Ramzee 28

I would like to say first and foremost, I did a search on car not starting and out of the majority of threads, a lot of them were after someone seriously modded the engine.


My problem is this, I thought it was water that dowsed the opti, and waited for it to dry out where I live, but it started but still hesitated. I figured to check my battery first, clean connections, check ground straps, and even put a new battery in the car. Car fired up fine. Thought problem was solved. I was wrong, cause I drove the car to work 2 hours after being at work went to run an errand and decided to stop and get the alternator tested. Well went into the store and came out and wha-la, car did not responda at all!! No clicking, interior light, nothing. The guy at Advanced auto says its gotta be your alternator. I said well can you recharge the new battery so I can atleast get my window up. Less than 30 seconds battery was fully charged stuck back into the car and bam, the damn thing fires up with out a hitch or hiccup. (like she always has) Car is running great, he tests the alternator and it was showing 14.4 and the battery was fine. Now the guy says its gotta be the starter?!

I know from reading threads it could be a few things. I have heard reference to starters, ICM, etc. After reading this could anyone please shed some light as to where I should start to look. I did not want to yank out the starter until I posted here to find out if I should get it load tested. Maybe the magnet fields are worn out and its sticking, I dont know. But your help is greatly appreciated in advance.

Thank you

WS Sick

If it started fine with a full charged battery I doubt its the starter, you may have cell dying, have the battery load tested, check GROUND wires. and pos wires, abattery cable may be going.

a fuseable link may be hosing up as well.

ponyackn

I was confused as to why my car would and wouldn't start sometimes and thought it was my starter, battery, alt, etc. But I realized that when I pushed the clutch pedal to the floor, it would start. I ended up having to change out the switch behind the clutch. It was cheap and took a minute to replace. Since you have a manual, I'd check with that as well. Good luck.

Ramzee 28

WS Sick

Battery dead? Even though I just purchased it brand new off the shelf and installed in same day? I know a long time ago when I owned a 75 el camino, I thought it was battery/alternator related, here my start would heat up and then stick and I would get nothing until it would cool down. That is why I said maybe starter. As for a fuseable link, what link could be going that you are referring to? Thanks for the reply by the way.

Thanks ponyackn, I thought about that as well too. The problem is I would like to try and rememdy the situation without buying this part and that part as a process of elimination. The car sat this winter, battery was put in and it ran like a raped ape. Just like last year. But this switch you talk of, how much and where exactly is it located?


TIA to all replys.

ponyackn

I went to a local dealer and payed like $10 or less for it. Just get up under your dash, use some lighting, and feel your way up the clutch pedal arm, you will feel a small box (black) with a button that gets pressed in when you step on the clutch pedal. It slides out easily, then just pop the new one in.

I really didn't want to believe this could be the culprit, but after buying a new starter, having my new battery tested, testing the alternator, I was left with this and sure enough...

Ramzee 28

Well I guess at $10 bucks that is more worth the try than trying to finangle my starter out to have it load tested. I think I'll start there then, hopefully I have the same luck as you. As for your post on your clutch. Wish I had an answer for ya, but I havent quite got to the Mcleod stage yet. I did have some troubles with Star SPEC when I started out with them, but the newer version of the stage 3 carbon (pics in sig) is a lot more friendly and IMO a better design. Course they may have changed it since I installed it over a year ago. Maybe roller bearing gone? causing the input shaft to walk around? I dont know. I know my roller bearing obliterated and the input shaft moved enough to trash the seal. But all is well now cause I used the Brass pivot bushing instead of the bearing, and replaced the seal. Good luck and thanks for the advice.

WS Sick

If you'll look inline at all the power wires cominh off that block they have bulges in them, those ar the fuseable links, wiggle them aroung and see if it changes anything. The little wire down to the starter gets its power from here, it makes your starter kick in or not (after the circuit is completed elsewhere.)

I've seen batteries not more than a month old go bad, but if youre pretty sure that its good I doubt its bad.

Ramzee 28

Ok....Purchase the clutch switch on Friday and installed Friday night. Car started, which I figured it would because she is just being difficult. Drove down to the local town to take back movies and hesitantly shut it off. Car started fine, except I noticed something.

When you first get into the car, the interior lights stay on until you place the key into the ignition and begin to turn it. Well 2 of the 5 start ups and shut downs, the light was not on. I would get in shut the door and the interior light was off. Then another time the light was on.

Does this mean it was not the Clutch switch? Thanks in advance.