MX-3.com

This could be very simple, but it's really bothering me and I didn't find anything pertinent to my particular situation (KLZE already running well, suddenly stops starting):

Ok, drive my warmed up KLZE'd MX-3 into my garage after a 30 minute jaunt (it's been running just fine), want to adjust the idle air screw a bit (I've been experimenting with different settings lately), so's I turn the car off, jump the 10-pin GND pin with a wire as usual, and then try and restart to start my idle adjustment.

- Car makes some actuating/click noises
- Lights come on in the dash
- Engine won't crank at all
- Tried resetting ECU (disconnect battery, reconnect later)
- No dice, still no crank

So, it could be my old battery, but there's still juice (lights come on inside and on dash), but because I just tried to start with the jumper wire in the diag box before this happened I'm worried I shorted/fried something electrical. Any ideas? Is it my starter motor? Disty? A simple fuse? Thanks for any insights....just a bit panicky since I just got this beast running not too long ago......

I doubt it's the battery, it would at least crank a bit.

I doubt it's something with the ECU, they are pretty hard to screw up from what you were doing.

If you hear a clicking that's your starter relay, which more then likely means it still works if its clicking. Unless it makes a click-click-click-click that could mean your battery doesn't have enough juice to spin the starter.

BUT if there was no click at all, and you still got power I would check the neutral start switch on the clutch pedal.

Sounds like starter to me, check the wire on the top, if that is loose it won't work. If all else fails hit it with a hammer, sometimes something gets stuck in the starter.

Or pull it out and get it tested at a shop.

Rick Johnson:
If all else fails hit it with a hammer, sometimes something gets stuck in the starter.

lol ya that works. i also found taking the starter off the car and hooking it up to a batter charger. then crank the charger and let the sparks fly. fixed my starter.

jschrauwen:
I'd look toward that and possibly coupled with some bad ground cables (perhaps from the battery) could easily give you the condition you are describing.

man how did i forget that. i had the same problem a bit after the swap and all i did was add a couple of new groundpoints from the engine to the chassis. fixed that problem.

Thanks for all the tips.....I'm going to go with my gut (and the simplest possible solution to start with) and just get a new battery. It's due for one anyways. The wiring to the starter motor appears sound, no loose cabling....although the starter itself sure looks to have seen better days.

I figured it would have cranked since I still have some juice, but maybe it's as John explained. I certainly wouldn't have expected the battery to die so suddenly and the timing with me jumping the diag box when it happened kinda spooked me.

I'm going to check out the ground cables as well and let you know how it goes....

try cleaning the battery terminals and the connectors from your wiring harness to the battery and the starter. Fixed my problem when it happened to me.

How is buying a new battery the 'simplest' solution?

Sounds like the stupidest and most expensive solution.

lakersfan1 wrote:How is buying a new battery the 'simplest' solution?

Sounds like the stupidest and most expensive solution.

Well, given my almost complete lack of experience in dealing with ignition issues, starter problems, electrical, etc. on my MX-3, getting a new battery was certainly the easiest 1st step to take in eliminating other sources of potential problems because I was overdue for a new one anyways. I didn't have any signs of the battery weakening prior to this point, actually........but I'd gotten a good 7 years out of my current one. Sorry I didn't share that earlier.

In any case, it was indeed the battery that was the issue. Got a new one. Car started right up. Simple.

Of course, the timing of my actually doing something electrically-related on the car just prior to it not starting was what concerned me. Just bad coincidence.

Thanks guys for the brainstorming regarding possible causes. Sorry to waste bandwidth on such a simple issue. I should have just replaced the battery, then posted.

millaj01 wrote: I should have just replaced the battery, then posted.

No. You still shouldn't have done that. You got lucky guessing this time. Buy a multimeter from Walmart and learn how to use it. Then you can stop guessing the problem, and KNOW the problem.

Sheesh...what I meant was, I should have looked into the battery first (from signs, intuition), then only posted if I had further problems.

Actually, there was a lot less guessing involved when after a couple further attempts at starting it became apparent that the interior lights were getting more dim, the dash lights fading out, etc. Pretty obvious the battery was getting discharged.

Yes, I know that's not a guarantee that the root cause was the battery, and yes, I'll get a multimeter and do things the right way going forward (my degree's in electrical engineering after all, so I kinda think I used one before), but I knew I was due for a new one.

I really appreciate the help and input....just no point in being malevolent about it.