Please Help! 3vz wont start.

[RandomHero]

so i stalled my 91 3vz the other day and when i went to start it i got nothing. it started just finr 3 minutes before i stalled it and all day before then.

the thing is, the starter clicks and whirrs, but it doesnt engage anything. i even got another starter out of the junkyard and it does the same thing. i dont think its an electrical issue cause like i said it gets power and clicks and sounds you can hear it whirr up but somethings not engaging and cranking the motor. ive tried hammering the solenoid while turning the key and even that hasnt worked.


any help would be great please. i cant figure this out.

[tstoney82]

im not putting money on it, but from what you described, it sounds like a battery. the starter isnt engaging because it doesnt have enough juice to kick over. have your battery tested. if its bad, replace it. then take it somewhere (or DIY) and get the alternator tested. i think advanced auto, autozone, oreilly's, or pep boys (not too sure if you have any of these around there) will do both of those tests for free.

[RandomHero]

well, the battery is less than a month old. but i always thought i had something sucking power off while it was off. so i decided to give your idea a shot. went outside hooked up my dads f150 battery to my battery and jumped it. still nothing. the click, the whirr of the starter but no engaging.

thats all it is, click....whirr and silence (besides the whirr of the starter) its like the starter isnt engaging something.

[tstoney82]

when you got the starter from the junkyard (along with your other starter) did you check the teeth on the starter gear or the flywheel? its a rare occasion, but sometimes the teeth on the starter gear or the flywheel can be broken off or worn down, causing a gap too large for a connection between the two to be made. this would cause the noise and no turning over.

if everything is good, then i am at a loss for more ideas without actually looking at it. (thats kinda why i hate these types of posts. you want to help but sometimes you actually need to be in front of the car.)

[RandomHero]

it looks as if the teeth on the starter solenoid itself are good. mine and the one from the junkyard look the same. your talking about the teeth on the starter as shown here correct?

[tstoney82]

correct. what do the teeth on the flywheel look like?

[RandomHero]

they both look fine. they dont seem to be worn at all. in fact mine had teeth that were dirty but you could see where they were clean on the sides from engaging. like they had been connected forever. the other starter had the same look, just not quite as clean.

[tstoney82]

honestly i dont know what else to tell you right now other than to check for any worn parts inside of the starter(s). its possible something in there isnt working right. but other than that im not too sure anymore.

[TheBeeGuy]

Manually turn the crank and see if it still moves freely, you dont think the motor is seized for some reason do you?

[RandomHero]

Originally Posted by TheBeeGuy

Manually turn the crank and see if it still moves freely, you dont think the motor is seized for some reason do you?

nah the motor is fine. i can push start it no problem.

[RandomHero]

So, i took the starter to autpzone and got it tested. It worked 100%. Took it home connected it but didnt install. Turned the ignition. The spindle shot out, but wasnt turning.

[tstoney82]

Originally Posted by RandomHero

So, i took the starter to autpzone and got it tested. It worked 100%. Took it home connected it but didnt install. Turned the ignition. The spindle shot out, but wasnt turning.

what kind of test did they do? if it was a continuity test, then it wouldnt show the problem you are having. if the spindle shot out and isnt turning, there is something internally wrong (whether it be wiring, something wrong with the magnets, etc) with the starter. i say buy one NOT from a junkyard, prefferably new, and install it they way you did this time. if it shoots out and spins, you have solved your problem. if it does the same thing your current one does, take it back for a refund and keep digging.

[RandomHero]

nah it wasnt a continoity test. they hooked it up and i saw it shoot and spin. for some rason its not spiinning in my car.

just shooting.

i was told there was 3 connections. 1 ground i have connected, i also have the clip connected. on the side near the ground. is there another one somewhere?

[Mark_Dorman]

Try this...

Turn your key into the "ON" position. Pop your engine lid. Lift off the plastic cover on the starter that covers the starter cable (big black cable going to the starter). Then remove the two wires that clip into the side (should be white and green on the same connector + the clip will probably be brown). Take a piece of speaker wire and stick it where the brown connector was and touch the other end to the terminal where the starter cable is connected. Be prepared for a few sparks and the engine to start cranking. See if that starts the car...

[Paul Woods]

Your main battery cable to the starter has come off.

[mr2v63vz]

hey why not bypassing the starter i had the same problem ,everything alse lined up no start.

[RandomHero]

Originally Posted by mr2v63vz

hey why not bypassing the starter i had the same problem ,everything alse lined up no start.

i never updated this thread.

the problem was old battery terminals. went out and got a $5 set at autozone and it fired right up. 19 year old terminals werent doing to well.

also 3 weeks after i fixed it. the positive battery cable snapped off from the terminal. old britle wire gave up. stranded me out on the highway. andd i was so pissed i didnt even see it till i towed it home and ate some dinner and had a beer.

[Mark_Dorman]

It's amazing what food and beer will do for ya

Glad you got it figured out