Tell you fella's what.
 

Last sunday afternoon,
I finished the engine install. Now I thought about everything through this build before I even finger tightened a bolt. Then I double checked everything as to make sure it was good to go before tightening.

I add and change fluids. I get in and turn the key and everything is working. wipers, fuel pumps buzzing, ac was on it was blowing. The battery gauge is max'd out. Windows, sunroof. It all works. So the problem isn't the battery or any of it's connections.

I turn the key further and the hum of the fuel pump turns into a dull buzz and the engine won't even crank. I tried and tried.

No gas in the combustion chamber. I am under the impression that there wouldn't be sinse it didn't turn. I bought a brand new starter from toyota.
I did everything I could do to insure the engine would atleast crank and it won't. This is my worst case scenario. Because it could be 1 in 20 things.

I am open to any ideas or suggestions especially if they save me from tearing the air intake off to pull the starter. The last thing I want to do is just that and end up with it testing good. I guess I am second guessing my self. I know what I think it may be.

I need more opinions because I am bound to be over looking something small.
The engine should have cranked. I even made the time to put molly on every bolt that went in. I'm stumped.

Thank you all.

Did you remember to Plug that one wire from the engine wiring harness to the starter?

Have someone listen under the hood when you turn the key and see if they hear the plunger in the starter silinoid close if it is not closeing then it isnt getting juice. Then I would check the easy stuff like getting a volt meter and checking the fuse and fusable link to see if there is juice there. Because if you know you tightened the cable on the starter and it is new it is very unlikely that it is bad. Also I remeber running into this problem before when I put my 1JZ in I forgot to check the ground on the battery if it isnt tight then all of your stuff in the electrical will work but then when you try to start nothin and sometimes you will lose all of your lights inside. Just giving you a few things to think of I would hate to see you pull the intake to see that the startr was good.

Alright. See I didn't try the head lamps. But There were lights inside although it was daytime..., I do not recall the dash being lit. I think I got the batt cables pretty tight. Without stressing them but I'll put some nut on it this time and hope not to strip it out.

Mean while I'm going to check my grounds. I have 3 of them that were supposed to go behind the vsv. I'm going to relocate those to the block. I don't like where I have them.

It's just me so I guess I'll have the wife start it. Cause she doesn't know what the hell she's listening to as far as the starter goes.

My starter had a plug from the harness and a single ground connect I assumed it was. I'm going to wrestle in there and try to get my hand on it.
I'm sure it's good but there is a shot, so I'll scope and hope it's that simple.

Thanks for the help Gents.

there are times where you will get just plain and simple a bad starter and just have to get a new one. if you're getting power to the starter and everything is connected.. just take it back to toyota and get a new one. that could be your problem.

I'm aware of that but I'm going to check anything and everything first. before I start tearing things apart.

I'm going to check my fuses as well. I'm going to borrow a volt meter.

i had this problem, new battery cables and it fired right up.

take jumper cables and hook them from the battery to the starter and that should crank the engine to see if the starter works.

Yeah, it could still be a bad wire/connection.

I agree it could still be a bad wire connection.

Check the brown and white wires that bolt to the lower intake manifold.

Do you remember if you put those back on?

I don't recall any brown or white wires. I have a black ground wire on that side up near the top of the firewall. But I will be sure to look for them.

Thanks again fellas. I appreciate everyones time and your posts.

She's a manual. It's taken me a solid year of research to know wich parts I wanted and to get them and get it put back together. I am in no hurry to tear it apart. I will be approaching this with the utmost of caution.

Lol supra + maintenance doesnt equal caution. Everything is so close together you cant be safe and little Japanesse people can get their arms in there I still have trouble. You think your 7M is bad just try to get to the alternator in a 1J good lord it is in a bad spot hope I have to never change it but I know I just jinxed myself. I had to retap threads in my power steering box and to get to that I almost pulled the motor again.

Well. Atleast i am not alone in this on. thanks for that. Very motivating.

hey supramacist......you mention there is a ground on the starter....well. ther is not supposed to be one.

1.st.....there should be only two wires going to the starter, a big one and a small one.

the big one feeds a constant battery power to the starter, the litle one comes from the ignition switch and is only a battery signalm that comes on only when the ignition is turned to crank and you have your clutch fully pushed down...
easy way to check for this is to get a test light and check for constant power at the big wire....if it does then check power on the small wire when someone tryies to start the supra....it should come on, and go off as soon as they let off the key.

By the way.. the starter grounds it self through the bell housing or the motor,so make sure you have all grounds to the tranny and the motor fullly secured and that the starter is securelly fitted to the tranny.
good luck.......oh.....and check and see if you didnt brake that knock sensor behind the starter....it very easy to do when tightening the top starter bolt.... good luck

ok so does the starter turn? you didnt say you heard something or nothing? tells us what your heard

I got in the car. I turned the key and the dash came to life and I could hear the fuel pump hummm. I turned the key and the fuel pump went to a dull buzzz and nothing happened.

Disconnect the wiring to the starter. Now that we're sure it won't crank if someone tries, have oyur wife hop in and turn the ignition over while you test the solenoid's wire for voltage. If you get voltage it's either the solenoid, the starter or the starter's feed.

If you don't get any voltage there test the circuit on the other side of the starter relay. If there no voltage there, follow the wire back.

If the feed side of the starter relay's swith has voltage then you need to check the following: starter relay coil's ground, theft deterrant module, clutch start switch and the coil's + supply.

http://www.cygnusx1.net/Supra/Librar...=Main&Page=038

YA.


That's what I was afraid of.

Alright. I went over the cr with the voltmeter today and everything is as it should be.

I jacked the car up and found a connect about 6 inches long coming from the transmission. I had the male end in the wrong place. And I found the plug that I didn't know went to the starter. The tsrm insisted there was one.

Well now the starter is hot and clicking but won't spin the flywheel. So I have a new one on the way from toyota. I have a buddy with small arms that can remove the starter without having to disconnect the air intake.

Praise ye the lord. I'll know more when I get the new starter in and installed. The car should fire then. Everything is where it should be.

Can't wait to get the walbro pumping and see what I have done here come to life. I still have to get a new hatch glass put in asap. And then the eibacks and tokico's. We should be good. I hope.

Excellent!!! You sure your battery has enough juice to turn the starter over? I'd just hate to see you get a new one in there and it does the same thing.

The battery was peaking out at 12.2/3 Under load was pulled to 11.5

I'm sure the battery is good. It's the optima red top 6 pack style. This battery is soooooo the shit. I highley recomend you gents getting your hands on one.

It's kind of like ARP hardware for your electrical system.

edit: I'll be taking this new starter to a parts house and having it tested before I install it. I will probably have the one I remove tested as well before I relenquish it as a core. Something janky is a foot and I intend to to snuff it out.

I'm ready to hear this biotch growel.

I took the volt meter to everything today. It has to be the bendix in the starter. It is nothing else. It's all as it's supposed to be. We'll see. This crapolla never goes as we want it too.

I'd give it a thorough charge and then try again.


Don't get me started on Optimas.

EDIT: If you really want a wicked battery look into the DieHard Platinum. They're deep cycle like the blue top Optima, are far better built and have a higher reserve capacity, CA and CCA than the same size Optima... by the way, both are manufactured by the same company: Johnson Controls.

NO. let's get you started on optimas. tell me what you know that I do not.

It's the shit battery bro. I mean that was with the engine lugging it down.
That's not bad but it could use a charge.

I mean my engine is dead. It's all stopping at the starter.
That's a walbro fuel pump pulling on it as well. it's not the strongest battery in the series. I'm digg'n it like a grave cat daddy. It's so damned pretty.

Hey if it works for you that's great. I just replaced mine after a year of use and a refused warranty claim... it would still hold 60% of a charge after a couple hours, so it's "fine". It won't even start my '71 Super Beetle. I know a few people who've had them fail.

I really don't think they're the worst thing out there, but they're MILES from being called "the best" much less "better".

I won't go filling the forum with poorly remembered info. Do a search on Google. There was a good automotive electronics site which had a huge thread full of info and pics of dissected bad batteries (all types) and explanations of what the source of failure was. The issues here are the very thin electrodes and the volume of electrolyte. Basically, they're demanding a large yield from components that are, if anything, weaker than those of conventional batteries.

Of course talking to JetJock only served to ingrain my dislike for that big gray with red top doorstop presently sitting in my dad's garage... I've even got to pay to get rid of that lump. Of course, Sears would have disposed of it when I bought my new battery, but I thought hey, I've got a car with almost no electronics that needs a (sealed) battery... well after a few hours off the charger it won't even start that tiny VW engine. I figure when I get ready to sell the Bug, I'll head over to Optima central (they're HQed here in CO) and try one last time to get it replaced.

Damn that sucks. Why did you tell me to get the optima.??????? lol

kidding.

But seriously. I pulled the starter today or my small armed friend did with my help, as it were. And the damn thing tested good. We pulled the starter relay and metered it as well. Looked good on the volt meter.

I am stumped.