grammo

another my car won't start thread... I've searched and can't find anyone with similar symptoms. The engine won't turn at all. Battery is fine and all electronics work when the car is turned to on. But that's where it gets strange-- when I turn the car to on (not trying to start) a strange screech comes from the engine bay... almost sounds like the first click of a dead battery trying to start. But then nothing... I try to start and it doesn't even try and start. We push started the car fine and it ran fine.. it just won't try to start with the key.. No blown fuses.. car started perfectly 2 hours before this try... could this be a bad starter?

When I first got the car (2years ago) I took it to the dealer for a check up and they said my starter wire was loose or off (i can't remember).. but it's late and I have no clue where the starter is on the engine, so I can't see if there's a loose wire or not to tell if this happened again. The car just passed 50k so I'm wondering if it's worth taking it to the dealer or trying some self diagnostics first.... can someone tell me where the starter is?

anyone have any insight?

grammo

well I just tried again and after 5 or 6 unsuccessful tries the car started up fine 5 times in a row... but the same sound is coming from the engine bay when the key hits the on position (maybe this is normal?) I was pumping the clutch and turning the key.. does the clutch have to be pushed in a certain length for the car to turn that maybe there's a switch there that isn't working right?

LukeaTron

Yes it does. It has to be 95% of the way to floor to engage the interlock switch.

Can you describe the screech noise in more detail?

SIRSIG

get rid of that annoying clutch pedal switch.

and check that loose wire that might be it... this is to give you an idea where it is...

grammo

thanks for the replies.. the car started fine this morning so I'm gonna check those things out after work. How does one go about removing the clutch pedal switch? just wire it closed?

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

You don't want to remove the switch. It's there for a reason.
Check you fuel pressure regulator, your battery cables & grounds, & the starter.

fsttyms1

you dont want to remove the clutch switch. It will allwo the car to be started without the clutch in which is dangerous if in gear

Id say its the ground pictured or a starter issue.

gc86

When I owned my 6MT it also made that screech when the key was put in the ON position, never thought much of it since I never had any problems.

grammo

so everything seems to be working fine now.. i replaced the battery because there was lots of corrosion on the ground and i didn't want to deal with any of that. checked all the grounds.. they were fine.. but the wire connecting to the starter was very loose. i'm thinking this might have been my problem. i crimped the connector to be a lot tighter and it seems pretty secure.. for now anyway. another strange thing.. with changing the battery, i didn't need to enter my navi code to get it working again (which is good since i don't have it)

as for that sound in the on position.. it's hard to describe. i guess the closest thing i can think of is a very high speed cut off saw going through a 2x4 in about half of a second.. if that helps at all. it doesn't sound right but i guess if other people hear it too i won't worry about it either.