HEEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP No Starter Function!

[Sock Monkey]

OK I took the 2006 Mazda 3 out today and it won't start. It's been having some laboured starts when it's cold recently causing me to THINK about the battery but it's not to that point yet. Today it started just fine and drove 10km to the store and when I came out, nothing. Turn the key on and the entire electrical package comes on. Radio, wipers, bright dash lights, etc. etc. Door chime is OK. No problem but, there is absolutely no response to the key / starter system. No slow starter, no grinding, I don't even remember that the dash lights dim or anything. Just no starter. So, I boosted it. It made no difference. The battery seems OK but no starter.

So, is there a starter relay or starter fuse I should be looking at?

Thanks for any help.

Monkey

[Flagrum_3]

Take it to a shop and have your system and components checked. Battery is probably toast.



_3

[jeff7670]

Could easily be the starting motor. Give it a good wack, it is just on the front.

[Sock Monkey]

Yeah, I'll have a dig around. Look for a bad connection on the starter or whatever. I don't see how it could be the battery if boosting didn't help.

[Sock Monkey]

OK, got up this morning and it started so I had a chance to load test it. 12.4 volts cold. Drops down to around 7 or 8 while cranking and pops back up to 11-12 area. I think it's pooched. Also, it's a clear body Panasonic battery so I think it's original to the car. Not bad, 12 years out of a battery.

Thanks for your help.

[McGuyver_3]

Long time known issue, the trigger wire for the starter corrodes and caused no crank situations. Pull the splash shield and check the connector. Doesn’t necessarily need to be corroded. Take some sand paper and scrub the terminals. Happened on mine when I changed the transmission

[Sock Monkey]

I'll look at that when it quits snowing. I have my battery tender on it but I think something is wonky with the battery tender. It's supposed to be yellow light until charged and then red light for charged. This just goes yellow light for about a second when plugged in and then they all go off. It could also be the bad battery too. Before I get too worried about it I will check that starter trigger wire as you suggested McGuyver. Thanks.

[Sock Monkey]

The saga continues. I charged the battery fully. Drove it for an hour, stopped and it wouldn't start. Turn on the key, the dash lights light up just fine. Headlights are on nice and bright. Hit the starter and the LCD radio display goes out of course but all dash lights stay on nice and bright. Fuel pump buzzes for a second or so and stops. Turn the key, no starter. My pal thought he might hear a bit of a clicking. We hooked up the booster cables, nothing. As McGuyver suggested, I had already removed both wires from the starter, high power lead and the trigger wire. Cleaned contacts and replaced with dilectric grease on them. With the car boosted, nothing. I turned on the key and tried it about 15 times in a row, just bouncing it against the switch spring thinking I might hear a clicking. My pal said "Come out here and listen" so I got my head down, he jumped in and hit the switch and it started just like that.

Brought it home and did another drawdown test on the battery and it was fine but I bought a new battery. It doesn't work.

Is there a starter relay anywhere on these or do the starters have a bendix like the old ones did? There seems to be an inconsistency in the starter switching circuit because when it does decide to start, it's a good strong crank.

[McGuyver_3]

This is starting to sound more and more like a bad starter in general. If you have a friend with you when it doesn’t want to start, try tapping the the starter. Generally that will make it work. That’s the easiest test before overthinking this

[Sock Monkey]

I could easily see that. I will try the tappy test. Can they be unstuck if that's the problem or do they generally need replacing?

[McGuyver_3]

At work I've always replaced them, never tried fixing one before.
On the 3, for about 80$ used (based on pricing +/- 9 years ago) and 20 minutes worth of time for instal, I didn't think twice. Might want to check what a new one is worth as well. Prices should have definitely dropped since then

[Shawn]

Maybe bad commutator in the starter. I had similar with older car.

[Sock Monkey]

TAP TAP,,,,,,,,,,,, ZOOM! ZOOM! Off to Lordco tomorrow for a $73.00 starter.

[Sock Monkey]

Including tax, $166 for the new starter and that's after they refunded me for the core. I thought that was a lot of money. I have to say that if I had spindly little girl arms with about 3 elbows on each one and eyes on my finger tips the job would have gone a lot easier. Still, it's in and working.

Thanks for the help.

[McGuyver_3]

166 is cheap. We have a few that range upwards of 600$ Lol
Glad it’s all working