. Check the start inhibit relay behined the left kick panel, and make sure you don't have a problem with the VATS system.

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Later,
Vader
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"Let the bodies hit the floor!"
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

I have no idea on how to do any of those or what those things are so I think wont be rebuilding one. I am kind of stupid right now when it comes to electrical things. I will see how the test comes out tomorrow and will take it from there. Thanks



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1987 Iroc 350
GTS headlight/tail light covers
Camaro SS Wheels w/Sumitomo HTR ZII 275 rear, 255's in front
K&N filters
Adjustable Borla cat back
SLP 1 3/4 headers
w/ Air born coating
3" Catco cat
Large tube runners
ported plenum
Holley afpr

FUTURE GOAL:
To go really F'in fast!!!

Some pics of it at
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...949&Auth=false

 

Today I took the starter in to be tested. They said it worked perfect. I put it back on and the car started fine. So I . So I go and mess around with the nuetral switch and readjusted it and try to start the car and it wont start again. What the hell???

How do I check to see if power is going to the s terminal? An how do I check if it is grounding or not???????? I also havent checked the the start inhibit relay or even looked for it yet. What exactly does it look like??

I should also tell you that I have an auto xray scanner that will only comunnicate with my car every once in a while. works everytime on my moms car though. When it is working, my park and netral and gear choice raedings are way off. for example while Im in park it will say first gear engaged and park not detected. Could this have anything to do with it??????????? It has read like this ever since I got the scanner like 5 months ago.

[This message has been edited by john5.7 87Iroc (edited June 14, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by john5.7 87Iroc (edited June 14, 2001).]

 

I would say the sarter is just heat soaked from the headers, and has to cool down before it starts. Some times it might start in half an hour. Or take up to 3 hours. Mine did the same thing, Summit has a kit to mount a remote soleniod. Its like 25.00 you dont even have to cut any wires, After diconnecting them from the sarter. Just pull them from the loom towards the battery. Mount the soleniod down on the frame below the battery. The kit comes with a jumper bar for the starter. Look in the tech section of this site there is an article on it. I like the kit from summit because its cheap and you dont have to fab anything.

I never had a problem with any of my cars starting after installing this kit. No matter how hot they were. If everything else turns out okay this might be the problem.

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Black 90 IROC, L98, A4, 323 gear. SuperRamed 406 in the works!

[This message has been edited by MikeH (edited June 14, 2001).]

 

I really doubt its heat soak anymore. It was yesterday when it happened and it wouldnt start like 7 hours later. Then I took out the starter today and brought it in to be tested and put it back in and it started and I shut it off like 10 seconds later and 20 minutes later I tried again and it wouldnt start.In those 10 seconds it was on I dont think any heat could really have built up or much any way. And I have been tring ever ince. Unfortunitly I think there is more to my problem, but who knows. I will look into that reloctor for the solonoid to be safe.Thanks




[This message has been edited by john5.7 87Iroc (edited June 14, 2001).]

 

John, how are they testing the starter for you? Are they just making sure it spins/engages, or are they measuring windings and all that? If they're just making sure it spins, you can do the same in your driveway, with jumper cables.

Heck if you buy a $10 remote starter switch from Pep Boys (or similar), you can spin the starter while it's in your car. That might give a good represenation of "starter problem vs wiring problem". If your car won't start with the key, but you can spin the starter with the remote switch, then guess what, it's your key. Just remember to remove the coil wire from the distributor cap when you do this.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

I went and bought the remote starter switch from pep boys. Before I open it up I want to make sure of a few things. Will this actually start up my car or just spin the starter? This may seem stupid but the reason I ask is because if it starts my car how do I shut it (the car) off if I am not using the keys to start it?? This thing just looks like you connect one connector to the solenoid and one end to a battery and you press the starter button thing on it and it will start the car.
Or is this is what taking off the coil wire from the distributer will keep from happening????

Right now I think my starter is fine but I will see tommorow when I test out this remote starter switch. What I still dont know for sure is if my battery cable to the starter is bad, or whether I have a bad neutral saftey switch or even a bad ignition switch. But hopefully I will know tomorrow.




[This message has been edited by john5.7 87Iroc (edited June 15, 2001).]

 

If the coil is plugged in and the key is on, the car will start up - or may if the oil pressure gets high enough, anyway. If the coil is unplugged, or the key is off, the car cannot start.

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"So many Mustangs, so little time..."
ICON Motorsports

 

That neutral start switch can be a b*tch! (I'm a poet lol I was too lazy to pull the console to check 'em so I made sure they were in position, and made sure they moved, even bent the arms on 'em a little to make sure they were connecting! Later I read they are microswitches...good news, all microswitches (That I have ever seen, including the neutral start switches) click! When you push 'em in they should click, and when they come out they should click They aren't too loud though! Also, w/ the car off you could use an ohm meter on the switch, when off it should be either off the scale, or in the high megaohms. When on it shoud be close to 0. If it isn't, there's a good sign you got bad ones I had mine direct wired for a while because, at least w/ b&m shifters, it's 2 switches. The one controlling the reverse lights, well, failed, so my reverse lights were always on...the police didn't like that! So since they gave me 2 days to fix it, and the local parts store was outta the switches, I shorted the neutral start wires, and put the good switch on the lights lol I was smart enough not to start the car in drive or reverse There was a nice sign of those switches being bad though, like you said, all the electronics would come on in the run position but in the crank/start position everything would go out, this is normal since starting needs all the power/protects the equipment from any surges the starter might create.
the remote starter will test your wires to the battery. If it cranks with the remote starter, either your key is bad, or the wires are bad. If everything turns off when the key is put to crank, the key is good.

HTH


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Corry Lazarowitz
clazarow@voicenet.com
clazarowitz@hotmail.com
1987 Pontiac Trans AM (GTA?) 350 or is it a 305?! TPI
SLP 1 3/4" headers, 3" cat back (stock cat
MSD ignition.
MSD Blaster SS coil.
3.73 Rear end gears
Accell 8.8 Wires
Bosh +4 Spark Plugs (Don't know if they really help but hell!)
Holley AFPR
Race Built Automatic trans ('vette servo, shift kit, tightly packed clutches)--just needs titanium gears now!
Newly gutted cat (the car gutted it's own cat!)
Hypertech Chip (Just found out I had it! :eek
More soon when funds are avail...

 

turned out to be the starter after all. After trying everything else I finally tapped on the starter while my dad turned the key and it started. Damn I wish I would have tried that before I did anything else. I could kick my own *** right now. It just seemed to easy to try that. thanks for the help