2013 BRZ won't turn over replaced starter, battery, st cut relay
 

So I have been racking my head against a wall on this one. It started with a worn TO bearing. So I replaced clutch, flywheel, to bearing and clutch fork. After putting ever thing together now all I get is a click from the starter tell me the solenoid is activating but it is not attempting to turn over.
I have already replaced the battery and starter after bench test showed bad starter. Also while checking the electrical system found the ST cut relay which is normally open had shorted at 2 points. So that was replaced after all of this the starter is still clicking.
Anyone have any ideas?

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When you have a car that starts and drives, and you do something on it, and once you're done it does not start and drive, always checks what you've done first before throwing parts at it.

with that said, the first and easiest step is to check for a forgotten ground wire. If you've got jumper cables just jump the battery negative terminal to the engine, see if it starts.

If it still clicks, confirm that the engine spins freely by rotating it a full turn with a ratchet on the crank bolt.

Starters are fundamentally simple devices: if the solenoid clicks, the motor should spin and drive the engine. If it's electrical needs are satisfied and what it's trying to turn isn't seized, it should crank, unless it can't interface with the flywheel. If the drive gear is hitting something before it's full stroke, be that an incorrectly installed something or the wrong something, that effectively stops the solenoid from snapping shut it's big high amp contact and engaging the actual drive motor.

Read this similar issue bro
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116689


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Using a big ratchet on the harmonic balancer we have checked for free operation of the engine so it is not binding. I have also grounded the starter from the negitaive terminal directly to the neg side of the battery still getting just a click.

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Also just tried grounding the engine to the neg battery terminal still getting a click. Using probe have tested all the fuses in the fuse box also ensuring proper voltage when attempting to start

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Even though you replaced the battery, I'd suggest you either load test the replacement battery or jump the car's battery (just to insure the engine is getting enough power to turn it over).

Is the clutch switch operating properly?

Are you sure the replacement starter is good?


humfrz

Battery has been load tested also new starter was bench tested all are good I am pulling the transmission again to determine if everything was installed correctly. From the starter hole and viewing plate it looks like it is. Just gonna make sure.

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Before you rip it apart, are you sure this part is working properly?

As posted by @churchx


"My guess: you may have adjusted clutch pedal travel to your new clutch .. but have your also adjusted clutch press sensor? Don't know how it should work with normal-key cars, but on ones with smart start with button one needs to have clutch disengaged, and that sensor should do that. Maybe w/o adjusting car still thinks that clutch is not fully disengaged?"


humfrz

This is a keyless push to start. The car is recognizing that clutch is depress via the symbol for the key on the dash going steady green when clutch is depressed. And click if it didn't it wouldn't click because it wouldn't attempt to start.

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I'm gonna rattle the cages of a couple of old timers here, since this appears to have something to do with a basic electrical problem.

@Tcoat

@Ultramaroon

What are your thoughts, guys?


humfrz

This ^ Especially the bolded part since you changed the flywheel. There have been a couple of guys that installed them wrong and had the same symptoms.

I dropped the tranny and re installed old flywheel even tho everything looked correct currently mounting everything up again.

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Figured since I have tested everything else this would be a good place

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I don't have much to add beyond what @RZNT4R advises. You said it yourself. If you hear the click, it's not the clutch interlock.

Is it the click of the solenoid, or is it the click of a little relay?

It feels like we're not being given all the info. It was working before the transmission was dropped. Then mysteriously the starter is shot and a relay is shorted?

I'm not buying these conclusions just yet. Trigger the starter by jumping B1 and B2. You can buy a hand-held switch just for that purpose.


https://i.imgur.com/ZrN6C8j.jpg

The click is the starter solenoid engaging but not spinning. I am currently putting the tranny back together but will try jumping those point I have a hand held switch

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You said you tested the new starter you put in it? I had a similar issue on a different vehicle. Starter would click but not turn the engine over. Turned out to be a bad starter from Autozone. This could be the issue you are having as well.

I've been dealing with my car not starting for a few weeks now. It happened suddenly, not gradually. No work done on the starter or related elements immediately proceeding the issue (work has been done recently a couple of weeks prior... full exhaust, intake tube, and replaced the battery with a lightweight setup). We thought it might be the starter itself, so we replaced it, but that wasn't actually the problem. Went ahead and replaced the starter relay and clutch switch, but no fix there. I can start the car by shorting the starter itself across connections and it starts up fine and runs. We're hearing clicking when trying to start in the fuse box, but the starter relay itself looks fine. Grounds all look good. Not sure what else to check, any thoughts?

Have you tried jumping it through the battery from another vehicle?


humfrz

It's not a battery issue, since we can short the starter connection and start the car up fine. Or at least not a battery voltage issue directly I should say.

Check the ground strap on the bell housing. May have got damaged doing the exhaust.

Where on the bellhousing is the ground connection?

Left side where it says "disconnect".

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/attac...1&d=1473655486

One way to figure out where to focus is to test the state of vehicle electronics during the start attempt.

Ideally, you would have an inductive amp measuring device on the positive battery cable.

Alternatively, you can put a DVOM on the battery itself.

Starters draw approx 150-300 Amps when working properly.

If you have an electrical issue, you will see lower than expected amps.

If you have a mechanical issue, you will see higher than expected amps. A weak battery can also cause excessive amperage when starting.

If you are only measuring voltage, expect to see around 10-something volts during a normal crank attempt on a good battery. Lower will indicate mechanical issue and higher electronic. This method is not nearly as accurate as an amp test though.

After this test, you can zero in better..

As others have said, if you didn't have a problem before you did the work and then suddenly after the repair, you do, it's almost always a result of work performed.

I had a guy walk into my shop asking for a jumpstart. I obliged, grabbed our jump box and got his car started back up. After talking to him and learning he had only been parked for a few minutes, I was curious as to why suddenly it wouldn't start. I grabbed and twisted the battery cables. The negative cable was loose. Turns out, he had just done a headlight bulb and did not properly reconnect the cable end.

That may not be what's happening here, but just saying that sometimes we can be sure that we've done something correctly when in fact.. oops.. we actually did forget to do such and such a thing.


Also, there's always the chance that during disassembly you damaged the starter. Maybe it dropped? Then you replaced it, but got a defective starter. You can't always trust new parts. Not all that likely of a scenario, but throwing that out there.

^^reported and to @ichitaka05 via PM^^