Searched, troubleshooted, the whole nine.

Background:
Start up car for work today, a few extra cranks but it sprang to life, got to work parked it. (Added 1/4 quart oil, it leaks). Leaving work, car won't start. Battery has power, sunroof, stereo still work. Turn the key, nothing, maybe a small, faint click, but nothing pronounced. Push start, pop clutch, it's alive. Drive home, turn off, try to turn again, fires right up.

Questions:
*Could my adding oil have anything at all to do with this?
*No clicking, bad starter, alternator, plugs/wires/cap/rotor?
*Currently have unknown CEL's (working on it), however I think it's due to my lack of a catalytic converter and a few vaccum lines. Any chance that without running a cat, in turn running hella rich, could kill my fuel pump?
*Main fuel relay, the fuel system in general?
*If it is my starter (or anything really on the engine), I have a JDM B18B, can I use USDM B18B1 parts?
*?

 

i have the same problem.
help bump
i have heard it is the starter, but i want to hear ideas too.

 

Do all you hear when you try to start it is a faint click? Because if soo its probably your starter slowly going out. It happend to my car would click like once or twice at first but then would start right up. After awhile it would take more and more clicks and finally had to be roll started all the time. Its most likely your starter if this is your problem. Replaced mine and have not had any problems since.

 

next time it does this just tap the starter with a wrench or whatever is handy and see if it starts then, that will usually get it to start up if it is the starter that is bad.

 

Yep, those two nailed it i'm sure....^^^

I've had this problem in 3 cars now. All of them were toyotas (hasn't happend to my teg...yet...seems like i'm always doomed for this) but 2 of them were because of the alternator. It'd create enough charge to allow electronics in the car to work (btw, these were old yotas so not much in the way of electronics) but not enough charge to turn the starter. Always fired right up on compression start.

In the first two I tried fixing them like the they did to the russian space station (hitting the starter with a wrench) and nothing. Replaced the alternator per a suggestion from a dude at work, worked like a charm.

The last one it wasn't the alternator at all, it was in fact the starter. Banging on it with the wrench would allow it to crank every time...got annoying obviously, replaced it. never a problem again...till the wheel fell off on the freeway but thats not really applicable in this situation.

Hope that helps!

 

Bump, thanks guys, I think it is the starter as well.

Anyone else?!?!