(starting) gremlins

[Huw]

Well, the starter and battery are replaced and I am now having a slightly different starting problem.

 

Basic symptom, turn the key and nothing happens.....no major noises....turn again, nothing happens and then turn again and fires perfectly (number varies - sometimes fires first go - other times 3-4 attempts).

 

Have, out of laziness, been living with it for last couple of weeks but it will eventually go (when I am in the biggest hurry or most inconvenient location)....so I thought it wise to see if anyone had:

1) Had this problem; or

2) Had any suggestions as to how to fix/identify issue.

 

Will be trying to have a look next week sometime.

 

Cheers

 

Huw

[gav240z]

Well, the starter and battery are replaced and I am now having a slightly different starting problem.

 

Basic symptom, turn the key and nothing happens.....no major noises....turn again, nothing happens and then turn again and fires perfectly (number varies - sometimes fires first go - other times 3-4 attempts).

 

Have, out of laziness, been living with it for last couple of weeks but it will eventually go (when I am in the biggest hurry or most inconvenient location)....so I thought it wise to see if anyone had:

1) Had this problem; or

2) Had any suggestions as to how to fix/identify issue.

 

Will be trying to have a look next week sometime.

 

Cheers

 

Huw

 

Odd I would check for poor connections. Even at the battery terminals. Get some dialectic grease on the terminals and make sure the contact is good and nice and tight. It could be that the terminal moves around going over bumps and what not.

 

Can you jump the starter with a screw driver? What I mean is when the car won't start at the key can you bypass the key and kick it over with a screw driver by bridging the gap. Bit hard to explain, hope you know what I mean?

[Gyra]

Could be your ignition switch?

I have a similar problem - will only start if you turn the key "just so"...ie if you turn it too far then nothing happens.

 

 

G

 

[Zedman240®]

+1 ignition switch.. mine wouldn't do anything if you turned it too far. Remove two small screws and try turning it with a small flat screwdriver. Could be the key lock part that is playing up also.

[Six_Shooter]

My first thought is ignition switch as well, though there are a few connections between.

 

It would be a good idea to use a DMM attached at the start terminal of the solenoid, so that when this problem occurs you can see if there is power getting to the starter. This would pretty much eliminate the starter as the issue. Then work your way back to the ignition switch. Use the DMM to probe the start wire while turning it to crank and see if voltage is being passed through the ignition switch. Another worth while test, if the DMM shows no voltage being passed through the ignition switch, is to unplug the start wire from the starter and try again. In some cases a poor contact within a switch can cause high enough resistance that when there is a load on that circuit, no voltage will be shown on a DMM, but no load, and you can see voltage. It's more of a way to confirm a problem, than find it.

 

I would also look at the power supply to the switch. Again, going back to a poor contact or connection, if the supply has a bad connection with the load of the starter it can go dead at start as well.

 

Basically you want to follow the path back as far as you can until you find the point where the problem is.

[Z]

Ahh +4 on switch 

 

My ignition would not engage, no hand brake light and it would eventually start once the light came on, very gremlin like.

 

Solved with this:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Datsun-240z-260z-280z-280zx-Ignition-Switch-NOS-/370505605900?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5643dae30c

[bullzed]

This same problem happened to me, scared the living bejeezus out of me. Just unloaded it off the truck, stalled, checked oil, there wasn't any, thought I might have locked the engine. Turned out it was the dodgy igntion, turn it ever so slightly and it'll start.

 

I see it as a built in anti-theft system