Arrrrgh !$#%! Starting problem SC
 

I went to drive the 81 SC to work and a car show today and for the first time it has let me down - it would not start or even turn over.

The relay was clicking but no starter engagement. I did not have time to go further at the time but will dive into late this afternoon.

What do the experts suggest to troble shoot this problem.

I appreciate your help.

Start with the simple stuff, battery condition and grounds.
When this happened to me I was AT a P-car gathering. Went to leave and nothing, nada, when I turned the key, not even a click.
Turned out to be the electrical portion of the ignition switch.
Good luck and be thankful it's in your garage, not out on the road somewhere.

It could be your starter, itself. Do you know how many miles on the starter? The old trick is to wack it with a hammer a couple times. If it starts right up, thats the problem. It develops dead spots on its contacts, so wacking it tends to wiggle it past a dead spot, where it will receive the electric current. Drive it home and replace the starter. Don't forget, you should be able to push start it if necessary.

Thanks so far...

I am glad it happened at home and not at the show... would be a bit embarassing, particularly since (as I find out) I was the only foreign car in the the group (it is a Motor City Company employee show where I work).

The starter and a hammer will meet later today.

Other trouble spots I should look for???

Just don't bust it up. A few firm smacks. Even if you have to replace it, you will need the old one for a core return.

In my experience, (with all cars), if the relay clicks and the starter doesn't spin, it is either a very low battery, or a worn out starter.

How timely, my Bentley manual arrived today. My first impression is that it is much more clear and easy to read that the other one I have.

I had thought that perhaps the relay I was hearing click had something to do with the starter but from my purusal of the service manual that is not the case and it is likely a fuel pump relay I hear.

I have also checked the battery and put a charger etc. on it and am convinved it is not the battery.

I have done some light hammer raps on the starter to no effect thus far. I think the next step is to check the voltage at the solinoid both from the battery and when the key is turned to the start position.

The starter looks like it is a bit of a PITA to get access to remove. Any suggestions on doing this if I need to go there?

What about the ignition switch and getting appropriate voltage through the switch to activate the solinoid? How frequent is this a problem. I guess I could jumper from the battery to the solinoid to bypass the switch to see if that is the issue?

30 year old car - 60 k Miles. I have had it 2 months and remember one time when I thought that the starter hesitated too long and there was a suspect issue somewhere. This seems like it.

Tomorrow is another day and hopefully one in which I will be driving and enjoying my car - not just laying underneith it. Any advice is appreciated.

Identical symptoms led me to this solution -

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/619776-green-knob-battery-switch-short.html

So...

Not the battery connections.

Stong battery voltage to solinoid (terminal 30).

First measurment of switch voltage at terminal 50 to apply voltage to engage solinoid and starter suggests that turning the key to the start position does not provide voltage to the solinoid.

So... seems it may be the ignition switch. Has anyone had the ignition switch cause problems - any quick reworks or rennovation? How do you remove the ignition switch for futher investigation?

Although I have not done it, I'm pretty sure you can jump pin 50 and 30 (yellow and black wire) while the key is turned to the on postion to see if it is the switch.

I checked that 50 at the starter solinoid did not get 12V when the key was turned to start and then I jumped 30 & 50 on the starter solinoid and the stater engaged === switch problem.

When I started checking out the switch and wiggled things around now it is working. So... I will be taking the car today and hope I don't get a repeat event while out & about....

Lazy man's fix is to install a starter button.