Author |
Message |
slimsunny34
|
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:33 pm |
|
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 8:33 pm Posts: 440 Location: Madison, WI
|
As most of you know, I picked up a non-running VR4 recently. I tried starting it yesterday but only got a click from behind the radio (ECU?) That was really all I had time for.
The car has an aftermarket security system on it so I'm not sure if that's interfering with the start? (I think I disarmed it though, have the remote...)
Anyways, if anyone wants to come to Grafton this Fri, Sat, or Sun, I'll supply pizza and beer and we can see if we can get this thing running. If not, I'll just start tearing it down to sell off the parts.
_________________ www.rockauto.com
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
|
|
Top |
|
|
TT4ME
|
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:58 pm |
|
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2007 10:28 pm Posts: 215 Location: Manitowoc
|
There's a lot I'd try before parting it out. Parting a car takes a lot more effort than starting a car that's been sitting.. +if you start it, you can likely make a grand tomorrow.
GL
|
|
Top |
|
|
blazing red dragon
|
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:54 pm |
|
Joined: Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:48 pm Posts: 435
|
do you have a data logger to test anything out? you can do alot of fancy stuff with them...
or maybe my $6,000 scanner i bought from matco can help ya out?
i can reflash computers with it and scan everything in the car but i wouldnt be able to help till next week sometime got a wedding this weekend a funeral and work. i also have a logger here but with the move i gotta look for the cord to it
|
|
Top |
|
|
slimsunny34
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:50 am |
|
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 8:33 pm Posts: 440 Location: Madison, WI
|
I can probably get a logger to use from John or Bennie or Dibari. I don't know if that'll tell us why it's not starting but we can give it a shot at least. I think Dibari and John are coming over this weekend so I'll keep this thread updated.
_________________ www.rockauto.com
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
|
|
Top |
|
|
G-ELL
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:09 am |
|
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2003 1:18 am Posts: 3153 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
|
The starting system on these cars is actually very simple. At the starter, there are only 2 wires. One is a big red wire that comes from the battery, the other is a small black wire with a yellow stripe.
Quite simply, the black wire is the trigger wire which activates the starter. Power is applied to this wire when you turn the key. If there's bad connectivity in this trigger wire, guess what happens (or doesn't happen)?
Now, assuming all your grounds & battery terminals are perfectly clean, the starter relay is working, your battery is fully charged to 12volts, and your aftermarket alarm isn't fucking with us, if you still have this issue, there's a few things you can check.
#1: The starter itself.
Crawl under the car and remove the connector with black wire with a yellow stripe. Grab a piece of wire, touch one end to the positive battery terminal, and the other end to the prong on the starter which you pulled the connector off. The starter should engage. If it doesn't, the starter itself is probably bad.
If it does engage, then move on.
#2 The starer harness
The connecter for that black wire often gets dirty, rusts, or the wires get pulled out of it.
The connector for the red wire that goes to the battery could also be dirty from the red rubber boot comming off crap getting behind it.
There's also another connector underneith the MAS/air filter. This connector only has 1 wire comming in/out of it. This is where the black wire with the yellow stripe goes to. This connector also gets dirty and/or pulls apart.
You can replace the whole starter harness for about $35 or clean/repair it.
#3 Clutch switch (most common issue)
Follow your clutch pedal under the dash and you will find with it in the up position, it touches a switch. This is merely a safety switch which disables the starter without the clutch being depressed. It only has 2 wires going in/out of it.
You can unplug the harness and run a jumper wire between the 2 prongs. This will disable the switch so don't be an idiot and try to start your car in gear!
If the jumper wire works, replace the clutch switch to re-enable the safety.
The solution to your problem is one of those 3 things.
_________________ 06 Blue EVO 9
|
|
Top |
|
|
A923KGT
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:39 am |
|
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:10 am Posts: 1119 Location: Mount Horeb, WI
|
I'm guessing the starter is seized up from getting wet. You could try taking it apart and cleaning with some electrical cleaner. I got that to work once.
Can you turn the engine over by hand with a breaker bar on the crank pulley bolt? Car must be in nuetral of course...
wish I could come lend a hand, but Grafton is a pretty good haul for me.
_________________ Confucius say "Man who run behind car get exhausted, man who run in front of car get tired." Unless we are talking about our cars. Then Confucius say "man who run is going to get another beer."
|
|
Top |
|
|
curt_gendron
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:53 pm |
|
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2003 8:45 am Posts: 919 Location: Minnesota
|
|
Top |
|
|
slimsunny34
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:01 pm |
|
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 8:33 pm Posts: 440 Location: Madison, WI
|
It was under water for a few days. The interior of the car is completely molded over, I really don't think there's any saving it.
Greg, thanks for the comprehensive help, I'll check it all out on Friday.
_________________ www.rockauto.com
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
|
|
Top |
|
|
curt_gendron
|
Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 2:16 pm |
|
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2003 8:45 am Posts: 919 Location: Minnesota
|
slimsunny34 wrote: It was under water for a few days. The interior of the car is completely molded over, I really don't think there's any saving it.
Greg, thanks for the comprehensive help, I'll check it all out on Friday. Yikes. In that case, a "part out" may be the best thing.
_________________ Minnesota 3/S message board: http://forums.mn3s.org/Minnesota 3/S Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Minnesota.3S/
|
|
Top |
|
|
ver fer
|
Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 12:08 pm |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 17, 2003 2:04 pm Posts: 767 Location: Oshkosh
|
I can't make it down. Here's the first thing to do. Reconnect the starter wires at the alarm. After that follow Greg's list.
Bypassing the starter disable will tell you if the alarm is bad or it you need to check the starter. You could just check the starter, but I'm lazy and don't like to crawl under the car if I don't have to.
You sure you want to part it out, it might make good track car.
_________________ '94 vr4- Now with extra slowness
|
|
Top |
|
|
slimsunny34
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 5:19 pm |
|
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 8:33 pm Posts: 440 Location: Madison, WI
|
Well I took the small wire off the starter solenoid and hooked up a new wire directly to the battery, all it did was spark when I touched the battery, the starter didn't go. I'm gonna trace the wires back from the starter to see if the alarm is hooked up somewhere in there.
_________________ www.rockauto.com
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
|
|
Top |
|
|
G-ELL
|
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:55 pm |
|
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2003 1:18 am Posts: 3153 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
|
slimsunny34 wrote: Well I took the small wire off the starter solenoid and hooked up a new wire directly to the battery, all it did was spark when I touched the battery, the starter didn't go. I'm gonna trace the wires back from the starter to see if the alarm is hooked up somewhere in there. The starter is bad. Swap it out and you should be good. If supplying power to the trigger didn't activate it then the issue isn't the wiring or alarm. That's essentially what you did with the wire to the battery. Make sense?
_________________ 06 Blue EVO 9
|
|
Top |
|
|
slimsunny34
|
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 9:50 am |
|
Joined: Tue May 15, 2007 8:33 pm Posts: 440 Location: Madison, WI
|
OK stupid question, how do you go about getting the starter off? I can't get the damn wrench in there with the carriage rail going underneath it. I tried a universal joint and I just can't get a good enough angle to get any force on the wrench. Any tricks I'm missing?
_________________ www.rockauto.com
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
|
|
Top |
|
|
G-ELL
|
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 10:13 am |
|
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2003 1:18 am Posts: 3153 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA
|
A 14mm deep socket on a 1" extention works perfectly. Fits right between the downpipe. Sometimes I'll use a 14mm gear wrench too.
Disconnect the battery and remove the power wired before you take those bolts out!
Does your car have the usually absent starter heatshield? It's very rare I see cars with that still installed now-a-days. Pretty sure only TTs had them.
|
|
Top |
|
|
A923KGT
|
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 9:47 am |
|
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:10 am Posts: 1119 Location: Mount Horeb, WI
|
slimsunny34 wrote: OK stupid question, how do you go about getting the starter off? You must be very gentle and whisper sweet nothings. If that doesn't work, get a big hammer and start cursing at it.
_________________ Confucius say "Man who run behind car get exhausted, man who run in front of car get tired." Unless we are talking about our cars. Then Confucius say "man who run is going to get another beer."
|
|
Top |
|
|