When it just clicks, do you hear the gentle whirring of a starter motor not engaging the ring gear? Or does it just "click" like bad a solenoid? Or does it crank and not fire?
If you get cranking but no ignition, there's any number of issues that might be bad. If you get a whirring of the starter motor running but no cranking, it's the starter's gear not engaging with the ring gear which is either because the ring gear is worn out or the starter's gear isn't moving forward to engage. Since you didn't say that you had to rock the Miata a little to get it to work, I'll assume that your ring gear is fine, but it still might be that the starter gear isn't moving forward (could be a bad starter motor even though it is relatively new). If it just clicks, then I would think that it's a solenoid problem where the low current side is fine by the high current side is all gunked up with carbon and can't pass enough current to turn the starter. Usually people replace the starter solenoid when they replace the starter motor, or the solenoid is built in to the starter (I don't know the Miata's starter's config). The starter solenoid is usually easy to replace and generally easy to test as well. Good luck! Mark On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 3:30 PM, Matthew Goertz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > So today, I'm having a new issue with my car. Car is a 90 Canadian base, > with 107,000 kms. > > What it's doing: > > Starts first try, 90% of the time. Once in a while though, I turn the key, > and here's what happens: > > Dash lights come on (CEL etc, radio works, no problems). Turn the key to > start position, relay clicks, but car doesn't start. Embarassing when > trying to impress your date. Turn the key 5-10 times on and off, finally > the car starts. > > Here's some data: > > New battery from the dealer October 2007. Fully charged and used daily. > New starter installed by a mechanic October 2007. Remanufactured unit > bought from FLAPS. > Replaced ground cable from block to firewall with used piece October 2007. > Car had been a theft recovery and had been hotwired. 4 wires to the > ignition switch trimmed and soldered with appropriate wiring harness by > mechanic. I watched him use proper shrink wrap, not just electircal tape. > > My question: > > What's the most likely culprit for the intermittent starting? Where should > I start looking? I'm thinking the ground off the engine block is the most > likely problem, since it was installed by me in the cold, and I might not > have cleaned the contact points thoroughly enough. What should I check > after that (since it's the simplest place to start). Solenoids? Wiring to > starter? Wiring harness continuity? > > Ideas? Recommendations? > > Cheers! > > Matt > > PS: Please help me so I can continue to impress the ladies! > _______________________________________________ > Miatapower mailing list > [email protected] > http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower > > _______________________________________________ Miatapower mailing list [email protected] http://list.miatapower.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miatapower
