Hello! I am having a very difficult starting issue that I have not been able to track down. To start this has been happening for about 2 years I believe, owned for 4. I am also a master toyota mechanic and still it is kicking my butt.
It is an intermediate starting issue. Every once in a while under no specific circumstances, 1 outa 10 times I would guess, I get a starter click. Starter was replaced about a year ago and have bench tested recently with no issues, got good power to starter and signal wire is attached correctly. Good batt voltage and was replaced about a year ago as well. No voltage drop to starter. All easily well visible grounds are good. All fuses are good. Car will also always start just may take 100+ starter clicks. S2000 starters are non contact starters I believe so I wouldn’t think it’s the starter. Took push button off and don’t see any corrosion or any issues behind dash right now. I also do not have a good wiring diagram besides the all data one and need to invest or get sent a good Honda one. Clutch pedal grommets are still there. Battery terminals are new but no voltage drop. 115k miles. Running out of ideas. Are they any S2000 genius’s that can shoot some more ideas or send any starting wiring diagrams my way!!!

 

S2000 Wiring manual.

HTH,

Cjucl

 

Did you replace with brand new OEM starter?

 

no, rebuilt denso I believe

 

Question. Do you actually have that full 12.6v with no drop at starter, WHEN ISSUE IS OCCURRING?

I can imagine you troubleshooting this and measuring voltage at starter as someone is engaging starter, but guessing that was probably when working, not when issue happening.

 

When I was testing yesterday it was in the “acting up mode” and I still had 12.4 to starter. It’s the one click that doesn’t make sense. Unless the rebuilt starter already went bad. Which I don’t really wana shoot a oem starter if it’s not the issue

 

Who knows with aftermarket or rebuilds. Could be bad/dirtyworn/pitted commutator bars or brushes

 

found when car is starting I get 12v from ignition switch to connector, but when it acts up only 9v out of ignition switch. At both orange and black yellow wire, tells me it’s a bad ignition switch

 

But when getting only 9v out of ignition switch, what is voltage at battery?

I'm betting its also low there, issue being intermittently bad battery or bad cable.

It is unusual for battery to be intermittent, but not unheard of. Internal short that comes and goes. Basically one of battery cells shorts and its voltage is missing.

If it were ignition switch, relay wouldn't click. Power to starter doesn't go through ignition switch. It just makes relay click, and starter power goes through relay.

So if battery were 12v, but ign switch was only allowing 9v, you'd never hear relay clicking, as there wouldn't be enough juice to energize it.

 

battery has been replaced and did it before and after the new battery, the ignition switch has contacts in it being the “switch” part, if the switch inside isn’t seating all the way it could be causing me not to get enough voltage past it. And the power from the switch ends up at the signal wire of the starter. Which if it doesn’t have enough voltage there then the contacts in the starter don’t make enough contact to get the starter going. I get 12v at the starter power wire from battery, but not enough at signal wire every time. Did continuity to ground with signal wire and had good nothing out of ordinary, wasn’t able to test any shorts to ground anywhere. Need to do continuity test of ignition switch again and follow signal wire to ensure it’s ignition switch. But it’s somewhere in signal wire