I've got a '88 TPI car with a 5 speed. The car starts fine cold and it will start when warm if you turn off the engine and shortly thereafter restart the engine. However if you wait say 10 - 15 minutes to start the car all you get is....click, and the car will not turn over. The click tells me power is getting to the starter. Also, the car will not jump start either.

Another observation is that if you force a restart (popping the clutch....thank god it's a 5 speed) a big poof of black exhaust spits out the tailpipes. The car runs fine after it's warmed up a bit and it has refurbished injectors (did not replace the cold start injector yet). Here is what I've done to try and resolve the hot start issue:

-Installed heat shields

-Replaced starter with a high torque starter

-New battery

-Checked all connection to starter/battery etc.

-Replaced clutch lockout switch

The car has an alarm so my next thought was that maybe there was a faulty ignition shutoff switch or something, but the clicking of the starter tells me that this is probably not the issue.

Is there perhaps some faulty temperature sensor that needs replacing? Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. This is my last stop before taking it to a dealer (yikes) and having them have a go.

 

Add a heavy ground cable from the starter to the battery. Check the voltages at the starter wires while its acting up.

 

Starter heat soak comes to mind.

 

Mine did the same thing, and I installed a remote solenoid. Problem solved.

 

Thanks for your replies. All things I have not tried yet. Think I'll try the low buck heavy ground first. db1989iroc - would you recommend the solenoid you purchased? If so, what brand and where did you purchase it? Thanks.

 

Jeg's has remote starter solenoid kits for $27 part number 555-10301, or you can get a Ford solenoid from Advance Auto $8 part number 84010. Mount on pass. fender well or firewall. Will also need another 12v power cable. Basically you are keeping original solenoid on starter, bridge it with a piece of wire or something (i used sheet metal) you are bypassing it, new remote solenoid will then be your main solenoid. Ford had one good idea with remote mounted solenoids