surrealx

The other day I had turned off my car for 10 or 15 minutes and when I tried to start it back up, it didn't want to crank or start up. It was driving fine before I had turned it off. When I push my clutch pedal all the way to the floor and turn the key to start the car I hear a constant beep noise coming from behind the dash. But once i start to let go of the clutch pedal to about half way the sound goes away. I hear my main relay click and I hear the fuel pump turning on and sending the fuel through the lines.

So, I thought it was my dizzy and swapped out the old ignition coil with a working one. I tried tapping on the starter and alternator. I tried changing the battery and jumping the car but have not push started it yet. I also changed my main relay too.

There are not check engine light or codes.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Thank you

thewrai6th

I'd test the starter in neutral (don't run yourself over ). This will help you determine if the starter solenoid is getting power.
The beeping sounds like a wiring or electrical issue. Could be some bad wiring/relay from the ignition, or maybe an aftermarket alarm gone dead.
A push start would also help to determine if the car even runs.

surrealx

Thanks for the reply. How would I go about with testing the starter. Now that you mention about the alarm wiring I will check my piezo sirens to see if that's one problem also. I haven't done a push start because the car is on a hill =/.

fcm

I would be willing to bet the "beep sound" is more of a buzz, [poor ground on starter relay coil], CIS supplies the ground for the starter relays coil.

You can try two things..

Bypass jump, use a jumper wire, connect one end to the batt. pos.(+) post, unplug the starter lead from the starter motor, [thinner of the two leads at the starter] touch other end of jumper lead to the terminal on starter you unplugged the starter lead from.

As mentioned, make sure car is not in gear, engine will crank even if in gear, even if clutch not stepped on or even if ign. switch is off.

If engine cranks with bypass jump, unplug the CIS, [high up on clutch lever] jump the two leads, [black and blue/black] in the CIS plug, try and start car, if it cranks replace CIS.

If it still does not crank, use a jumper lead to supply the blue/black lead in the CIS plug with a ground, [cars chassis or any good ground point] if engine cranks, check dash harness grounds, if still no crank replace starter relay. 94

surrealx

I just unbolted my starter and saw this wire running from it. What is it and is it suppose to be loose from the starter?

TotalKhaos24

Thats your starter solenoid signal wire there should be a black/ wite tracer wire going to it. The component is plastic and looks like it broke. With it broken your starter will not engage and the car wont start. You are going to have to replace the starter. Sorry. But brittle plastic breaks.

surrealx

I am a little confused on which wire. The only two wires I see are the one that goes on with the nut and that wire in the picture I posted above. So you want me to connect a wire to the positive(+) on the battery and connect the other side to one of these wires? I forgot to mention that the car is a 96 gsr sedan.

fcm

Kind of a poor quality pic so it's hard for me to see exactly what I am looking at.

I agree with TotalKhaos24, if that is the starter solenoid "exciter" terminal, it's not looking healthy at all.

Maybe a pic from farther back and another like the above, [with more light] will make it easier to confirm what I am looking at. 94

surrealx

Here you go

NemesisCBR

I might have to try what FCM said one day on my car. Ive had a problem with starting my car for years but ive always been able to get it started so i just keep putting it off. The annoyance factor grows though. Had it out of commission for 3 weeks cuz i couldnt get it started one time and after trying to figure it out for 3 weeks i was back to square one cuz i rechecked my steps and turned out i put a fuse back in the wrong spot after i towed it home. But this was only the reason it took me 3 weeks to fire it back up. I didnt figure out what was wrong with it cuz it will go a long time without a problem but its been happening again more recently.

My fuel pump primes, relay clicks but no crank from the engine. I usually manage to start it after a few turns of the key, once i stepped on the brake while turning the key but i think it had to do with vibrating something else, have hit the steering column with key turned and other times ive wiggled the key but i dont think ill be doing that much anymore cuz sometimes i get a buzz sound from what i think is the relay spazzing out.

Not cranking seems to be a common problem that eventually occurs but i dont think our problem is the same with many parts involved in the process. Have you been able to identify what your buzz sound was?

fcm

Much better pic, what is the MM&Y of car?

That is definatly the "starter" lead, [lead on the right] and it's not looking good. 94

surrealx

I have not figured it out yet but its probably what fcm said about a bad ground.

My car is a 96 integra gsr sedan. So I tried tugging on that starter lead and it does not want to come out. It seems as it is connected to something else in the starter. Do I just cut the metal wire that is connected inside of it?

thewrai6th

The plastic plug coming out of the starter is common, as long as the wire is still connected and not grounded out, it's fine, you can glue it back in. If it is grounded out, your car will not crank.

If you have a voltmeter, you can check for power on that small black wire going to the solenoid terminal... when you go to crank the car you should see voltage.

From the look of things, the starter is probably the root of the problem. You can either rebuild the starter or buy a new one.

surrealx

OK I will try and get a volt meter to test the voltage on that thin black wire. How would I go to take out the starter? Do I cut that thin black wire or is there a way to take it out?

thewrai6th

Unplug the battery ground

Remove the intake

Unplug the wire going to the broken solenoid terminal (it just pulls out)

Disconnect the starter to battery wire

There are two long bolts holding the starter in, remove them

Remove starter

The starter can be replaced in about 5 minutes.

surrealx

Is this the wire (circled in red) that pulls out? I tried pulling it out but it does not want to slide out. It feels like if I pull it really hard it will break something.

thewrai6th

The wire is the same as a speaker terminal. Male to Female tab.
Grab a hold of the plastic plug, pull the rubber boot back and disconnect the wire. It might be rusted solid, you can crimp on a new connector if you need to.

surrealx

Well I took out the starter and got it tested by Kragens, turns out it passed.

A question for fcm, for the bypass jump I know I have one wire on the battery pos (+) and does the other wire go to this brown plastic piece in the picture below? Or does it go to the metal screw sticking out?

fcm

"the metal screw sticking out" is for the batt. cable, [one end of jumper can go to it instead of batt. pos.(+) post].

You touch the other end of jumper to the terminal, [male quick disconnect] in the "brown plastic piece", I actually have an old set of needle nose pliers I use to do bypass jumps with, open them up so one tip touches the batt. cable terminal, " the metal screw sticking out" the other tip touches the exciter/starter terminal, terminal inside the "brown plastic piece". 94

NemesisCBR

Perhaps youve already done this but have you checked fuses?

surrealx

So I did the bypass jump and the car cranked. Then I tried the bypass jump on the CIS plug but it did not work. When I tried to start the car with the bypass CIS the buzz noise would come back even if I was not pushing the clutch to the floor. Then I plugged it back in and the buzzing noise only came when I pushed the clutch to the floor. Then I put my ear next to the starter relay and I pushed the clutch to the floor and tried to start the car and that was where the buzzing noise was coming from. I unplugged the starter relay and it went away. Now could that be the problem? In the previous times I think I hear this buzz go on before but I did not think anything of it. It would buzz real quick then all I would have to do is turn off the ign then turn it back on and the car would start. Could the relay be dead?

@NemesisCBR Yes I have checked all fuses.

wrx-killer-Sti-eater

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like a bad relay or a relay not getting correct power.

NemesisCBR

I would agree. Its a good place to start and replace that or borrow one. The relay shouldnt continuously buzz like that. In the problems im having with starting my car which consists of getting it started but it just takes a few turns of the key sometimes and im fairly certain its loose electrical, ive wiggled my key while in the ignition full turned and caused the starter that normally clicks when you try to start the car to buzz. Ive since stopped doing that and just turn or let go to prevent possible damage.

I asked about the fuses just cuz i checked mine trying to resolve my problem one night when i couldnt get it started, in the dark, and resulted in towing the car home. Took me 3 weeks of trying most of the trouble shooting steps to recheck my steps and find out that i had put that one fuse back in the wrong place or i would have been able to start the car eventually. 2 years later i havent been left stranded yet but it reoccurs intermittently.

fcm

The starter relay is not getting a good ground from the CIS, instead of jumping the CIS plug, [black and blue/black if I remember] use a jumper lead and ground the blue/black to the cars chassis, [any good ground point....

If engine cranks, check the ground connection of the black lead in the CIS plug.
If engine still will not crank, [buzz from relay] replace the relay it is defective. 94

NemesisCBR

excuse my thread jacking but, FCM if the no cranking is inconsistant will the methods youve mentioned help me resolve the issue? My car will either fire up on the first key turn or i have to try a few times. Fuel pump primes, relay clicks. Possibly not.. i think i have to trace wires for connection problems. I dont even know where to start with that.