1994 won't start when hot
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
1994 won't start when hot
So this has been giving me enough trouble I thought it deserved it's own post. I've had 2 shops tell me the reason my car won't start when hot is because the starter is getting too hot. I'm attempt to fix this I have wrapped the headers on that side, put a starter heat shield blanket on it, and today instilled a painless performance remote solenoid and mounted it by the passenger side headlight away from any heat but the issue still persists. What's the next step? Should I buy a new starter and see if that does it ?
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,157
Likes: 554
From: Glenbeulah Wi
The remote solenoid will not do anything, you should probably remove it since it adds in another item that can fail. When it will not start you should check and see if there is 12 volts at the starter motor terminal of your solenoid, the one opposite of the main battery terminal. If there is the starter motor is shot, if not the solenoid is shot. This will help you determine the correct fix. I am making an assumption that power is being supplied to the s terminal on the solenoid in both conditions when you are trying to start.
Last edited by bjankuski; Sep 24, 2021 at 07:33 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 6,940
Likes: 1,490
From: New Jersey
I've used the remote solenoid on older vehicles. When hot the voltage to the starter side of the solenoid was just too low to crank. I would see like 8 volts or something crazy low like that. Getting the wiring away from the heat keeps it at 10.5 or 11 which is enough to engage a relay. Anything newer than like early 70s and I've never had to do it however.
I agree with the above post. If the solenoid is energizing and you have no crank, bad starter. But you shouldn't need a remote setup on that.
I will also say the starter heat blankets do help keep heat out for a while but eventually they also help hold that heat in too. The sealed compartment on our cars makes it hard not to heat everything up eventually. Especially if you're running that hot.
I agree with the above post. If the solenoid is energizing and you have no crank, bad starter. But you shouldn't need a remote setup on that.
I will also say the starter heat blankets do help keep heat out for a while but eventually they also help hold that heat in too. The sealed compartment on our cars makes it hard not to heat everything up eventually. Especially if you're running that hot.
Last edited by 84 4+3; Sep 24, 2021 at 08:24 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4,754
Likes: 1,642
From: Fairfax Virginia
I had the same issue with a different engine.
Do you have any kind of "Timing Control" on the engine? If you could pull 15-20* of timing when cranking it would spin much easier. I ended up putting an MSD Digital Retard Box that allowed me to pull up to 20* of timing while cranking. This really helped my original starter. It reverts the timing back at 600-800 rpm and you are off and running.
Ultimately I ended up installing a Gear Drive Starter and that with the timing being pulled back makes it "Crank like a Chrysler". The gear drive is the solution if you have a starter that doesn't tolerate heat. I have the same starter I put on it back in 1992.
Do you have any kind of "Timing Control" on the engine? If you could pull 15-20* of timing when cranking it would spin much easier. I ended up putting an MSD Digital Retard Box that allowed me to pull up to 20* of timing while cranking. This really helped my original starter. It reverts the timing back at 600-800 rpm and you are off and running.
Ultimately I ended up installing a Gear Drive Starter and that with the timing being pulled back makes it "Crank like a Chrysler". The gear drive is the solution if you have a starter that doesn't tolerate heat. I have the same starter I put on it back in 1992.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
I had the same issue with a different engine.
Do you have any kind of "Timing Control" on the engine? If you could pull 15-20* of timing when cranking it would spin much easier. I ended up putting an MSD Digital Retard Box that allowed me to pull up to 20* of timing while cranking. This really helped my original starter. It reverts the timing back at 600-800 rpm and you are off and running.
Ultimately I ended up installing a Gear Drive Starter and that with the timing being pulled back makes it "Crank like a Chrysler". The gear drive is the solution if you have a starter that doesn't tolerate heat. I have the same starter I put on it back in 1992.
Do you have any kind of "Timing Control" on the engine? If you could pull 15-20* of timing when cranking it would spin much easier. I ended up putting an MSD Digital Retard Box that allowed me to pull up to 20* of timing while cranking. This really helped my original starter. It reverts the timing back at 600-800 rpm and you are off and running.
Ultimately I ended up installing a Gear Drive Starter and that with the timing being pulled back makes it "Crank like a Chrysler". The gear drive is the solution if you have a starter that doesn't tolerate heat. I have the same starter I put on it back in 1992.
Okay I put a new starter in today and drove it got back and tried to start it again and it wouldn't crank I don't know what else to do really. I'll look into the timing thing but idk if I can do that with the OBD1 computer or not. I'm running out of ideas here
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
I'm going to see if maybe the starter isn't getting full voltage cold and is just barely starting, and maybe then it should start not but it's getting even lower than it normally would and thats why
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 189
Likes: 73
From: Christiansburg Va
What shape is your battery in? Does it start ok when its cold? Take a really good look at the battery cables, they can corrode on either end up inside the insulation. The ground cable connection to the engine should be checked too. If your not the original owner someone may have replaced the cables with a smaller gauge.
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
What shape is your battery in? Does it start ok when its cold? Take a really good look at the battery cables, they can corrode on either end up inside the insulation. The ground cable connection to the engine should be checked too. If your not the original owner someone may have replaced the cables with a smaller gauge.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
What shape is your battery in? Does it start ok when its cold? Take a really good look at the battery cables, they can corrode on either end up inside the insulation. The ground cable connection to the engine should be checked too. If your not the original owner someone may have replaced the cables with a smaller gauge.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
Here is a new one, I have pushed the car a few times now but last night it really was not a fan. I was on the highway going the speed limit with clutch in after a quick pull and tried to slow down a little and noticed the brakes felt weird, I then see the the red battery light is on, I release the clutch and the light goes away and brakes come back to normal. From that point on whenever the clutch is full depressed the engine idle would drop so I had to be very quick shifting, it also made this weird noise the last like inch or two of being put in. When I got home I put the clutch in for a few seconds and it just turned the car off and it wouldn't even turn over. This morning I go out and try and start it and it turns over very slow but then starts. The clutch is still doing the same thing but it's not killing the car just dropping the idle by about half.
What are the chances this is all related to the battery cable
I'm going to stop today and get a new one here in a few hours and test it all out.
What are the chances this is all related to the battery cable
I'm going to stop today and get a new one here in a few hours and test it all out.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
Did some digging and it looks like my pivot stud probably has come loose, the sound isn't as loud as in some videos of it I've seen but perhaps it just hasn't come as loose
Last edited by Alejandro Guerrero; Sep 25, 2021 at 10:04 AM.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,157
Likes: 554
From: Glenbeulah Wi
More then likely the clutch issue was causing your starting issue. It appears the clutch is putting quite a load on the starter and engine so maybe this problem was existing for awhile it this caused the slow cranking and hard starting?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 399
Likes: 37
From: Kansas City Metro Area, Missouri
It'll be interesting to see if that was the problem, I hadn't noticed the clutch fork making the noise of it hitting the pressure plate until that Friday night but perhaps until then it just wasn't loud enough for me to hear over the car.