Possible Bad Ground/Pos+ Connection? Topic is solved

Post by **benpineapple** » 12 Dec 2016, 10:55

Hello, had a strange issue with starting three consecutive times now. When switching the key from I to III position to start, car won't crank right away. If I hold it in the III position, it will begin start cranking after a few seconds like nothing happened and start up right away. I can hear the pump priming, lights come on, air starts blowing and all of that when the key hits the III position. Is this as simple as a bad starter contact point or something? Let me know what you think.

This is a brand new issue, never happened until yesterday. Not sure if it might be weather-related, but we just got almost 2 feet of snow where I'm at, and it is quite humid today since it got up to 34degF.

Backstory: Pulled the engine 3 weeks ago (leaky trans seals), and didn't have any symptoms or issues with the car since the pull, not sure if it would have any effect on this particular symptom. I have put 1000 miles on sine pulling the engine, with no startup issues like this until yesterday.

Post by **scot850** » 12 Dec 2016, 11:23

Could be a bad earth or electrical connection. Have you done anything to the ignition switch electrical position recently? If not, try wiggling the key in the ignition slot and see if it makes a difference. When one of my cars had the switch failing I would switch it on and nothing would happen.

Could also be a failing starter motor solenoid or bad wiring connection to it and the cold will affect it.

Neil.

Post by **benpineapple** » 12 Dec 2016, 12:05

Thanks as always Neil. I'll check the connections you mention, see if that helps.

Haven't touched the ignition switch the entire time I've owned it. Is the key-wiggling a telltale sign of ignition switch failure?

Post by **abscate** » 12 Dec 2016, 12:08

I think you will find this is a bad connection on the starter - between the positive battery wire and the solenoid.

The 'few second delay' has happened to me on two cars and this was cause on both. Since it is reproducible, this makes it scientific.

Im talking about the small connector that carries the current from the solenoid to the actual motor, not the battery cable.

Post by **scot850** » 12 Dec 2016, 23:18

+1. I also had a lazy starter when the solenoid started to fail.

Neil.

Post by **abscate** » 13 Dec 2016, 01:39

Picture of the connecting pigtail, Zben. See if you can spot it on the starter. It might be under a plastic cover that snaps off the starter.

Post by **benpineapple** » 13 Dec 2016, 15:41

got it, you're exactly right. i disconnected the blade connection, sanded the contacts, sprayed some wire drier in there, boom v70 fired right back up like she always does (currently 4/4 starts). i must have neglected to clean up that connection when reinstalling the starter post-engine swap last month.

i think i'll pull the starter and clean the contacts better, couldn't really get at the base of the male connection, limited access. i'll be doing a pvc job next month, so pulling the starter won't really add much to the work time.

thanks as always neil and abscate.

Post by **abscate** » 14 Dec 2016, 23:47

Nice, well done Neil.

That's the starter off my parts car by the way. Score!