EP82 Starlet has power but won't turn over. *NOW RUNNING :)

[Steelo]

Hey all,

The gf's EP82 4efe auto starlet is a bit dead.

It has power, but as the title says it wont turn over at all.

I'm thinking it may be something with the starter motor...

But because the car spluttered to a halt...blew the 30a fuse and never turned over since I'm not sure what to think.

The car appears normal (everything lights up) until you go to turn it over - nothing happens!

I have established that it isn't blowing fuses anymore when trying to turn it over.

Cheers

[RS13]

Whack a multimeter on the starter motor, see if the solenoid feed is getting 12V when the key is turned? The engine still turns over by hand aye?

[Stu-]

As above, engine turns over ok? and starter is getting power? Maybe the starter had a spaz and has blown the solinoid?

[Steelo]

Engine turns over by hand.

I don't have a multi meter - but if it helps the clock dims when I try to crank it over.

Any I can't see where the hell to get to the starter from lol

[Bling]

Get / borrow a multimeter, hard to find potentially an electrical fault without one.

Probably have to pull half the bolt ons off the engine to get to it

[iOnic]

Can reach under the intake manifold to get at the starter. You look like a noddy hugging an engine to do it but it works.

[Alex B]

Multimeter is like $10 from DSE always handy for doing stereos etc. Don't be cheap.

[Steelo]

Yeah I will walk along to dick smith tomorrow in my lunch break and get one.

Lol anybody in Tauranga have a jack I can borrow?

The starter is such a whore to get to.

[Steelo]

Whack a multimeter on the starter motor, see if the solenoid feed is getting 12V when the key is turned? The engine still turns over by hand aye?

This is pretty weird - the starter is getting 12v with no key in the ignition

then it stays at 12v when the key is turned...

[iOnic]

Starter always has 12V - it's connected directly to the battery. The solenoid and relay activate it. Check what the voltage does when you go to crank the engine.

[RS13]

Whack a multimeter on the starter motor, see if the solenoid feed is getting 12V when the key is turned? The engine still turns over by hand aye?

This is pretty weird - the starter is getting 12v with no key in the ignition

then it stays at 12v when the key is turned...

As above, the positive battery lead goes to the starter. In the picture below, if you compare it to the solenoid on your starter, the top nut should have the fat battery lead attached, whereas the small tab to the right of the bottom nut should have a small wire attached via spade terminal, this is what you need to check for 12V when the key is turned to ignition on.



When you turn the key, 12V goes to that wire, the solenoid arm moves the starter drive forward to engage with the ring gear on the flywheel, and a relay inside electrically connects the two large nuts in the pic, driving the starter. So yeah, check that the little wire on the solenoid has 12V when the key is turned.

[Steelo]

Whack a multimeter on the starter motor, see if the solenoid feed is getting 12V when the key is turned? The engine still turns over by hand aye?

This is pretty weird - the starter is getting 12v with no key in the ignition

then it stays at 12v when the key is turned...

As above, the positive battery lead goes to the starter. In the picture below, the top nut should have the fat battery lead attached, whereas the small tab to the right of the bottom nut should have a small wire attached via spade terminal, this is what you need to check for 12V when the key is turned to ignition on.

I checked the spade terminal by probing the wire just before the connection and had the other lead going to the negative terminal on the battery. It read 0v all the time.

[RS13]

Hmm, odd. The acid test for that is to get a small wire, connect one end to the postive terminal on the battery, and the other end to the small wire/terminal on the solenoid that has the 0v.. this is manually engaging the starter, so make sure the car is in park and your hands aren't near pulleys.

You've checked the underbonnet fuse box as well as the one under the dash for blown fuses? I'd try and pull codes next, bridge TE1 and E1 in the diagnostic box in the engine bay, switch ignition to ACC and count the CEL flashes for codes.

[Steelo]

Hmm, odd. The acid test for that is to get a small wire, connect one end to the postive terminal on the battery, and the other end to the small wire/terminal on the solenoid that has the 0v.. this is manually engaging the starter, so make sure the car is in park and your hands aren't near pulleys.

You've checked the underbonnet fuse box as well as the one under the dash for blown fuses? I'd try and pull codes next, bridge TE1 and E1 in the diagnostic box in the engine bay, switch ignition to ACC and count the CEL flashes for codes.

Haha yeah I just has a go at manually engaging the starter. Is it meant to spark like shit at the battery terminal where the wire is touching?

Other than that it made a pinging sort of noise when I did it...

Fuses were the first thing I checked!

[RS13]

Does it have an alarm with immobiliser?

[Steelo]

No, no alarm.

So I got the car to crank over - so I guess the starter motor isn't $&#$%.

I cranked it with the key in the acc position but it still didn't start (but that could just be the car lol) I want it to start so at least I can get it into the garage.

So with that now cranking.

what do I look at next? Ignition switch or neutral safety switch?

[touge rolla]

I cranked it with the key in the acc position but it still didn't start

Possibly you just made a mistake when typing this but, key needs to be in the "on" position...

[RS13]

I cranked it with the key in the acc position but it still didn't start

Possibly you just made a mistake when typing this but, key needs to be in the "on" position...

Sorry yeah, my bad, key needs to be "on" (dash lights up) for car to start like that.

[Steelo]

Ok so. I have overlooked a missing fuse. The 15amp one "AM2"

I put a replacement fuse in and tried to start the car...the fuse blew again.

I fear that I have been looking at the starter motor for no reason

[Alex B]

As per PM, a quick google shows that's usually caused by a $&#$% suppression cap in dizzy, try unplug dizzy and see if it still blows.