Very Random "No Crank/Start"

[Chrisisiced]

Hey Folks

The old girl has been giving me lots of heartache over the past few months.

Very oddly sometimes the car just refuses to start as in no crank. I hop in the car, turn the key and it will not crank. All my dash lights come on as usual. I can hear clicks from the main relay and the whine from the fuel pump. It clicks when i press the clutch to the floor but for some strange reason it will not crank.

Things ive done/ tried:
New starter
New battery
New (electrical) ignition switch

I have not tried a new main relay because from what ive read and been told that if the main relay goes bad it would crank but not start. Also the car does this randomly not just when the car is hot or cold. Its happened both whether it be first thing in the cold winter morning or after a days worth of driving and a quick run in the store. Some days it does it often and sometimes 2-3 weeks can go by and it wont do it. Im really getting fed up and looking for some ideas on what else i should be looking at.

Any help or input is greatly appreciated!

[4U2H8ME]

Try the switch on the clutch pedal.

[slammed4thgen]

or batt cables

[Chrisisiced]

4U2H8ME: Try the switch on the clutch pedal.

Even though I can hear it click like its supposed to? What should i do bypass it?

slammed4thgen: or batt cables

I dont think its the battery cables because although it won't start i have full power to EVERYTHING else. Headlights, wipers, radio, horn ...


ALSO forgot to add that it ALWAYS push starts just fine.

[4U2H8ME]

4U2H8ME: Try the switch on the clutch pedal.

Even though I can hear it click like its supposed to? What should i do bypass it?

slammed4thgen: or batt cables

I dont think its the battery cables because although it won't start i have full power to EVERYTHING else. Headlights, wipers, radio, horn ...


ALSO forgot to add that it ALWAYS push starts just fine.

Well, if you've every tried to start your car without stepping on the clutch, you get no crank. When that switch goes bad, you either get no crank always, or intermitten crank. If you take the 2 wires from the back of the switch and jump them you should be able to start the car. The only thing is that you won't have to press the clutch pedal to start the car. some people usually add a switch to these wire to make a hidden cut off switch

[plee3]

Check the wires going to the starter.

[slammed4thgen]

if your battery is dead the lights will come on, so why not if cables arent getting a good connection?


grounds maybe?

starter?

edit) reading owns...new starter already lol.

[ali954]

get ur battery checked. ur battery should easily have enough power to turn the dash lights and stuff on. it takes the most power to start the car.

[Chrisisiced]

get ur battery checked. ur battery should easily have enough power to turn the dash lights and stuff on. it takes the most power to start the car.

But its done this before and after I bought the new battery. In the mix of this randomness my battery actually did die. It died with the classic dead battery symptoms where if you tried to start it it would struggle and then just make lots of clicking noises and everything was super dim. So i bought a brand new battery which cured my dead battery problem but i still have this random no crank/start issue....

[Saidaigen8]

I agree with the clutch switch, the same thing happened to me except my switch eventually stopped working at all. I had to start the car by a wire from the battery to the starter till i found out it was the switch.

[gloryaccordy]

What does the ignition switch include?

My starter was giving me issues... just wouldn't crank. I replaced the starter, same problem. I said "fuck this", got a button rated for cranking amerage, wired it up.... no problems since

My fear is... what other wires will start to go? CBs are gettin old

[Tdurr]

^^ its diffrent for every car man. Is your car a northen or southern car?

[gloryaccordy]

O yea Chris try jumping the positive battery connection to the starter... if it works the next time u have a no start situation its the starter to battery cable

Def. possibility, I had to replace that line on my first 2 CBs