Davalos

Pretty sure you have all of the wiring in place already - you might want to check that.

Mine bounced like a basketball when I 1st got it. Boing boing boing ... I could hit a bump at the beginning of the block, and still be bouncing by the end of the block. it was actually, kinda funny.

Okay ... next test then .... Load this baby-up, fill'er up. Sandbags, Rck Salt, whatever it takes. See if you can get it to visually sag. Then do your past 40mph test. See if she bottoms out or stops making noise...

If it comes to that ... I was VERY amazed at how easy it was to reaplace the rear struts ... Took me like all off 15 minutes.

Ahhh ... that explains "AT Only" ... Thanks!

Okay, so putting in a relay ... Here is the wiring diagram from the FSM: What is the inhibitor switch? ...

Okay - process of elimination ... With the car cold, slip some carpet padding, old blankets, or whatever you can stuff in there above the pipe between the pipe & the body - anything to keep the exhaust from knocking directly with the body. Then jump up & down & see if you get the same thing.

Sit in the back seat and have someone else drive. It'll add some weight & get you closer. Go over bumps, shift/lurch, etc. Then YOU should jump up & down to make the struts earn their pay ...

So ... a check light ... yes? Actually, that's a really good idea. I shouldda thunk it.

Okay, well, it looks like I'm junk-yardin' this weekend. It's SO weird! Ever since I put the new starter in, about once a week, I sit-down, pop the key-in, turn it, and I get "click". I’m in a stick, so I push-start it no problem. I'll do this for like 2-3 days, and then POW! Out-of-the-Blue, it starts right up. This will last a week, maybe. Sometimes 3 days, maybe 2. Then (usually once I get cocky enough to parallel park. I’ve double-checked all my connections from the battery to the starter and the block, plus the terminal @ the starter, and it all seems tight. Continuity test was fine on the battery cable(s), so I’m thinking it’s the lead-set coming out of the firewall – the one with about 54,091 other wires in the harness that are equally wrapped, corrugated, taped, clipped, zip-stripped, etc. Do I need to operate on this clump of wiring & pull it all apart & then mount the relays there on the firewall? Or should I put it under the dash? Never done one of these before...

Bump. Sound like there's a couple people waiting to hear how it goes ...

Bump ... Rattle Rattle Rattle C'mon, Dude - what's the verdict? We're dyin' over here. We're holdin' hands getting ready to start singin' "nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah Hey hey ... goodBYE!" hehe

I'm still waiting to hear if Daeron is right ...

You can have your battery tested at the same place that tested the alternator.

Drumroll, please ....

Yeah - This board Rules. Like I said - very similar thing happend to me a couple weeks ago, and then the folks chimed-in, they were right on the button.

Yeah, and then you'll join the club of DORKS like me who spent like 3 months looking for cheap fusible links because he couldn't stomach the thought of spending $16 bucks for the black one (which is the one that fries) at the dealer. It was a matter or principal.

Some possibilities: I know you said you've checked, but I'm still voting exhaust ... not just up/down or side-to-side - try forward-back. You might be surprised. Try driving with the hatch propped open with a towel or something soft. Same thing with the rear doors. You've looked @ Struts? Do you have something to record it with? ...

Wow - that's awesome. I have no idea how much something like that's worth ... certainly more than it'd cost to make - you're certainly got some value-added parts here ...

Do you have a Pep-Boy's, NAPA, Murray's, whatever place around you that will test your alternator for free? I was surprised how simple it was, and how detailied the report they gave to me. The place where I got it sold me a Bosch 60Amp for like $55 bucks, plus core. I was done in an hour.

Sounds to me like the alternator. In this thread, I describe something very similar - this happened a couple weeks ago. The feedback I got was that it was the diodes ... It it is the alternator, what you describe would make sense that the car would start when you JUMP it, and then die quickly one you dieconnect. It means the battery hasn't been getting a charge for awhile. Back in June, I lost my belts more than an hour away from home, I still got home on only battery power (no lights, blower, or stereo). If the battery has been dead for awhile, you might try a trickle-charger overnight and then start it without jumping it. But that's only a fix if the alternator is good. 2 really fast things you can do: Take your nrw battery back & have it tested. You said you had it replaced already, but it's remotely possible that a) it's not a good one, or the connections are bad and you're not getting battery juice to the system. Did you try scrubbing out the connections? My connector to the battery is axtually 2-part connector - something i've not seen before - there are 2 places to clean & make sure the connections are tight - right at the terminal. There is also a good-sized lug on the engine block under the spare you can get to - make sure that's tight & clean. Take you starter out and have it tested. It's fast, it's free, and $60 bucks and an hour later you can put it in yourself. In my Chilton's manual, I saw a way to rebuild these things - but that's more skill than I have.

Do these things have a vacuum manifold?...

Double-Shot on the Murphy's Oil Soap plug. I don't know why it works so well, but it does. I don't know if it soaks into the plastic or what. 2 other things: If you can get your hands on an ozone generator - plug it in there & leave it overnight. Then crank up the blower full-blast for 15 minutes or so. Probably not a good idea to stay in there while to do it. Another one - there are enzymatic cleaners out there, whch are amazing (for carpets, etc. Spray it on, let it sit for awhile (4-6 hous, depending on the strength) then wipe it away/extract. It's remarkable.

I can't believe I just quoted myself, hehe! That's me eating my own words, maybe? It's weird. I would say 1 in 10 times, when I go to start with the new starter, I get just "click". No rhyme or reason to it, as far as I can tell. I have been parking on inclines just in case, but I can't find anything wrong. Looked at the wires, checked the connections, and all power is up elsewhere. Overnight, warm, cold, no real pattern that I can spot. Time to get that circuit mod going, eh? Will any old relay do?

I think it's "Rolling on the Floor Laughing my Head Off" There are many places to find these - Here is one.