1997 Firebird 3.8 - Intermittent No-Start

[melsg5]

Link to youtube video

^ I've uploaded this video just to help illustrate the starting problem.

I'll try to get under the car again tomorrow and meter the starter, if I can get to it. There's a big metal shield blocking the damn thing.

At the risk of sounding stupid, where am I putting the positive and negative probes to test the starter posts Mel? Both on the same post?

If you leave the key in the run position, do any of the lights on the dash stay on, if so, which ones?

 

[Akula]

Thanks for the advice with metering the starter - I'll try my best to get under there.

If I turn the key two clicks to accessory only and don't attempt to start it, the chime finishes after 5 sounds and the lights that stay on are:

BRAKE (handbrake is on)
The seatbelt icon (I didn't have it on)
SERVICE ENGINE SOON
CHECK GAUGES

The airbag light flashes to shows its priming and then goes off.

 

[melsg5]

Thanks for the advice with metering the starter - I'll try my best to get under there.

If I turn the key two clicks to accessory only and don't attempt to start it, the chime finishes after 5 sounds and the lights that stay on are:

BRAKE (handbrake is on)
The seatbelt icon (I didn't have it on)
SERVICE ENGINE SOON
CHECK GAUGES

The airbag light flashes to shows its priming and then goes off.

Have you scanned for codes related to service engine and check gauges?

 

[Akula]

I'll do that also today - I've got my scanner in the car. I'll report back on what I find.

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[Akula]

OK, I've been underneath and as far as I've been able to tell, there is no 12v supply reaching the starter motor. The meter read 0.02v at best, but was mainly sitting at 0.00v. I wasn't able to measure the small post as I have no one with me to start the car while I hold the probes.

Does this mean there is a break in the wiring between the battery and the starter, or that the starter itself is dead? If it's wiring, where should look?

On a side note, using my OBD2 reader, there were no stored and no pending codes.

I've cleaned up 3 earth points that I can see in the engine bay, I'm sure there are more.

There is very little resistance between the positive battery lead and the alternator, and the negative battery lead and the engine block.

 

[melsg5]

Trace the positive battery cable, it should connect to the large terminal on the starter. If you have no reading at the large terminal you either have a poor connection at the battery or a bad cable.

 

[Akula]

That's reassuring news, thank you Mel. The cost of getting a starter motor from there to here (even from Rock Auto) is not small money.
I'm hoping it's just a burned through or broken wire, would be nice to fix something cheaply for once.

Will report back when I have checked it.

 

[Akula]

Alright... Another update. Another problem. While digging around between the battery and the starter, I decided to remove the battery to give me a little more space investigating the leads.

The main battery post connectors on the end of each lead have these cheap-looking rotating plastic coloured heads which I'm not a huge fan of. I'm tempted to get rid those and replace the main terminal connectors with screw-types.



The negative cable in particular caught my attention. The cabling was pretty loose, and there is a large thick black earth (I think?) lead running from the negative main lead going to the nearby inner wing metal, where its screwed down with an eyelet.



This was pretty much slapped together with electrical tape where it meets the negative cable , not soldered or spliced properly. The copper was just twisted and shoved in, both ends shown here:



My question: is this earthing point necessary? If it is, I'm gonna replace that cable. I can't tell if it's original or not.

The investigation into the positive cable is still continuing.

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[melsg5]

The end on the sheet metal looks original so, yes it's needed

 

[Akula]

Ok, finally some success. I replaced the battery cable terminals and also replaced the earth lead shown above - so far the car has started each time. If anything else crops up, Ill revive the thread, but as for now this problem appears to be resolved! Thank you for your help.

 

[melsg5]

Ok, finally some success. I replaced the battery cable terminals and also replaced the earth lead shown above - so far the car has started each time. If anything else crops up, Ill revive the thread, but as for now this problem appears to be resolved! Thank you for your help.

Excellent news