Now it won't even attempt to crank

[DaraSue]

So that intermittent problem I was having where I turned the key and nothing happened? It's suddenly become constant. I tested the battery this morning and it tested good, I drove it to work and then a couple of miles to the library and back on my dinner break. When I went to start up a few hours later, nothing.

The dash lights come on but the engine doesn't even attempt to start. I can sometimes hear the relay clicking from the back. After I take the key out for a few seconds there'll be a kind of medium-pitch buzz that sounds like it's coming from under the dash, like an alarm that tells you your keys are still in the ignition, but they're not. The previous times this has happened, it went away when I took the key out and reinserted it. I tried that about 5 times with no success.

I replaced the ignition relay and it didn't help. I poked around the inertia switch but nothing looked obviously amiss. Is there anything else I can try before expending my 3rd of 4 allotted AAA tows for the year?

(Other things I've already replaced: RPM relay, coil, terminal on Y/W wire on lower right side of resistor, terminal on B/W wire going to negative side of coil. The car still started after all of these, but I was having the issue where it would run rough and die if I didn't keep my foot on the gas until the idle evened out.)

[Bitsyncmaster]

When you say won't crank, I take that as the starter is not turning the engine. But I think you are saying the starter is working but the engine does not "fire" (start running).

[Jonathan]

Start taking good quality close-up photos of suspected problem areas and post them here. Inertia switch, ballast resistor and connectors, ignition coil to begin with.

[Dangermouse]

When you say you "tested the battery", what do you mean?

A proper load test, or simply measuring the voltage with a voltmeter?

If the latter, take the battery to Autozone or similar and get it load tested. It may have 12V but no capacity worth talking about. 8 AAA batteries also have 12V, but they certainly wouldn't be able to start the car.



Can you get the car jump started where you are?

[DaraSue]

When you say won't crank, I take that as the starter is not turning the engine. But I think you are saying the starter is working but the engine does not "fire" (start running).

Nope, it's the first one. There's no rrr-rrr-rrr sound of the engine turning like it normally would. I don't think I'm hearing the fuel pump or anything either. So I'm thinking the problem might be between the switch and the steering column or the relay and everything else?

When you say you "tested the battery", what do you mean?

A proper load test, or simply measuring the voltage with a voltmeter?

If the latter, take the battery to Autozone or similar and get it load tested. It may have 12V but no capacity worth talking about. 8 AAA batteries also have 12V, but they certainly wouldn't be able to start the car.

Can you get the car jump started where you are?

I used one of those little battery testers with the probes on the end and it read green. The other day when I hooked up a trickle charger it showed just between green and yellow on its meter, and the car's started every day since then (just with difficulty). The battery was supposedly replaced by the seller so it should be new since last summer, but I can try jump-starting it with my CRX or off one of the security trucks at work.

I'm at home right now but I'm going to head up there in a little bit so I'll get some pictures if jump-starting it doesn't work.

[Michael]

Make sure the starter circuit mod has been done.
Sounds like a textbook case of it.

[Timebender]

Sounds to me like either a bad battery, or bad starter. Even though mine is modded, with the same symptoms, clicking relay, etc., it was the starter going bad then just pooping out altogether. New starter fixed the issue and never had another stuck somewhere situation since.

[DaraSue]

OMFG, IT WAS THE LIGHT SWITCH



I was looking at that relay Jonathan mentioned (which did appear to have an intact ground wire) and decided to swap it out and try starting again just in case. It still didn't start but when it was buzzing after I turned it off it dawned on me that the noise could be a lights-on alarm, and the last time I'd driven it I'd had the lights on so I hit the switch a couple times and voila, it started (with its usual-of-late reluctance, but I made it home).

So I'm guessing I have to start looking at things in the light circuit now? In addition to the ongoing starting problem. But at least I can do it in my garage instead of in the parking lot at work.

[Dangermouse]

dipped = low= outer lamps

Main=brights = inner + outer (or just inner on some cars)

[DaraSue]

Wait a minute, I don't see any lights-on warning buzzer in the diagrams. The only one is the "buzzer logic box" off the ignition switch (#246 on the big schematic), but the purple line off that runs to the triangle labeled horn/DI/dip push switch (#71). So.. I'm looking for something screwy in that circuit, maybe? The logic box is in the steering column, right? Is it advisable to take that apart?

This is so vexing...