Everything comes on in the car when you try to start it, but the starter doesn’t turn.
Please note that you will need a multimeter to perform these tasks.
Almost all engines have the same or similar starter circuits these days. The components are the battery, ignition switch, a safety switch, several wires, a relay, a fuse, a solenoid, and a starter.
Note: The security system does not usually prevent starter operation but rather prevents fuel injectors from firing, if the proper key is not presented.
I like to start my troubleshooting at the relay, because a lot of wires from different parts of the start circuit are connected there; and it's fairly accessible.
So, I check the car's owner's manual for the location of the start relay. I locate the relay and pull it out. If I can find the actual start circuit diagram for the car, I review that to be sure I know what I'm looking for in the relay socket.
Step one at the relay socket is to set my meter to volts DC, connect my negative probe to battery ground. Then, probe the terminals where the relay was with your positive probe to look for the power lead from the start fuse. This lead should always be hot. If there is no hot terminal, the start fuse is likely bad.
Step two is to look for the power from the ingition switch. Have someone try to start the car while you probe the remaining three terminals. If there is no ignition signal, suspect a bad ignition switch or possibly a bad wire from the switch to the relay.
The third step is to check the safety switch. Change your meter setting to measure ohms and probe the remaining two terminals with the red lead while keeping the black lead on battery ground. If the car is in park or, in the case of a manual transmission, the clutch is pushed in, you should get zero to one ohms on one of the two remaining terminals. If you don't get full continuity on one of those two terminals, your safety switch or the associated wire is bad. You'll need the start wiring diagram and good troubleshooting skills to find the fault.
If you did get the positive signal from the starter and the negative signal from the safety switch, the relay should click when someone tries to start the car. Reinsert the relay and hold your finger on it to sense while someone tries to start the car. If the relay doesn't click, replace the relay.
The last terminal in the relay socket is connected to the start wire, which connects to the starter solenoid. If you probe the socket terminal associated with that wire with your meter set to measure ohms and the other probe on ground, you should get about 10-50 ohms, as most solenoid coils will register in that range. If you can reach your meter probes across the solenoid and the relay socket, you can check that wire for continuity. However, there may be an easier way to check it. See the next paragraph below.
Take appropriate safety measures under the car and especially when accessing the solenoid terminals. Locate the starter and solenoid and set your meter to volts DC. Identify the start terminal from the relay and probe it with your positive probe while holding the other probe to a good ground. Have a helper try to start the car. If you get battery voltage, the start wire is good. If the solenoid doesn't click, the solenoid is bad. By the way, if the solenoid DOES click, it might still be bad. To test it, move your probe to the very short wire that goes from the solenoid to the starter motor and have the helper try again. If that wire is getting full battery voltage, your starter is bad. If it's not getting full battery voltage, either the solenoid is bad or the big, hot wire that goes from the battery to the solenoid is corroded.
For more details, see my webpage at
byteyourself.by...
4 окт 2024
