Bad Starter or mabey battery??

[lsgheero]

Hey all just joined the forums about 2 weeks ago but been busy with work so i didnt have time to post this.

I have a 1986.5 toyota supra, and the engine won't start. heres, where im stuck...I get the click from the silenoid but it doesnt turn over, I just got this car a month ago on an abandoned title claim with my state...so i know nothing of its previous owner, treatment, ect.

well anywho i get a silenoid click but no turnover..when i try to start the car my lil clock in the dash goes completly off and the rest dim..however when i stop everything goes back to normal my battery says it just under 12v. however I have had it tested and they say its fine.

any help is much appreciated.

[dcrusupra]

Sit in the car for about 5 mins, and just keep turning the key. If that works then its a bad ignition. If not, try hitting the starter with something and then try to start it. If that works, then it's probably a bad starter or a bad starter relay.

[lsgheero]

I will try that but i forgot to clarify that im only getting one click from the starter and thats it.

thanks for the suggestion

[Bill UK]

This is a very common problem with the UK supra`s, they don’t have a relay between the ignition switch and starter, just one thin wire straight to the starter solenoid, the wire is too thin for the amount of current drawn so it will get hot and gradually corrode with age causing its resistance to increase over the years. Many UK owners fit a relay, which solves the problem. The other thing to look at is the solenoid contactors in the starter motor they often wear on one side and are easy replaced. Not sure if this will help but I bought mine from this company http://www.lsuk.co.uk which was the Lucas Co. Manufactured by CARGO part No 131831 contact kit, they only cost a few cents.

[Bill UK]

One thing I did do as a temporary measure was to connect a wire to the spade terminal on the starter motor (there are only two connections on the starter one is heavy cable connected by a nut and the other is a spade connection) the other end of the wire I covered with insulating tape. If I ever got stuck and couldn’t start the engine and could here a clicking noise I would leave the ignition switched on and removed the insulating tape from my extra wire and touched the + terminal on the battery and it would start.

[lsgheero]

i can try that, however one other quick question. How fast do you need to be going to push start a car? I had a friend give me a push to 30mph and it still wouldnt start. Also if the silenoid is clicking once wouldnt that mean the relay is good?

thanks again to everyone.

[Murd]

I've pushed started cars doing around 5mph before. Just depends on how easy it starts in the first place. If it didn't start at 30mph, you've probably got other issues.

[dcrusupra]

Theres gotta be another problem or u arent doing it right. Key needs to be in on position. I usually put it in second and pop the clutch. I can do it by myself. So if you cant do it by 30mph then something is very wrong elsewhere.