So I bought a 1986.5 Supra, and I have a few problems.
 

Well, the biggest is is that I'm about stupid when it comes to cars.

But other than that, let me start this off by saying I bought an '86.5 MKIII for $500. I figured it was a good enough deal, so I got it.

So on to the problem. It didn't have a battery, so it was replaced. Then came the fuses. And now it will not start, not even turn over. But the horn will (barely) honk and the lights will come on and go up and down.

I'm expecting it to be something so simple it's crazy, but could anyone possibly help?

Expect plenty more problems when you fix this one. Sorry but it is what it is. I figure now i was better off with car payments than this thing.

Okay. Where to start. First check the voltage at the battery with a volt meter. That would be the first thing I would suspect.. then check the fuses on the deivers side kick panel.. and of course the ones under the hood... I kno u said u did this but do it again. Its real easy to miss one.. get back with me

Fixing it is partly why I bought it. I mean, I have to start somewhere, and why not on a car I've wanted for ages?

It's a new battery, so does it still need it's voltage checked? Or does a volt meter do something completely different from what I think?

There's more on the driver's side? How many fuse boxes does the car have? Also, does it have any indication of the fuses it needs, in case some are missing? If not, could anyone provide a diagram or something?

And the one's under the hood are good. I've checked that two or three times since I replaced it. Only one's I'm kinda iffy about are the two big ones, which I was told I'd probably have to get from a dealer.

The ones on the drivers side kick panel has some main fuses which power the ignition and efi computer. check the link below and go forward to see all the fuses. And click page back to see location. Also bookmark this page it is the mkiii supra service repair manual. Or known as tsrm

http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Librar...aspx?S=BE&P=13

Don't ever assume something new can't be bad. Especially a batt. But id check fuses first. And a volt meter just checks voltage. But they are very handy and necessary when troubleshooting

hey reverb try to find the post that talks about the alarm system, it happend to me before and that was it. GOOD JOB on having the supra , you will enjoy it. if i`m not mistaken on the bottom of the steering wheel colum theres a small black box with a lot of cables , i`m not sure but i believe that the blue and orage cable it`s the one you have to cut and ground the one out from the car not the box, but verify and hope that solves your problem. don`t let simple stuff ruin your project. Good luck . Q

500.00 is chumpchange.. you can part it out and make lots more.. hehe.

I am in same boat though.. wanted the car since new (actually wanted the MKII .. burgandy.. but ended up with the MKIII because of the targa and turbo). Definitely worth the coin in my opinion.

I believe if the alternator or starter wires are not connected properly (tightly and cleanly) this can cause the same issue as well. Also, the ground wire to the body should be attached firmly and cleanly. My 90 wouldnt turn over because the ground wire had actually popped out of the cable going to the battery.

Sometimes, pictures of the car/engine bay help us guess along with you. :)

words with light and hope !!!!!!!

first note the two large fuses you are talking about in the fuse block in the engine bay may the the headlight ones depending on which you are talking about. They only get power when the headlights are on.

A few common problems, starter relay not getting enough power to the starter. And alarm system tripped. First for the alarm system, shut the hood hatch and doors, lock both the driver and passenger door with the key, you should see red security light on the dash come on, after 15 seconds it will start to blink this means the alarm is armed. Then unlock the door with the key to turn the alarm off. This will reset the system if it has been tripped.

Second for the starter problem, take a wire and attach it to the starter signal wire, it is the small wire that is a pain to get to. I just stick a wire into the back of the plastic connector. Then tough the other end to the battery positive terminal. This will engage the starter, so if its a stick shift MAKE SURE ITS IN NEUTRAL. Or a auto make sure its in park.

Lastly give us some more info, do the lights work, does the dash light up and gauges work. Ect. The more info the more we can help.

Got my Supra as a fun ride, not for transportation. Have my 2009 Honda Civic EXL for basic transport. (no payments)
If you want a cheap ride, why don't you go out and buy a used Chev Cobalt? Get that great GM feeling!

yeah somehow i was mistaken the proverbial "jap car" was going to be reliable. If I wanted a "fun ride" I would have gone with an american muscle car. Instead I figured I would combine fun and reliability and have nothing but a ride I would only trust on short trips around town. Thumbs up!

That's okay I am preparing to re-list the car and not only profit, but give it to someone who wants to look under the hood every time before they drive it:)

Its not that their not reliable it just that they are 20 or so years old. Buy a 20 year old honda and see how reliable it will be. Replace all the hoses, belts and a new water pump and it will be reliable as hell. I bought my 89 replaced all the hoses, t belt, thermostat, waterpump, metal head gasket and a few other small things and drove it for 5 years as a daily drive with out a single problem. Well until I ran it low on oil and spun a bearing. Even after the bearing started making noise I drove it another 3 months with a slight knock till it finally gave one day, then it got me 20 miles home knocking like hell, but it got me there. A full rebuild and a 5 speed swap and it has been just as reliable as ever. Point is its not reliable as is, replace all the old stuff that can go out and put a metal head gasket on it and your set.

problem is i did not research enough and i also missed a power steering leak when i bought it. Mine is rebuilt with 60k but the dude was a toyota mechanic and used all toyota parts, including head gasket. thought that was a good thing but now I realize the metal aftermarket was the choice.

dont mind me, im just a little bitter i cant take it on a road trip this weekend. when i get back its headed to another mechanic to replace the steering rack or i am listing it.

Bah (off topic.. but...) You can go buy a Chevy Cobalt.. but to get the supercharged one (supercharger??? why the hell dont they turbo.. lol) your gonna have to shell out some coin.. and then in 10 years when you go to sell it... its gonna be worth as much as your Supra will be now.

Better to get the car you want and put whatever it takes (within reason) to get it driving well enough that you smile and hear the birdies sing when you daydream about it...

To each his own of course.. I simply prefer my MKIII to the vast amount of vehicles I have owned to date. Sure.. the brand new Accord was fun.. but didn't have the feel of this car.

My Firebird and Camero of the same vintage were total junk! This was when they were a few years old and not 24! Both of them had electrical problems, my Firebird went through an alternator and battery every 2 to 3 years. The Camero delivered to me a collection of spare screws from behind the dash for months. The accessories started going out at about one year. I will NEVER buy another "American" car again.
So go ahead and sell it and buy that good American muscle car, really dude it is no skin off of us!

Metal HG is only really needed if your gonna jump about 450 HP with high boost levels. Otherwise.. the stock one is fine, provided the Head and block are machined correctly (the stock block has "machine marks or swirls" on it that should be lapped if I understand it correctly)

The OEM one is good, the problem with the head gaskets was that originally they called for like 20 lbs less torque than what was truly needed. Plus, you have to retorque the head bolts as a maintenance item after a certain amount of mileage (50k?). I dont mean.. you want to.. you need to.. lol.

Its a very strong and versatile engine.. and you can drive it to death if you want. Most of us here are a tad fussy though and want the car to run right and usually better than it should. However.. it is still a traditional Toyota in that you can drive the thing until it drops and it will normally get you there. Although, it isnt as kickworthy as the Corolla or Celica. Higher tech usually means a bit more fragile.. and its true with the Supra.

I will never buy another American car.. unless its a pre-70.

Also, keep in mind, this car is capable of under 11 seconds in a quarter mile with a 7mGTE. Hell.. I beleive people have gotten over 1000 HP out of this engine. Of course.. we are talking serious cash... but.. it will do it.

He was complaining about cost like an apex customer. Gee if you want something nice it is going to cost.

Cost is like this over the next 10 years.. (for those that are worried about having the MKIII over some newer car...)

Buy the Cobalt (get the one for about 28,000.00)
Pay it off (add another few thousand for interest)
Pay the insurance (add a few more thousand for insurance)

note: I pay 11.00 per month to insure my TWO supras fully as collectibles.. just cant drive over 5000 km per year.. and I dont.
The 88 is insured for 6000, the 90 for 4500

Sell the car. At the end of 10 years (not including maintenance in this) you have a car that may be worth 5000-10,000 (although I doubt it will be more than 5k)

Or... Buy a Supra for 1500, soak 20,000 in it over a 3 year period.. and have a car worth about 8000 in 10 years providing you dont bag it too much...

Those are all made up numbers, but its the theory I run with everytime I explain why I spend money on my car to my wife... :D

same here , my wife almost kill me when I got the supra. I was 2 month for getting deployed to Iraq and was spending more time on the garage just looking and washing my fantasma "supra" than helping her with the kids and been with her, but the good thing is that she knew that my car has a lot of style and she loved the sound of the BOV. OMG I realy miss driving it with her on the highway with the top off. hey man try to spend a few more $$ on it "pocket change" and you will see what a beast you can drive and enjoy. My 2 centavos !!! .TAKE CARE SUPRA FRIEND !!!. Q

I wouldnt touch a Cobalt. And for the most part my plans were to keep the 7MGE stock. Yes, I am a little bent some jerk off told me I have to replace the entire power steering system and said 1900 with a straight face. The car barely books that with 195K, granted 60k on rebuild.

And as far as Hondas are concerned, I see them multiple times in top 10 on carcomplaints.com. There may be a myth about them that is not fully realized. Heck every honda I came across averaged 150K chassis and "rebuilt" motors and averaged 4-5K price.

to hell with honda "kill them all" I bought a Odyssei 2002 to my wife and after 2 weeks the trans went down. thanks God the dealer took it back and give me the SUV I used for trade in. STAY WITH THE SUPRA.

well.. I wont get an Odyssey past 1998 (the last year of the centre benches), but we have 6 kids.. and it suited us just fine. Never had an issue with the 96 other than the 104 HP was far too low. Any Honda I have owned has been dealer serviced. They didn't joke when they marketed the "dont open your hood to strangers".. they actually engineered it so that if you do.. your in trouble. I like the Odyssey, but not the newer ones. As for the rest.. the older Preludes kick nicely.. but their sub-bodies are very prone to rust. Wouldnt touch one.

Hijacking the thread, so I will add.. Supras are Supras. Rare and loved. Oddly enough, its the teens that will identify with them more than the 30+ group. However, even when I meet up with the old American car clubbers.. they still appreciate the car. It has that mix look between a vette and a modern car. Nice body styling and fast.

$$ means nothing to me.. all it does is slow my dream a bit. I keep all my bills, but I dont count how much I spend. I just do it as necessary. the car deserves it.

I had some of the same problems.. Make sure your battery terminals are good, if not buy new ones.. only like $5.. make sure your ground is connected and not rusty etc.. also on the drivers side kick panel.. make sure the whole panel is plugged in and all fuses are good, This is where I found my problem. The terminals were a previous problem.

grins
 

My point is we drive our Supras because we love them. Driving an SUV is like driving a truck and about as much fun. Looked at a new Cobalt and the thing was not only broken on the show room floor but rusting.
My Supra has been cleared for the weekend, soon the top will be off and the wind in my hair! Lousy tire dealer did not balance the new wheels correctly, jerks! Well this weekend will take a run down the mother road :)

all the trouble to end that it was wheel balance? does guys ain`t mecanics they are a bounch of :whateva:. Nice for you. I CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!:crazy2:

I was gonna do some country cruising with the top off this weekend, but I wont have my interior back together.. lol.. I am replacing the side louvres with brand spanking obscenely stupidly priced new ones.

it is cursed
 

Oh it is even better, the car has a drive shaft from a Ford. I ordered a rebuilt one but it will take time. Oh and there were a pair of oil puddles under her. Leaking from just under the intake manifold. The camshaft cover is not leaking :p and the power steering pump is not leaking. It must be fate!

hey i got a name for it , THE BLACK PEARL from pirates of the caribean. at least is almoust ready.

So I replaced the fuses on the drivers side, rechecked the fuses up front, and tested the battery. They are all good.

And yet the only thing that works are the front lights, the hazard lights, and the horn. Nothing else, not the dash, not the heat, not even the back tail lights.

I feel like a complete idiot, but where exactly is the starter, and how do I get to it? I tried running down the battery cable, but once it went under the engine I lost total track of it.

Also, the steering wheel is a pain to turn, I have to force it to move an inch. Could this be because of the alarm that someone mentioned earlier?

the starter is on the side of the engine. ware the bat sits. its kinda hard to get to but iv had to switch one out twice. the other thing i would check is the cables and connections to the bat i would even try a new alternator and when trying to get her started leave the bat on a charger so it doesn't drain. the two other things i would check out are the starter relay and the inanition switch. the replay is on the passenger side kick pan. if thoughts don't work i would check all your connections make sure there getting power. and as for the steering weal being a b*tch that is most likely your rack and pinion.

hope you figure out what the problem is!
Mike

help!!!
 

i have a problem with my 1991 supra as well. i juss recently ran into this problem too. every time i turn on my car and rev it the check engine light comes on and the car wont boost the way it should. it hapens everytime i turn on the car. any idea wat it could be???

ok first is dont post questions of your own on someone else thread. (but i would start with the throttle body then make sure ur getting fuel)

So here's an update.

I got all my electronics working. The problem was a wire with two paddles on the ends were used in place of a fuse, and the wire was broken. As long as it is pressed firmly down, it works perfectly.

Which brings me to the problems, I know my starter is locked up. But it also appears as if the fuel pump is messed too.

So yeah, money money money.

Yes.. but at least you know a couple warts are being taken care of. thats how I approach all my car fixes.. hehe.

at least its bringing you closer to fixing it! and trust me well worth the money when she's finished! specaly kicking the shit out of a 95 V6 camaro lol or a 92 corvette :grinking:

Wow this whole thread got so off topic and the OP did not get much of help.

Anyways, first off if the wire you are talking about is in the fuse panel under the hood that is how it is, they put a fuseable link wire in instead of a fuse, I don't know why seems like a bad idea. Anyways, the horn flashing and the horn going off is the alarm activating, on these cars they have a immobilizer alarm system built in. So if the alarm is activated, even if it turns off after the 2 mins of being on, it will shut off most of the systems of the car including the fuel pump and the starter. Sometimes when a battery is disconnected for a long time the alarm gets tripped hooking up power again.

Now with all that said your problem is the alarm is going off, you need to reset the alarm. To do this close the hood, hatch and both doors, lock the passenger door then the driver door with the key. The red light on the dash should come on solid. Wait for 20 seconds till the light starts to flash. Once its flashing unlock the driver door with the key. This will turn the alarm off which will allow the circuit opening relay to start working and give power to all the systems in the car. Now if you unlock the door with the key and the alarm turns back on or if the alarm does not go out when you lock the doors with the key that means you have a bad door lock sense switch which is attached to the back of the lock cyl in the door. It is a round thing with 2 wires coming out of it.

One problem you have is if the fuseable link wire was blown that probably means someone hooked up the battery backwards. So you may have other fuses blown, check the efi fuse in the driver kick panel that is one that usually goes when someone puts a battery in backwards along with some others.

GL on getting it working. I will be around now and then to hopefully help you fix it all if you have not all ready.

You will find that the parts are not cheap for this car.... I agree with META, it sounds like the alarm has you messed up. Electrical problems usally take more patience than money. Welcome to the club and we will do our best to help.

your right to sell your car.

Dont know who that was directed at.. lol. I believe the OP is going to tuff it out?

Just wondering.. has the engine ever turned over? Wondering if it is a seized situation.

Very little history, no pics, and your talking with limited knowledge of how to solve problems that can be more than just a single issue. There is an online TSRM (service repair manual) that you can look at as well with info in it (when you are trying to identify/locate things).

I read earlier on that the steering wheel was hard to turn. You are aware that its the power steering pump only functions while the engine is running? (Just asking because it sounds like you are turning the wheel with the engine not running.. and it wont turn easy. If the engine is running, the pump may not be putting out any pressure. Mine has the pump disconnected on my 87.. I can drive it.. but the steering is not an easy chore)

Just wondering if you are perhaps approaching the car repairs properly.
ie.. what are the fluid levels if the car has sat for along time. hose condition? wire condition? (cracked, dirty, clean... )

When asking for assistance, the more information you can provide, the better people can assist. Everyone is sitting behind a monitor without your car sitting in front of them. You can also see if there is anyone on the forums near you that can pop by and peek. An experienced person can give you a lot better advice standing in front of the car.

All worth a shot.