fury

Last night I drove to a store. Car was running fine. Parked at the parking lot, and went into the store. Stayed there for maybe half hour. I come out, get in my car, turn the key, and the car cranks like 3 or 4 times (normal. usually at the a the 5th crank the engine will turn over), and then dies. I thought, "dead battery??? WHAT??". So I turn the key again, and this time all I hear is like 1 big half crank or click, whatever you wanna call it. You know the fast rapid clicking when you're battery doesn't have enough power? Well, it's not that kind of click. It's more or a half crank. The more times I do it, the quieter this half-crank sounds.

I have a portable battery. Got that out, tried to start the car, same half-crank. Cleaned the battery posts, still nothing. I even disconnected the battery (+) and (-) cables from the battery, and connected them directly to my portable battery. Same half-crank.

This guy here seems to have had the same problem as me:

http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=732358

Could this be my starter or solenoid? Any ideas? I also want to take a look at the starter, but some people say you access it from the top (beneath your intake manifold) on top of your transmission, others say you access it from below??


[EDIT] PROBLEM SOLVED!
Answering my own question for others:



This positive cable was loose (the bolt wasn't fully tightened). The main positive cable was fully tightened to the (+) battery post, but the one in the picture, which in my care bolts on top of it as you can see, was loose.

What does this cable control? I now know that it controls the starter/solenoid lmao.gif Does it control anything else?

What a good feeling to finally hear my baby crank again smile.gif I paid $80 on a tow because of a loose cable which wasn't the main one that attaches to the battery post!! Geez! You'd think that Hyundai would make such an important cable connect DIRECTLY to the battery post. I always thought that this was for some auxiliary (lower priority) connection.

Lastly, can anyone tell me exactly where the starter is? I'm glad my problem wasn't the starter, but I hadn't been able to find it.

Stocker

The starter has its own (metric equivalent of) 4AWG wire going straight to it.

The starter is immediately under the intake manifold on the back of the engine. The transmission has a little hump on the bellhousing where the starter mounts. You are looking for a cylinder a bit larger than a frozen juice can. It is a PITA to get at from above or below.

fury

THANKS, Stocker!! fing02.gif

I wasn't able to find it, but I'll try again. I'm persistent in finding it because I know that sooner or later I'll eventually need to. Is it easier to see it from below or above (or same)?

Stocker

It's easier to see with the engine out of the car. Otherwise the view is obstructed. The IM covers the entire top side, and the intake tract covers the driver/top side view Underneath, it's hiding behind steering gear, sway bar, and shadows. If you actually just want to SEE it, look from the passenger side of the engine bay, between the strut tower and the intake manifold. If you have a long, triple-jointed arm, you could unbolt it through that hole.