So it all started with a top to bottom detail that ended with the engine compartment. The engine was cool, I had only pulled it out of the garage into the driveway. I rinsed it down with water then wiped everything down, even followed up with compressed air to blow any other water out I may have missed.

When I went to start it it just goes click - then nothing. I push started it down my hill and it drove no problem but it will not start on it's own. The battery is fine I just tested it, so no problems there.

What do you think the problem is, and more importantly how did this happen? There's a giant gaping hole in my hood, these engines are designed to get wet... right?

 

i hosed down my car the other day...
though i wrapped my alternator, intake, maf, and other electrical items in plastic bags...

hope you didnt get carried away with flooding the whole engine bay with water

:

well definetly sounds like a electrical problem.. start small check fuses n what not...

i hate electrical problems

 

Mine used to do that, mitsu replaced the crackshaft position sensor under warranty. Dont know if that actually was the cause or not. Maybe check all the connections on your starter, take a volt meter and make sure the start signal is getting to the starter.

 

checked all the fuses, they're good...

like I said it makes the click noise, so it appears like the solenoid is getting power but not enough to get the starter to turn over? So I'm thinking bad solenoid or bad starter? Any other ideas or ways to narrow it down?

 

How did you check the battery? Sometimes starters stick, Try tapping the starter while someone has the key to the start position. If the Crank position sensor was bad, it would still crank, just not start

 

With a voltage meter...

tomorrow morning I'll give it a little tap but I'm worried something short circuited... the combination of the water and my problem leads me to believe that this is no coincidence...

 

when you're testing the battery, check what the voltage drops to when you crank, it its dropping below 11 or 10 volts, it's too weak to turn the engine.

 

id say its the starter. i had a similar problem with a previous car

 

Good luck, wish I could help!

 

Damn I hate electrical problems, pull the battery out and head over to your local vato zone and have them test it out.

 

did it throw a code?.

 

Did you ever fix this?

 

same recently happening to me. help.