Starting problems

[dimeguy 510]

Anyone out there know of the what a good alternator would be for a non-turbo S14 SR20? Eight times out of ten she starts then a jump box needs to be used. And this is with a brand new battery. 

:confused:

A few weeks ago she went into the shop for starting problems. After some investigations, the head temp sensor was replaced.  Unfortunately, that didn't solve the problem.  Like I said above, it starts eight out of ten times but on that ninth try, the battery is drained and a jump box has to be used.  I think it's more than likely the alternator since my daughter's Mits Mirage did basically the same thing.  Started fine for a few times then had to be jumped to start again.  Turned out to be the alternator.

 

My apologies if this is in the wrong topic. 

 

 

[datzenmike]

Eliminate things that are cheap and easy to do yourself or you're just throwing money and parts at it.

 

 

Check the battery terminals... clean and tighten them.

 

Check the other ends... like the positive cable where it bolts to the starter lug and the negative cable where it bolts to the engine.

 

Next time it's running check the voltage across the terminals, should be just over 14 volts if alternator is charging.

[kelowg]

Alt might have issue,but engine starting is the problem. To b clear,it takes several tries to get started or starts and drives fine several times til it wont?

[datzenmike]

On the face of it, it sounds like a fully charged battery slowly discharged by repeated starts and not being recharged.  We'll see. Checking the voltage while running will tell.

[dimeguy 510]

Latest update.  Alternator is checking out fine.  Putting out 14V while the motor is running.  Everything else, wires, connections, communicaitons, are all checking out.  But the problem still exists. In a nut shell, the starter is not getting enough voltage to start.  The battery is fully charged but not enough voltage is being sent to the starrter.  So in a last ditch effort to solve the problem, the ECU was sent out for a diagnostic to see if that is the problem.  The ECU is basically not telling the starter it has enough volts.  Something is getting lost in traslation between the battery and the ECU and the ECU and the starter.

Has anyone come across this problem before?  Do ECU's/CPU's tend to fail like this?  Are there some inexpensive but good after market ones out there just in case mine is bad?

 

Thanks,

Dimeguy 510

[Rays74]

Have you checked your battery under load? Either with a specific load checker OR just putting a VOM across the battery and reading the V drop during starting. A battery can take a good charge and appear fine but under high demand will show a low voltage and slow starting (and low voltage to all other systems in the car) or no start.

I have very little experience with EFI cars but the actual act of turning the engine over with the starter has nothing to do with your ECU.....it's actually all mechanical as the ign switch turned connects 12v to the starter solenoid, the solenoid moves and connects 12V full battery power to the starter brushes....engine turns.

I would focus on knowing that full battery voltage 12-13V is getting to your starter without much voltage drop.......:)

good luck,

--Ray

[datzenmike]

The ECU does not tell the starter how much power it can have.

 

The positive battery cable is bolted directly to the starter lug. Because the starter draws hundreds of amps current  a specila electric switch is used powered by a solenoid. My guess is either your battery posts are dirty, the connectors on the cables are bad, the cables are rotted inside from corrosion or the connection on the starter is poor or loose or the ground cable from the battery is poor or loose on the block.

 

The battery is unable to hold a proper charge for long and is inssuficient to start more than a few times.

 

The last thing is the starter or the solenoid is bad.

[ryanthomas1]

Anyone out there know of the what a good alternator would be for a non-turbo S14 SR20? Eight times out of ten she starts then a jump box needs to be used. And this is with a brand new battery.

:confused:

A few weeks ago she went into the shop for starting problems. After some investigations, the head temp sensor was replaced. Unfortunately, that didn't solve the problem. Like I said above, it starts eight out of ten times but on that ninth try, the battery is drained and a jump box has to be used. I think it's more than likely the alternator since my daughter's Mits Mirage did basically the same thing. Started fine for a few times then had to be jumped to start again. Turned out to be the alternator.

 

My apologies if this is in the wrong topic.

Check for a voltage leak, and test your alternator. If it turns over and won't fire then check spark, fuel, vaccum, timing, compression , that's the general procedure anyway , good luck!