starting troubles Options

[perkyshadow]

I need some ideas, guys. My '96 hatchback is having some starting issues. It was running flawlessly, and I left it in a lot for sale at my mom's work about three weeks ago. Now it just won't start. I checked the starter and battery. They're fine. I also checked the clutch start wire just to make sure it's connected. When I go to crank it, I can hear the fuel injectors engage. But it just won't activate the starter. No wiring has changed since I was driving it every day. All the ground wires are properly connected. No grounds are loose. I did just put the engine in this past March. It acts like it did before I remembered to connect the clutch start wire. Any ideas? Could it be the ignitor or something? I'm a little at a loss! Thanks in advance!

[Special_Edy]

First step is to determine if the starter works. There are two wires connected to the starter, one that is always receiving power from the battery and a smaller wire that makes the starter operate when you turn the key in the ignition(the solenoid wire). When you turn the key, 12 volts is sent thru the solenoid wire to tell the starter to start turning.
So to test the starter you will need to unplug the solenoid wire(look at the pic below, it has a black plug) and use a small piece of wire to short the battery terminal of either the starter or the positive side of the battery to the solenoid plug on the starter(touch it to the solenoid plug on the starter, not the wire from the ignition silly)
The starter will now start to spin nonstop until you remove the wire, if the starter is functioning correctly.

If the starter did not spin, it is a bad starter.
If the starter did spin, then either the starter relay or ignition switch are bad.(so go ahead and reconnect the starter like its supposed to be)




To test the starter relay and ignition switch-
First locate the starter relay inside the fusebox(it is located next to the battery alongside the driverside fender on my 94 GT)
In the pic below, it is the purple one(yours may be different)
Carefully pry the starter relay and the EFI? relay beside it out. You need a flat screwdriver or two to pry the tabs on the base of the relay so that you can wiggle it out.
Now swap the two relays(put them back in the opposite spots) and try to start the car. If the starter magically starts working then you have a bad relay. If the starter tested good and the relay swap did not fix it, then you have a bad ignition switch.







Hope this helps let me know if you need any clarification.

Also, Autozone can test starters on or off of the vehicle(better to remove it and let them test it on a bench)

There you go, hope that helps