copy and pasted from a document Tyler (syd_mysta) sent me:
Back in March, my car stopped starting. I had driven it fine all day, then before hockey I stopped at my friend’s house for 10 min I go back out to my car. It wouldn’t start and the starter wouldn’t click. I had full power everywhere else. After hockey my friends gave me a push and it started I drove home. I pushed started it the day after and that was the last time I did it.
When I first changed the starter I put the one I got from Avery in it would click once and nothing. At first I thought it was the starter also. So I take it back to him, and he hooks it up to a battery and it spins fine. So I put the original starter back in my car and this one would click repeatedly but still nothing. I tried hitting it with a baseball bat when my dad would turn the key. The snow clears and my parts car is unburied so I take the starter off of the parts car. Put it in and this one only clicks once than nothing.
I go out and buy a brand new battery thinking that would solve the problem and still nothing. It clicks once and it stops. I did noticed that if I jiggle the key in between the on and start position I can get the starter to click more and faster. Is that good or bad would that help?
I also checked what I think was the fuse in the relay box. And it looked fine to me but I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I couldn’t understand the FSM.
Has this happened to anybody before? And do you know how I can get my car to start?
Try to jump start the starter and see if it works . Put the car on the ON position . Cross the + and signal wire and the car should start . In case it does not you either dont have enough power to the starter ( clean the battery cable or hook up a voltmeter to the starter , make sure you getting at least 12 V ) .
Usually it’s a bad relay issue.
My buddy’s plymouth acclaim did the exact same thing.
When he crawled under the car with a wire from his Positive terminal direct to the positive on the starter it would start no problem.
That’s the best way to test, it will bypass the starter relay
BUT BE VERY VERY BVERY VERY CAREFUL!!!
Have someone around, make sure the car is NOT in gear, preferably on blocks and connect your jumper to the STARTER first and then to the positive terminal. you don’y EVER want to be under a starting car.
Plus becareful since it WILL spark and batterys “can” explode due to the hydrogen gas they produce.
I switched the relays. And the same out come. I did notice that when i was jiggling my key in the ignition smoke came out of my interior vents. So I’m look there i was told there could be corrosion there.
Dashboard and everything is off now. And no visable corrosion. My wires from my ignition are not the same as my FSM. I only have a 93-94 FSM. Driving a 89. Can somebody get me a print out of a 89 starter system. Or send me the FSM for it.
Aii ya well the problem was solved by replacing the lower wire harness. The Oil Pressure sensor wire snapped but was still stuck to the boot. And the Alternator ground had corroded and some the wires had split. Everything works now just gotta put it all back together give it a good clean.