HELP: WON'T Start!
 

Put the Cobra in the garage and have not started it in wo weeks. LOTS of rain. Went to crank it and solonoid just buzzea. Checked all wiring and grounds, battery fully charged, changed selinoid (sp!?). New one buzzes too! hat could be wrong: all ideas welcomed! Frustrated in Atlanta.

Tap the starter with a hammer, sounds like it's hanging up. Tap it while the solenoid is engaged. Also, try turning the engine a little by hand, the starter gear could be stuck against or in the flywheel gear.

Ernie

Typically, when you get a buzzing or chattering from a current draw, it's the result of high resistance somewhere in the circuit. It could be anywhere from the battery connection to the starter solenoid ground. I would:

Run a wire directly from the battery positive to the S terminal on the solenoid. If the engine turns over, the problem is likely within the ignition switch circuit.

If you still get buzzing, the problem is likely the starter solenoid ground.

A third possibility is that the cable from the starter solenoid to the starter is shorted out.

Thanks gentleman! was going to drive up to the SAAC in Nashville in the Cobra but takin the truck now. Will try some of he above when I get back. Keep heidea commin' cb

Chiperb

A fully charged battery will still not spin the starter if your cable/batt connection is carboned up or corrosion isolated ...CLEAN your battery terminals and connectors.

KK

Have you tried chunky peanut butter yet? It makes a great electrical conductor.

KobraKarl,,,,,DOH,,,,sometimes it's the obvious we over look. Good call.

Ernie

Tried everything suggested: stll solenoid just clicks (was slowed by my turbo Miata project0 What else? bad ig switch? Starter All help welcome. cb

Chiperd Start with the battery cables for CLEAN contact with the terminals. Next I would check the starter soliniod on the starter. Take the starter out and put it on a bench Run a neg to the case and the pos lead the the large battery terminal on the soleniod on the starter the starter motor should spin without the soleniod engaging. Next is to test the soleniod, touch the pos cable to the s terminal on the soleniod the gear drive should pop out. do it a couple of times. If both of these tests work than go back to the starter soleniod on the fire wall. Some of these you can take the cover off of and check the terminals inside to see if they are burnt or corrided inside. Make shore you are getting a good loud click without the starter being hooked up to it. Got to go E-mail if this doesn't work or call me latter at 7322543536 after 9:00 est Rick Lake

Rick: Thanks so much: been working on this all day" did clean the batteryposts and contacts: on hhas one of thos "bolt on: ends and replaced that. Took the starter to Auto Zone where I bought it and it checked out: no problem (has a liftime warranty and guy was ready to replace t). Bought a NEW starter since they were closing: put that on and the same thing: solenoid buzzes when the key is tourned to start with the power attached to the starter, and clicks, butnot very loud, when the cable is disconnected fm the power post on the starter.

I have a remote solenoid that I have replaced: is there another on the starter (there is a removable cover).

When I take the positive from the battery to the "S" post of the firewall solenoid, NOTHING happens: it arcs when I touch the post but nothing else happens.

I have cleaned all the frame grounds, traced all wires cheking for shorts, and six hours of work later getting the same thing!

I have by passed the battery and connected my thruck battery directly to the battery wires, and have tried to start the Cobra both with and without he truck running: no difference.

The ONLY thing I have leaned fis that the solenid BUZZES when the power is connected to the starter and CLICKS quietly when the power is disconnected to the power post of the (new and old) starter. Everyone thinks it's a short omwhere but I can't find it! And such a simple wiring system!

Am getting tired. HAve to clean up e and he garage so I can go to my real job in the mornng.

There are a few things you have suggested that I have not tried, but I will recheck your relay and make sure that I do them

I appreciate your help, wont be calling tonight but I hope to back at it tomorrow eve.

Anymore thought or ideas will be greatley appreciated. Frustrated i Atlanta cb

Is the solenoid grounded to the chassis? If not you'll be creating a dead short and starter will just click. I know it happened to me!!

Do you have a ground wire from the engine to the frame? If the solenoid is mounted to the firewall it needs to be grounded to the frame. No, the starter does not have another solenoid on it.
If you have a battery disconnect switch shut it off, connect the wire from the starter and the battery cable togeather, then turn on the disconnect switch momentarily. The engine should turn over, if it don't I would say the starter is bad. Auto Zone starters are junk!

Poorboy

The solenoid has a groung to the engine and the engine has a groud tothe frame.

Poorboy: Autozone was the only place open at 6;30 pm tonigt when I suspected the startre. The starter was giving me real trouble lastyear (towed twice) but has everything has been working until the car sat for two weeks and I went to startr it Friday of Memorial weekend to go to Nashville to the SAAC: nothig.

Took the year old starter back and AZ tested it:it works. Got another sinc they (AZ) were closing. Put it on: an nothing: same symptoms: Solenoid buzzes when the starter mortor is connected to power, clicks kinna quiet when the starter power is disconnected.

I do have a bat disconnect switch: will try your suggestion tomorrow eve.

Do you like NAPA? Anyone else? We have them al over here.

Thanks alland keep the suggestions commin: I want to go cruizin! cb

One other thing to check is make sure the wire from the solenoid to the starter is not getting in contack with the starter housing or the headers. I had one the other day like that. Who was the orginal owner of your car?

Poorboy

NAPA in my experience has fairly good quality parts

Typically, in a "Ford" type circuit when you only hear a clicking/buzzing noise it means there is high resistance/low voltge in the circuit.
autp10x
Bill

Sounds like you have done several things.

May I suggest taking the battery out of your truck and use a new positive cable and negative cable to eliminate the battery anbd cable from the equation.

If it will not start with a fresh battery ( one that starts the truck ) Then you can move the positive cable to the other side of the solinooid and see if you can force the starter motor to spin by direct contact.

Please be careful.

You can growl the starter motor with just a battery by putting the ground or negative to the case and positive to the terminal.

Good luck.

Have you tried the obvious i.e. put a wrench on the end of the crank and turned the engine over, it might have siezed for some reason. I hope it hasn't.
i once had an engine with a head gasket leak that siezed due to the coolant weeping into the bores and rusting over a couple of weeks.

Yes, I have hand turned the engine over with a wrench to the crank (have one marked in the tool box just for that!)

Good idea re truck battery: battery is in the trunk of the cobra so the jumpers plus the wiring the the front = line loss. Will try that this evening,

Keep he comment comming: I appreciate it ! cb

Chris,

David from the Willis 100. Listen close to the buzzing sound.
It saying I don't have enough voltage to run the solenoid switch.
If you cleaned all conection than the problem lies in the battery cable. You can use jumper cables to bypass the battery cable. If your jumper cables are not long enough take the battery out of the trunk and place it on the floor close to the solenoid switch.

David,

UPDATE: New battery: solenoid clicks, jumper from pos bat post to S post on solenoid: solenoid clicks, jumper from pos bat post to starter pos bat post: car cranks! Sspect rounding somewher in the wiring fm the battery to the solenoid?!! as suspected all along! Do I just start tracing the wires from the paos bat post towards the starter, looking for a groud?

All above dne while the neg ground from bat in place. cb