Hey guys ive always been checking out this site and now Ive decided to join in my time of need haha. But heres the deal, ive been driving my car for about a year now and its done this twice before it wont start but it will after a few tries and now it wont start again but I turn the key and nothing happens no crank or anything. The fuel pump comes on and but the starter doesnt do anything. I have the vats bypass module from hawks installed and I dont think its my vats unless the box went bad. but any ideas on what it could be? maybe my starter just went bad? thanks for the help guys

 

Give this a read... I am having the same problem.. i have replaced almost everything trying to fix it. I found a couple sketchy connections at the starter so im waiting to see if this fixes the issue. How often does this happen?

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...ing-issue.html

 

Its happened about 3 times in the last few months. I just hope its not my vats again I hate dealing with that foolishness.

 

Is this the car in your profile, with the T5 tranny? Have you checked the clutch pedal switch? My '89 RS 5-speed was behaving very similarly to yours a couple of months ago; it would randomly decide not to start, maybe 2-3 times a month. I had power to everything but the starter...no solenoid click...nothing. Then after walking away from it and trying again later, it would start just fine. Purely coincidentally, the starter had been replaced around the same time, so I was hell-bent on blaming the starter, until I finally traced the problem to the faulty clutch pedal safety switch. I've since heard that it's a relatively common problem. I bypassed the switch (a quick easy "fix", although bypassing it altogether it allows your car to start in gear), and the problem has since vanished. It's worth a try, or at least disconnecting the switch and jumping the wires to see if it starts for you.

 

Hey Don. Yeah thats my car in the profile. And no I havent looked at that yet but it sounds like a possibility I was thinking that could be one of the culprits too so Ill check it out. Wheres the switch at? Under the steering column in the wiring nest? lol

 

Fortunately the switch is relatively easy to get to (amazing, I know); look up behind and to the left of the clutch pedal and you should see two thicker wires (10 or 12 guage, I'm guessing; mine are purple and green respectively) leading to a connector, and two similar-sized wires (should be one purple and one yellow) out the other side of the connector leading to the clutch pedal switch. I unhooked that connector and simply jumpered the purple and green wires together, thereby taking the switch completely out of the circuit. My car has started up without fail ever since. Let us know if this turns out to be your culprit, just keep in mind that your car will start up in any gear as long as the switch is bypassed. Good luck!

 

clutch safety switch sounds about right to me...but hey, who knows with these cars

 

Hey Don, I just went out there and tried jumping them and it didnt work :/. I guess the problem lies elsewhere. Any suggestions ?

 

Well shoot, that sucks...on to some other possibilities then...

The only things between the battery and the starter are the ignition switch and the clutch pedal safety switch. Assuming you've checked the battery, and all connections are tight and clean, I'd check next to see if power was getting from the battery to the starter, as follows...

If you have a helper handy, connect a 12-volt test light (or voltmeter) to a ground and to the purple wire on the starter solenoid, while your helper tries to start the car. If you get full juice to the light or meter, and still no crank, the problem is likely your starter or solenoid. If however you're getting no juice at the starter at all, then I would suspect the ignition switch (since you've already ruled out the only other possibility, the clutch pedal switch).

(It also wouldn't hurt to double-check that you jumpered the two correct wires earlier when ruling out the clutch pedal switch possibility. Connecting the two wires coming from the switch itself would still leave you dead in the water.)

Fingers are crossed for ya...

 

Does anybody know where the 2 wires that come off the power post on the starter go? They are orange i believe. I had a bad connection here. Could that effect the starter system.

Also, would only the manual transmission have the clutch safety switch? I have a 700r4

 

Im going to have to check those connections over the weekend. But one question is when I go to start the car should the injectors squirt fuel out even though the starter isnt engaging ? Or does the starter have to engage to have the injectors fire? This is why I was thinking it was the vats deal again