Just recently, my turbo GS-R motor started clicking really rapidly instead of actually turning the engine. The first 2 or 3 times it happened, I put the car in fifth, and rocked it back and forth to loosen up any possible gear problems. That solved it. This time, though, no amount of pushing the car back and forth will get the starter to turn the engine--it just clicks really fast.

It's not circuitry or current restriction, as i tested the starter by applying external power directly to the leads on the starter. I dont think it's the engine, since i turned the engine by hand and it was fine, no timing belt issues, etc. It's not the starter, since i swapped out the starter for a known good one and the same issue occured.

I am totally stumped... and I daily drive this car, so i would appreciate any help asap.

thanks!

 

Have you tested the battery?? I know it sounds dumb but the starter will click with a weak battery.

 

I agree with 91civic....it definitely sounds like you have a weak battery.

 

battery

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if it's not your battery...get a pole or something and hit the solenoid on the starter hard while trying to turn it on....see if that works.

 

thanks for the responses, but like i said, i used an external power source to feed the starter, and it still clicked -> not the battery. i also said that i used a rebuilt starter -> not the starter. i'm going to try all of these tests again under different conditions and with more measurement, because it seems likely that some test went wrong.


a new complication arose today... I pushstarted the car, ran fine, and i drove it around till the engine was about half hot, at which point i was tuning the ecu and accidentally stalled the car. i had to push start again, because i got massive clicking. then, however, when it was fully hot, i could start the engine as many times as i wanted with the starter. that's really really weird. only thing i can think of is that my external power supply from the wall wasnt giving enough amps to the engine.

any ideas on what could cause the engine to have more resistance to turning when cold all of a sudden?

thanks

 

Make sure your grounds are good
All connections are good in the starter circuit
Make sureyoiur battery has a full charge, even put it on the charger while you crank it...

 

maybe its your grounds as the guy above me stated. you could definetly have a bad ground if it wouldnt crank when you put an external power source to it. check tranny ground and maybe take starter out and clean around the side of the starter that contacts the motor and clean around the part of the tranny that meets with the starter... if all else fails Hire an unemployed person to ride shotgun next to you and push start your car everytime you want to start it (hehe, just talking ****)