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In April I bought myself a very clean '02 AP1 with 79k miles on it.
The car currently has 83k on it (yes I have put that many miles on it so quickly cause it's just so awesome ) and it started to develop an intermittent starting issue. I would turn the key all the way on, hit the start button, hear a click and some light humming like there is electricity being sent somewhere and then nothing would happen. I figured it wasn't the battery considering that everything works. The headlights, radio, A/C, top, everything. I can do everything on the car except start it. I have tested the battery and the alternator multiple times and they are not the source of the problem. I have had to bump start the car a couple of times to get it home and once its running, its fine, no warning or check engine lights, its as if nothing is amiss. I have shut the car off after having bump started it, fearful of not being able to get it going again but it starts back up 98% of the time, the one time it didn't start right back up, I poked the starter solenoid and then it started right up. So I figured it was the starter that was causing the issue. I would give it a few taps and then the car would start, so I bought a new starter and installed it yesterday with the use of addiction2boost's very helpful thread. I re-installed everything as it should be, nothing looked damaged or broken and as soon as I go to fire it up, the same issue, it will not start. The only thing that I can think of now is that it is either the start button itself has gone bad, the clutch position switch has gone bad, OR there is some other electrical issue somewhere inside the car.
I cannot think of any other sources that the issue could be originating from, I am just lost at the moment and I don't want to start tearing into it again when I am not even sure what the issue is. I just need to be pointed in the right direction, any and all help is very much appreciated. Thanks!!
Well, you have already eliminated the most expensive and difficult to replace component so you know it's not that. Bad guess.
If you assuredly jumper out the clutch interlock switch, and the car starts every time after that then the problem is there. It is either in the switch or the connections.
If sometime during the troubleshooting process you forget to press the clutch and the car lurches forward when you hit the start button, then again, you have found the source of your problem (you forgot to press the clutch).
Use a similar technique to troubleshoot the start switch. Remove the switch and check the wire connections at the terminals. Clean them and replace. Or, since you're not disinclined to spend money on it, just go ahead and replace the switch as they are not that expensive.
Use a similar troubleshooting process for other parts of the circuit. Check the schematic but I think there may be one or more relay contacts along the way. I've never really looked at it that closely. There may also be the odd connector in the wiring harness.
How did you test the battery? Under load or checked the voltage? Can you jump start the car?
-- Chuck
I checked it both under load and voltage, have not tried jump starting it but considering that everything else works just fine without hesitation I do not think that the battery is the problem
Last edited by rdgracer96; Aug 25, 2019 at 11:49 AM.
UPDATE: I checked all the fuses and relays, and made sure they were all functioning properly, problem was not there. Double checked the start switch and clutch switch. I then went back and double checked the starter itself. I found that the tiny little fork connector on top that plugs into the solenoid was not situated properly and was loose in between the metal connector it is supposed to be plugged into and the plastic shroud surrounding it. It just needed a slight pinch and then needed to be slid on properly to the metal connector itself. Once I slightly pinched it to ensure a solid fit, it slid right on and I heard a nice solid click. Car is totally fine now. Which leads me to believe that the same connector wasn't installed correctly on the last starter (found a date of replacement on it 3/29/19 which is almost exactly 3 weeks before I bought it), at then end of the day I did all that work for nothing, but I definitely learned that you gotta double check the smallest of things. I panicked for nothing. Thank you guys for the assistance!!!
AP1 Won't Start - Possibly Electrical Issue
) and it started to develop an intermittent starting issue. I would turn the key all the way on, hit the start button, hear a click and some light humming like there is electricity being sent somewhere and then nothing would happen. I figured it wasn't the battery considering that everything works. The headlights, radio, A/C, top, everything. I can do everything on the car except start it. I have tested the battery and the alternator multiple times and they are not the source of the problem. I have had to bump start the car a couple of times to get it home and once its running, its fine, no warning or check engine lights, its as if nothing is amiss. I have shut the car off after having bump started it, fearful of not being able to get it going again but it starts back up 98% of the time, the one time it didn't start right back up, I poked the starter solenoid and then it started right up. So I figured it was the starter that was causing the issue. I would give it a few taps and then the car would start, so I bought a new starter and installed it yesterday with the use of addiction2boost's very helpful thread. I re-installed everything as it should be, nothing looked damaged or broken and as soon as I go to fire it up, the same issue, it will not start. The only thing that I can think of now is that it is either the start button itself has gone bad, the clutch position switch has gone bad, OR there is some other electrical issue somewhere inside the car. 
