What's up everyone? So I have an intermitant car won't start problem. The car will start just like normal 8 out of 10 times. 1 out of 10 I have to jiggle the key or rotate it to the start position multiple times (it clicks everytime) before it will start. The other 1 out of 10 the car won't start at all. It just clicks as if the starter solinoid is bad. The starter is probably 3 months old. I replaced it because I though it was shot. 2 days later I was back to this again.
The car runs like normal after it starts. No weird anything. Just intermitant start problems. Bad ignition switch, bad wire somewhere? Looking for a place to start. It's like I'm not getting the ignition signal to the starter. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

RT

 

You will have to verify that you have 12V going to the small wire to the starter. You may want to run a wire (like speaker wire) from the small wire to the starter to inside of the car. Just hook up a volt meter between the speaker wire and ground. Just have it visible for when you have the starter problem.

The other thing you can do is to inspect the positive battery cable that runs from the battery to the starter. You may want to clean the ground cable where it bolts to the engine block and the radiator support with a wire brush.

 

Thanks. The voltage to the small wire is what i was curious about. Ill have ta run a wire this wknd, hopefully. Holiday wknd will be busy. Ill check the battery connections too, there in the trunk so i dont look at them as often as i should. Ill get back to ya with my findings. Thanks again and happy holidays.

 

So I ran a wire from the Blk/Wht wire on my starter to inside the car so I could check the voltage when I start the car. I have checked it a couple times now and when starting the car I'm only getting about 8 volts. Shouldn't I be getting 12. The car is still stating with only 8. I haven't had it not start on me since I ran the wire.
Oh and the battery connections look good.

 

Check that your volt meter is working properly by testing the voltage to the battery.

Make sure that the wire you hooked up is secure to the blk/wht wire on the starter and not touching the metal starter housing.

Is the click you are hearing coming from the engine bay when the car is not starting?

 

I guess the voltage drop could be due to connections. I used aligator clips so i wouldnt have to hard wire anything.
As far as the click goes when the car wont start, im not sure if its in the engine bay or in the cab. It sounds like a relay so i would asume its the relay under the hood in the fure box.

 

IMO, the problem could be the starter to the electrical portion of the ignition switch. Possibly the clutch switch.

Let us know the voltage you get when the car will not start compared to when it will start.

 

Ok so I tried starting the car today and no go. From inside the cab I'm reading 4.5 volts at the blk/white starter wire. Checed battery voltage just in case and it's reading 11.5 which should be enough to start the car, right? So I am getting voltage at the starter wire but no where near 12 v. What do you think?

 

If it were my car, I would replace the electrical portion of the ignition switch.

 

And that portion of the switch can be bought without having to replace the key protion correct? I'm looking for just the ignition switch right? And thanks for all the help by the way.