S1 Not Starting At All

[humble]

Hi all,

the Wife generously came to pick me up from the station last night and when we got ready to head home tadaaaa... nothing....

All lights work, connections checked and cleaned, jump started, disconnected the ECU and re-connected, checked all connections to SAFC, banged the alternator, check fuses in engine bay and inside......

turn the key and accessories light up normally but there is no clicking over..... like there’s no power to the starter or something.... checked that too.

I’m completely stumped....

the car has been driving perfectly for ages and just yesterday my wife drive it on many short distance trips without issues....

this happened once before when I initially installed the SAFC and SITC but then when the ecu was disconnected and reconnected it was fine ....

it sux as its our only car ATM.......

any thoughts or other checks i can do???

thanks in advance

Ian

[zei20l]

you say you bashed the alternator, did you think to tap the starter motor??

can you hear a 'click' when you turn the key?? if not, its probably the solenoid on the starter. if you can, its more than likely the starter itself........

[chef_stagea]

long shot but in knocked off the solinoid wire to my starter motor.. same symtoms as u said... check that, is there any way to test if its getting power easy???

[iamhe77]

Make sure it is not in "D"rive when you turn the key?

[zei20l]

actually thats a good point! if it WAS automatic, and its now manual (for whatever reason) then the starter inhibitor might be faulty. as in the wire bridging what used to be a switch, is now not working

[humble]

you say you bashed the alternator, did you think to tap the starter motor??

can you hear a 'click' when you turn the key?? if not, its probably the solenoid on the starter. if you can, its more than likely the starter itself........

Thanks for the reply... probably should have mentioned that i did hit the starter.....Not had

there is no click when the key is turned.....

long shot but in knocked off the solinoid wire to my starter motor.. same symtoms as u said... check that, is there any way to test if its getting power easy???

it was all in place but i have to admit i probably could have paid more attention to that... will do so tonight.

i just dont get how it just died after been turned off for less than 10 minutes.....

[zei20l]

maybe try using a jumper lead from the positive battery terminal to the positive terminal of the starter, see if it kicks over.......

if you can hear a click, its either a wiring issue, or your starter is shagged. and yes they can just stop working!

[Stinky Rooster]

maybe try using a jumper lead from the positive battery terminal to the positive terminal of the starter, see if it kicks over.......

Unless you have a quality surge protector fitted, I would not recommend doing this one. I have seen the ECU in a commonwhore go up in smoke trying this jobbie. Not saying it WILL happen, but there is a risk.

[Tangles]

Battery could be dieing

[rb26stagea]

Damn: the flux capacitor requires 1.21GW of power to function... just get some plutonium...

...Or fit a Mr. Fusion

[humble]

Make sure it is not in "D"rive when you turn the key?

Double checked that.

Unless you have a quality surge protector fitted, I would not recommend doing this one. I have seen the ECU in a commonwhore go up in smoke trying this jobbie. Not saying it WILL happen, but there is a risk.

i had though about it but wasnt game enough

Damn: the flux capacitor requires 1.21GW of power to function... just get some plutonium...

...Or fit a Mr. Fusion

LOL

[_Ryan_]

Battery could be dieing

that or auto related IMO... or alarm i guess

[humble]

well i got it started....

didnt do anything really.... jiggled the loom at ecu and gave the starter another tap....

drove it and got back home switched the car off turned it back on and let it run for a bit and then off again....

then suprise it wouldnt start again..... did exactly what i did before (loom and starter) nothing

F*$K

[iamhe77]

My R31 did something very similar.

Would start when cold, but would not when warm (just after a drive or in the warmer months).

I used to get it started by shorting out the starter motor with a long screwdriver.

Worked every time.

[Stinky Rooster]

Personally, I would be looking at the starter relay.

[nickcorr]

I agree...

No click generally means bad solenoid.. Either get it fixed, or carry a large screwdriver like IAMHE77 to bypass it...

[Daleo]

My old R31 used to do this randomly, (had the hitachi starter not the bosch) turned out when I stripped the starter, one brush (out of four) was worn more than the others, and would occasionally juuust not be in contact with the comm.

Would start perfectly 50 times, then not, start perfectly for ages then not. Was a major pain, couldn't let my g/f drive it cos it might strand her. Four new brushes (I just took the brush holder to an auto elec, as the leads are soldered in place, didn't have a big enough soldering iron) $45 later, problem solved.

Chased this issue for at least 4 months, was ready to burn it... Good luck.

[humble]

Well i have been doing the screwdriver thing all weekend..... so its definately starter solenoid.

Some random dude helped out the wife on friday and say it was "the starter solenoid valve".

Same boat

so anyone had to relpace a solenoid before??? same as R33 i would assume??

hard to get at your local supercrap or repco??

[humble]

Apologies for the questions above… was a bit lazy should have assumed the starter was the same across the RB series.

Well yesterday I though id attack the starter and try to fix the solenoid…. One of the most traumatic experiences ever….

Man it’s a pain to even get the starter off….

Anyway I got the solenoid off and have all contact points a clean and re-soldered it…. Took about 2.5 hours to get it back on but it works now…..

Haven’t had an issue yet …… let’s hope it stays that way

[zei20l]

good work! at least you saved some cash in doing it yourself!! nice one