Sorry.

With the key to ON, jumper cables hooked up, everything reacted exactly as expected for a fully charged battery.

With the key to START, jumper cables hooked up, other car at 3,000rpm, it just clicks, no cranks.


The weird dash issue was identified and apparently resolved when I swapped the battery.

 

Keep in mind that when you have the key turned to 'ON', mostly everything is "energized".
Then you turn the key to 'START' and you add a couple more components... starter interlock switch (or range switch for AT), starter relay, and the starter itself.
So if everything works "as expected" with the key turned to ON and not START, then you should focus on the components within that circuit.

Good luck and keep us updated on your findings.

 

Agreed

You missed a few of those discussion points in your skimming

One thing I could have done, and didn't do, is check for voltage drop, and to what point if it was present, when attempting to start.

Adding that to my list.

 

It's the starter. New one replaced from Mazmart in April/May. Forget the exact date.

Got home, checked voltage, was seeing a voltage drop, but only to 11.99v, when on jumper cables. Checked grounds via the multimeter, showing accurate voltage from every ground I could find.

Put the car on jack stands, removed the starter, put the old one in (which worked, just low crank speed), and immediately it was attempting to crank the engine. Not enough juice still, so still not started, but it WAS cranking.

I'll be getting in touch with Mazmart to discuss.

 

^ sucks. So I guess it's shorted somehow?

 

I too just skimmed to your most recent update.

so swapping the starter resulted in the car at least cranking but not turning over? flooded? battery too low?
what happens if you put the mazmart starter BACK in? (wondering if something was loose / bad install)

 

8 running and idling.

P0107 - MANIFOLD ABSOLUTE PRESSURE CIRCUIT LOW INPUT
RKE P0000 - NO INFO

and 2 tpms codes

 

No, not flooded. Wouldnt even crank. Im guessing the heavy condensation on everything over the past few days shorted something out.

 

Idle a bit unsteady, but ill chalk that up to fuel trims reset.

 

Voltage at cruise? Do you have a way of measuring this? When I had alternator problems I noticed that weird electrical issues arose anytime the voltage started to get in the low 11's.

 

So I turned it off after idling (with some rev pops and about a minute of steady 4k revs) 27 minutes based on post times, immediately went to restart it, and it cranked for about 4 seconds, tried to fire and died. Waited 10 seconds, cranked again, gave it some gas when it started to come to life and it responded and fired up. REALLY weak starter.


But it works better than the other one right now.

 

I'll check next time I go out with my AP. That won't be till my wife is around again, later tonight, just in case.

 

 

Hey RIWWP,

Send that puppy back to me and I'll get another new one coming your way. Send me your VIN as well with mileage please.

Your grateful servant from Mazmart.

Paul.

By the way, we're on Facebook now.

 

Email incoming...

 

Get another battery in there too.

 

^.....yup!



Oh..............and I'm sorry, I know you are somewhat grabbing at straws looking for root cause, but I do not think condensation caused the starter to go out. But..........that is just my opinion.

 

Well, between the 2 batteries and 2 starters, the only thing that would turn over the engine is the old starter, not the new one. And it turns over the engine with about the same gusto...or lack of it...that it had when I pulled it out in favor of the new starter 4 months ago.


I do also agree that the starter failing might be a reaction to something else, but everything suggested so far checks out fine. If there are any other suggestions that haven't been tried, I am all ears.

 

So it started this morning, the starter has to build up momentum for about 4-6 seconds before it even attempts to start to fire. Clearly below speed. Even after the 30 minute drive to work, shut off, wait a few seconds, and restart, starter has to build momentum the same way. No indication of battery voltage problem. Voltage is reading fine on or off. Voltage at cruise is nearly pegged at 14.1v, flickers to 13.9 occasionally.

Everything else is normal. The P0000 and P0107 were because I forgot to reconnect that sensor, after checking the ECU container for moisture

 

Well, dead at shell. stopped for gas, wouldnt restart. cranked over slowly a few times then stopped. looks like battery here, but my guess is the struggle to turn over the engine is killing it. We will see if a jump works or not. I suspect not.

 

damn no good. Hopefully it starts back up so you dont have to get it towed...

Good luck mike!

 

Jump worked, but dying fast. Home and safe, taking wife's car in. 8 stays parked till the new starter gets here.

 

And which battery is now in it? I can't recall which one was in there last.
I know you rode around the other night and got 14.0 volts, but that doesn't mean the battery is fully accepting the charge.
You plan to address that when new starter arrives, or have you sorted that out already?

 

So Mazmart got my starter, and tested it, and it tested out perfectly fine. So it's enroute back to me. So something in the wiring probably. Possibly when I swapped the old one in, I re-tightened something that got loose?

 

Hey RIWWP. I'm having the same damn thing going on with my 2004 as you. My car has been sitting in a coma since September of 2010 due to lack of $$$ to replace the plugs, plug wires, and coils. Now that I have the $$$ this starts happining. Does yours make the clicking sound from the left rear door and glove box? The way the gauges bounce up and down, the blue light pulses, and the door lights flicker you would think you were sitting in a 70's era dico...