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Thread: '93 SE-R - Starter or Ignition Switch?

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Posts: 11-18 of 18
2015-01-09 17:30:37
#11
Originally Posted by Bubs

Just to clarify, wouldn't an ignition coil issue be a crank/no-start instead of a no-crank/no-start?

Here's a video to show exactly what's happening. Don't mind the shaking, it was -11F when I recorded this earlier. I'll keep this thread updated when I determine whether or not it's the starter.


Not necessarily. At least I don't think so. I can't remember if mine cranked or not. It was like 6yrs ago. It's worth a try tho, since it's like a 10min job.

Video won't show for me.

Or you could wire the starter directly from the battery as morgans432 suggests. If you hear it run, it's good.
2015-01-10 00:52:56
#12
Update:

My racing friend that I bought the car from had managed to find a spare known-good starter and UPS'd it out to me on Thursday. I pop-started the car to get it back home, the starter arrived today and I had it swapped out in 1.5 hours start-to-finish. Fired right up in the garage, drove it around and parked it. The outgoing starter was especially acting up in extreme cold, so I left the car for a few hours to get nice and cold. Just started up completely fine in the exact scenario that was a no-crank / no-start.

I'll update in a few days to confirm whether or not the intermittent no-start issues has definitely ceased.
2015-01-10 18:00:41
#13
Good to hear! Glad you were able to nail it down!
2015-01-11 14:22:12
#14
Update:

The starter is replaced, which I'm still glad about since the one I removed was the original 1993 starter. However, the intermittent problem persists. I've found the pattern is that if it's above 25F outside, it cranks up first try. If it's below 25F, it either cranks slowly or clicks several times before cranking up slowly. If it's below 15F, it's luck-of-the-draw.

Just now, it's something like 10F and I had to turn the key ten times before the starter finally wheezed into motion and started the engine.

Perhaps a poor ground in the starter circuit is at fault here? I can always change the ignition switch but I don't see how the ignition switch could be an intermittent / temperature-dependent issue. I could be wrong, but I figure an issue with the ignition switch would ultimately result in an absolute no-crank no-start condition. I had a fellow racer recommend running a second ground wire from starter to BAT(-). Would a failing relay cause such an odd problem?
2015-01-11 17:19:34
#15
This is by no means a scientifically proven test but the way I figured ot my ignition switch was bad was purely by coincedence. I left the door open and inserted the key, then it struck me the door buzzer wasn't going off like it should with the key in and the door open. So I jiggled the key around and the buzzer would intermittenly work. May be temperature is just coincedental or signs of something else just giving my little experience on the matter. Good luck
2015-01-11 17:39:52
#16
Originally Posted by rustbucket
This is by no means a scientifically proven test but the way I figured ot my ignition switch was bad was purely by coincedence. I left the door open and inserted the key, then it struck me the door buzzer wasn't going off like it should with the key in and the door open. So I jiggled the key around and the buzzer would intermittenly work. May be temperature is just coincedental or signs of something else just giving my little experience on the matter. Good luck


VERY interesting...I've owned the car for a few weeks and it just occurred to me that I've never heard the door-chime on this '93. I appreciate your input! I just messaged the PO to see if he remembers if the door buzzer had been working (it may turn out that he disabled it himself), and in the meantime I'm going to head outside and see if I can get the buzzer to go off at all.

I will update later with my findings. Depending on how ambitious I feel today and what I find, maybe I'll just rip the ignition switch out of the race car and swap it over to confirm. Thanks again!
2015-01-31 03:15:20
#17
Have any luck figuring it out? Just curious I like happy endings
2015-01-31 23:45:36
#18
Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder!

I had replaced the starter and was still experiencing the same issue with extremely cold starts. My next step was going to be replacing the ignition switch, but as I was looking over the car I noticed there was some of your typical blue-green corrosion on the major ground that attaches near the coolant inlet on the block. It wasn't visible until I got some stuff out of the way to open up the relay box for the Clutch Interlock relay. I simultaneously cleaned the ground and swapped the Clutch Interlock Relay with the identical Fog Light relay (since the fog-lights have long-since been removed. In retrospect I wish I had tested each "fix" one at a time, but either way I have not had an issue since! I'm glad I replaced the starter anyway since it was the original '93 unit. Regardless, the car has been perfect since then and I've been really happy to have a B13 daily-driver again!

Thanks to everyone for the input!

[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10947284_892557750764966_142102506557470215_n.jpg? oh=2ff1ddf4abc6fb4b508bd3f44aa9c4ff&oe=55627134&__gda__=1432718345_98d27a4e67e26b86eec97e31490603d 2[/img]


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