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Intermittent Starting Problems - Mysterious Cause Identified and Fixed
Evo GeneralDiscuss any generalized technical Evo related topics that may not fit into the other forums.
Please do not post tech and rumor threads here.
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Like several others, for some time I have experienced an intermittent starting issue, whereby turning the key results in a 'click' from the starter relay, but no starter action. Sometimes I needed 20-30 turns of the key before it would suddenly turn over as if nothing were wrong. Strange indeed.
I invested several hours in checking starter, starter solenoid, and starter relay, but all seemed to work just fine when jumped with a power lead straight from the battery. I had already replaced the ignition switch and starter relay a year or so before - no improvement. A new starter and solenoid made no difference either.
I removed kick panels and the console to locate and check various connectors and starter circuit wiring. All connections checked out ok. I noticed whenever I sent power through the starter switch area, that's where trouble kept rearing its ugly head.
Some accused the start interrupter of an alarm system of being faulty. I also have an alarm system that taps into the starter circuit, so I disconnected it and verified that the problem was not resolved.
What I found after much aggravation is the problem is at the starter switch. It isn't the switch itself, but its tendency to rotate ever so slightly when the key is turned. See the photo below:
Remove the lower and upper steering wheel shaft covers, and the starter switch is revealed. The switch is held in place by only one screw. If this switch rotates by so much as a couple of degrees when the key is turned, you will hear a click, and no starter. Remove the starter switch (angled phillips wrench) and activate it with the key while holding in your hand. If you find the car starts every time, you've found the problem.
If you've done any wiring (e.g. alarm) under the dash, be sure you've not done anything to put downward pressure on that bundle of wiring from the starter switch area (see red X). If yours was like mine, you could be sorry. If anything, you want a little tension nudging those wires upward here, which can be done with wire ties.
There is a smaller, white connector assembly that triggers the 'ding dong' key alert sound. It mounts to the underside of the starter switch via a little plastic bracket and puts some pressure on the switch as a result. We don't want it tugging on the starter switch. Remove it from the starter switch and let it hang on its own (see green arrow).
Be sure you tighten the starter switch screw snugly (see purple arrow), and be sure the switch is rotated as far as it can be moved clockwise. Like I said, even if it rotates just a couple of degrees counterclockwise, it will cause trouble. It's hard to believe this area is so sensitive, but it is what it is. That being said, be gentle when you turn the key to start the car.
I hope that helps some of you!
how do I fix this problem properly I turn the switch wit lots of pressure and sometimes wot lil pressure clock wise like you said but its giving me a head ache how do I find the spot it needs to be in and srew it down to function properly can you please help me its giving me a headache fr
You first need to expose the starter switch and hold it steady while turning the key to determine if this is your problem. If it is, you will need to secure it with zip ties to prevent it from twisting even slightly when the key is turned to "start."
You first need to expose the starter switch and hold it steady while turning the key to determine if this is your problem. If it is, you will need to secure it with zip ties to prevent it from twisting even slightly when the key is turned to "start."
This is great advice. I had replaced my starter switch and secured it with zip ties many years ago. Fast forward to a few months ago and I started having similar symptoms again and thought maybe I needed to secure the switch once more. It turns out that after going through a new battery and starter and making sure the starter switch was good, it was simply an old rusty ground cable underneath the battery that was causing my issues.
That’s what I thought but he said he removed the kick Panels so kind of threw me off
I removed the kick panels when I was originally diagnosing the source of the problem. I traced all wires in the starter circuit so I could be sure there wasn't a hidden ground fault sapping power from the circuit.
Thanks for this thread Ted B! I have had this issue off and on for the past few months. It would only get really bad when it was hot out. Must have been the plastic ring expanding causing further rotation just as you mentioned some years back. My starter switch and harness were definitely loose. I moved them up, clockwise, and snugged down that philips screw as hard as I could in that awkward area of the steering column. Two days without issues so far. Good fix just in time for Vegas!
Update: My starting issue is still there, but the ignition switch tightening did help. I decided to investigate.
I jumped the white wire and black/yellow stripe wire together at the ignition switch (without the starter relay plugged in otherwise the car would constantly crank) so that I could measure the voltage at the starter relay in the small rectangular fuse box under the hood. I was getting the full 12.6 volts with the car off. That confirmed that if the contacts in the ignition switch are good, the issue lies in front of the firewall. I decided to take apart my starter motor to investigate.
The starter solenoid has two jobs: 1. to push the drive pinion into the flywheel and 2. to RELIABLY and ROBUSTLY connect the starter motor stud to the +BATT stud. If you take apart your starter solenoid and push down firmly on the metal button at the bottom, it will create continuity between the +Batt stud and the starter motor stud. If it can't make this connection, the starter motor will still start the car, but using only the starter signal power which is supposed to be used only for energizing the solenoid. Why?, well, the start signal power terminal (that little metal tab) is continuous with the starter motor stud This wire has no business starting the car because it's gauge is way too high. The wire is just too thin.
Below, blade terminal (A) is permanently connected to motor stud (2). Blade terminal (A) gets energized with 12.6v from your battery when you turn the key to start the car. It's a good way to hide an issue that can exist between Battery stud (1) and Motor stud (2).
My contacts were so warn out, i needed to press VERY hard to create continuity across the studs. The two solutions are to replace the starter solenoid or wire in a start assist relay to send more current to the motor just like a few other members have done. I did it last night, we'll see how she does now.
So far so good! Car starts each and every time now! Starter assist relay seemed to have provided the extra amperage to fix it for good. Not that it had a choice after that....
The power coming down from the key is only enough to pull in the solenoid. If the contact disc in the solenoid is shot you need a new solenoid.
Correct, but that same wire in which the key power comes down from is continuous with the motor stud, which could hide a problem with the contact disk. Even though it's a thin wire, it's just the right gauge to turn the motor over on most occasions (as long as the engine didn't stop right at the start of a compression stroke). I probably do need a new solenoid though. I'm gonna look for one and if I can't find one, i'll go with a new starter.
My car hasnt turned on in the past 2 days. All my lights work, interior & exterior. When the door is open the chime is on, and the dash shows the door light. However, when I turn the key to Acc. or ON, nothing happens. Nothing turns on and I cant start the car either....So I went through the entire thread and found that the common issue was the ignition switch. I switched it out and still nothing. Im at a loss of what to check next or what to do. I attached a vid as well.
If you've gone through the entire thread, then you've seen that the problem may not be the switch itself, but may be the switch rotates just slightly out of position when you turn the key, and simply changing the switch will not resolve the issue. Also in this thread is discussion concerning the starter relay where rotation of the switch is determined not to be the problem. I suggest carefully reading through this discussion to understand the starter circuit and the various potential causes of this issue, which can otherwise keep one scratching his head for a considerable period of time.
This wire has no business starting the car because it's gauge is way too high. The wire is just too thin.
