Bought the car used a few months ago. Had the problem the day I picked it up, they couldn't find anything. Yesterday, same thing.

Push in the clutch, turn the key. Everything lights up, but starter doesn't attempt to turn. Like I'm not pushing the clutch in at all. Found a thread yesterday about switching 2 relays, did that and it worked for the day. Today, same problem, switching relays didn't work.

The clutch barely hits the switch, but it is hitting, I've even folded up a piece of paper to put between the two to make sure it was making and it made no difference. What am I missing?

 

If you turn your headlights on while you go to start the car, do they dim at all when you turn the key?

 

Nope, just checked

 

maybe the Neutral Safety?

 

I'm not the smartest guy when it comes to cars. So I'm not sure what you mean.

ETA: it's starting now. I noticed that if I go from off to on, I hear 3 clicks, when I hear those clicks it will start. When I don't hear those clicks, it won't even attempt to start. Does this help at all?

 

If you did the relays already, check the spark plugs. If you are running aftermarket injectors or fuel pump that could also be an issue (it was for me).

 

I wish you had a GSR, like the thread-starter. Because then I could write:

Go get in your car.

Put it in first.

Push clutch to floor.

Start the car.

Turn it off.

Come back inside.

Respond to:

 

That's weird, idk what the clicks are...the starter is not even trying to turn so it's something to do with the computer telling the car not to start...that's as much as we can know from what you have said, unless someone is familiar with this problem, I can't help you lol. Good luck!

 

So battery is fine and no CEL?

 

stretched timing chain

 

I'll bite. How does a stretched timing chain cause the starter not to engage?

 

Have you checked if your battery has enough juice? This just happened to me...I've been working on my car in the driveway, have not started it in a week. Went to start it yesterday all I got were clicks....constant clicks until I stopped turning the key. Took the battery out threw it on a trickle charge overnight...next day car started right up. I would try giving your battery a good charge and see what happens. If it starts right up and then fails again a day later, I would check your alternator.

 

For a stretched chain to cause a starter to not engage a number of things in between would have to have happened. First the stretched chain would have to jump some teeth in order for the timing to be slightly off. Then you'd start to flood the cylinders with fuel because of lack of compression. Constantly trying to start the car would kill your battery eventually not allowing the starter to engage.....lol.....just sayin

 

A stretched chain would have thrown a warning light that's looks like a triangle with an exclamation point if I remember correctly. And if timing jumped there's def a cel for that I don't remember what it is tho.

 

This was a problem many of us who had the 1st shipment of 08 Evo.
It does not happen when you let your car sit over night, or park for a long period of time. It happen mainly on warmer start. Like say. I go out for lunch at noon come back at 1:00pm, park the car for only 1 hour, start up the car at 2pm. Car wont start, basically it seem like the starter wont turn. You turn off ignition , try to start it again it will start if you give it some gas. I remember we had to take it in for a ECU reflash. I can find the old thread from 2008. Maybe some of the other guys with the 1st evo 8 might remember this
One other thing is it happen mainly when the weather is chilli out side