Starting problem on my 91
 

Driving me nuts. Followed enthusiast manual. Got a click when trying to
start, so remove starter. Removed and replaced with new and it still clicks.
Clutch interlock is ok. Battery fully charged. Starts when pushed. Went from
starting to not in my garage with no symptom. 91 'C'. Can anyone give me any
ideas. Would appreciate! TIA!

In article >,
"rjobrad" > wrote:

> Driving me nuts. Followed enthusiast manual. Got a click when trying to
> start, so remove starter. Removed and replaced with new and it still clicks.
> Clutch interlock is ok. Battery fully charged. Starts when pushed. Went from
> starting to not in my garage with no symptom. 91 'C'. Can anyone give me any
> ideas.

Clean the battery terminals? Clean the chassis grounds?

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

Lanny Chambers wrote on 8/30/2004 22:03:

> In article >,
> "rjobrad" > wrote:
>
>
>>Driving me nuts. Followed enthusiast manual. Got a click when trying to
>>start, so remove starter. Removed and replaced with new and it still clicks.
>>Clutch interlock is ok. Battery fully charged. Starts when pushed. Went from
>>starting to not in my garage with no symptom. 91 'C'. Can anyone give me any
>>ideas.
>
>
> Clean the battery terminals? Clean the chassis grounds?
>

I have experienced something similar with my '99. I sometimes have to repeatedly
turn the key and/or engage and disengage the clutch.
The people in my Miata club had a lot of suggestions:
- battery and battery terminals
- neutral safety switch
- ignition switch
- fly wheel
- starter solenoid

Next time this happens, I am going to go down the list...

-Joe

Joachim Feise wrote:
> I have experienced something similar with my '99. I sometimes
have to repeatedly
> turn the key and/or engage and disengage the clutch.
> The people in my Miata club had a lot of suggestions:
> - battery and battery terminals
> - neutral safety switch
> - ignition switch
> - fly wheel
> - starter solenoid
>
> Next time this happens, I am going to go down the list...

Sounds like the ignition switch - particularly if you can
jiggle/turn the key and the car starts. Had to replace mine this
past year.

--
Iva & Belle.)
'90B Classic Red.)
#3 winkin' Miata

Iva wrote on 8/31/2004 15:52:

> Joachim Feise wrote:
>
>>I have experienced something similar with my '99. I sometimes
>
> have to repeatedly
>
>>turn the key and/or engage and disengage the clutch.
>>The people in my Miata club had a lot of suggestions:
>>- battery and battery terminals
>>- neutral safety switch
>>- ignition switch
>>- fly wheel
>>- starter solenoid
>>
>>Next time this happens, I am going to go down the list...
>
>
> Sounds like the ignition switch - particularly if you can
> jiggle/turn the key and the car starts. Had to replace mine this
> past year.

In my case, I doubt it. I had an ignition key problem with my motorcycle,
and it was obvious there, with it working after wiggling the key.
With the Miata, wiggling the key doesn't change anything.
It also happens rather rarely, but unpredictably.
I suspect the flywheel or solenoid. I hear the click that the OP described
when I turn the key and when I disengage the clutch.
One of the members in the club who had the same problem before said:
"When we pulled the transmission out to replace the clutch, there were
several worn teeth on it. We theorize that every so often those teeth would
stop on top of the starter teeth and fail to make a mechanical link. This
theory was supported by the fact that when I experienced the problem, I
found that all I had to do was put the car in gear, push it a few feet and
release the clutch, effectively turning the flywheel about 90 degrees, and
the car would start right up."

-Joe

Found it ($100 later). Bad ignition switch would allow momentary current to
solenoid and drop out indicating good circuit. Now, need new ignition
switch. Thanks for the advice.
"Joachim Feise" > wrote in message
...
> Lanny Chambers wrote on 8/30/2004 22:03:
>
> > In article >,
> > "rjobrad" > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Driving me nuts. Followed enthusiast manual. Got a click when trying to
> >>start, so remove starter. Removed and replaced with new and it still
clicks.
> >>Clutch interlock is ok. Battery fully charged. Starts when pushed. Went
from
> >>starting to not in my garage with no symptom. 91 'C'. Can anyone give me
any
> >>ideas.
> >
> >
> > Clean the battery terminals? Clean the chassis grounds?
> >
>
> I have experienced something similar with my '99. I sometimes have to
repeatedly
> turn the key and/or engage and disengage the clutch.
> The people in my Miata club had a lot of suggestions:
> - battery and battery terminals
> - neutral safety switch
> - ignition switch
> - fly wheel
> - starter solenoid
>
> Next time this happens, I am going to go down the list...
>
> -Joe

Your reply got me thinking, so I went and kept wiggling switch -- ta da! it
started. Switch allowed momentary contact. Thank you, your post helped me
immensely!
"Iva" > wrote in message ...
> Joachim Feise wrote:
> > I have experienced something similar with my '99. I sometimes
> have to repeatedly
> > turn the key and/or engage and disengage the clutch.
> > The people in my Miata club had a lot of suggestions:
> > - battery and battery terminals
> > - neutral safety switch
> > - ignition switch
> > - fly wheel
> > - starter solenoid
> >
> > Next time this happens, I am going to go down the list...
>
> Sounds like the ignition switch - particularly if you can
> jiggle/turn the key and the car starts. Had to replace mine this
> past year.
>
> --
> Iva & Belle.)
> '90B Classic Red.)
> #3 winkin' Miata
>
>

>Sounds like the ignition switch - particularly if you can
>jiggle/turn the key and the car starts. Had to replace mine this
>past year.

I have a bad ignition switch. While waiting for the new one, we removed it and
cleaned the contacts. It is working for now. However, my symptoms were this:
The car would crank, but never start. Didn't hear just the "click". hmmm

rjobrad wrote:
> Found it ($100 later). Bad ignition switch would allow momentary current
to
> solenoid and drop out indicating good circuit. Now, need new ignition
> switch. Thanks for the advice.

Got mine from Trussville through miata.net for under $90, which included
shipping. Only took about 45 minutes, total, to install and it solved the
whole problem.

Good luck.

--
Iva & Belle.)
'90B Classic Red.)
#3 winkin' Miata