My ever faithfull 81 GL wagon has failed me for the first time EVER. All it does when I turn the key is make a "click" noise somewhere under the hood. I replaced the starter thinking it was the starter solenoid but it still does the same thing. The battery is 100% charged and all connections are good. It still only just clicks even with a 50amp boost from a battery charger.

Any thoughts ? Is there a solenoid or relay somewhere that may cause that problem ? If so, where might it be located ? (I don't have anyone else here right now so I can't really tell where the clicking is coming from.)

 

Thanks for any advice, Patrick

Had that happen to me before...

 

The crappy positive cable to the starter (they are alumnium) was nearly broken clean throught at the battery terminal.

 

Sometimes it's difficult to see. You might consider replacing the terminals on general principle. I've had two EA81's do this. Just replaced both terminals on my hatch too.

 

Use a hacksaw to cut the bad end off and replace the terminal with a new one. Dielectric grease is a good thing here, as well as those little felt pads that go under the terminals.

 

GD

Battery connections are the first step. Take the connectors off and clean up both surfaces - the battery terminals and the inside of the cables. A wire brush is really handy for it, but I usally use a screwdriver.

 

Otherwise, fusable links are the usual culprit. On most models it's on the passenger side. Check for corrosion, loose wiring etc. if not, somone with more know how than me will chime in soon.

If it were a fusible link, or the connection the link box, he would not get a click of the solenoid. He would get nothing at all.

 

Being that the solenoid clicks, his problem is one of two things:

 

1. Bad connections at the ground wire or the positive starter cable. And Ohmeter is no good here as the connection may go through, but may not be transfering enough amps.

 

2. Bad contacts in the solenoid itself. But he claims to have replace the starter. So he needs to check #1 first.

 

GD

I have taken each of the battery cables off and cleaned cleaned them and sanded them with sandpaper, I did this to both ends of each cable and reconnected.

It seems like it should be an easy fix,........ either a bad connection or a bad starter solenoid. But it is apparently neither of those problems.

This is starting to make me sad, as this is the first time EVER that I have had a problem with the car.

 

Patrick

You can check if the battery cable itself is bad using jumper cables. Attach the positive end to the positive battery terminal, the other to the link up on the starter. If it starts - bingo! Bad battery cable. Had it happen on my Explorer last winter.

It is not generally the battery terminal itself, or the cable *end*. It is the cable itself where it connects to the end - especially if the end has been replaced at some point with the silly lead one's. I hate those things. Always use the appropriate steel clamp cable ends whenever possible.

 

GD

Drop the plastic kick plate off the underside of the dash on the driver's side as well as the plastic cover under the steering column. Follow the wires from the ignition switch about 6 inches to the first plastic connector; it'll be either pink or white. One of wires in the connector carries the current to the starter relay; if there is a bad connection there it can cause the clicking you hear. A bad connection gets hot and turns that portion of the connector brown or black. The fix is easy if that's the problem: replace the ignition switch harness or butt splice around the bad connection to bypass it. It'll take you 5 minutes to check the connector; if it's not discolored, your problem is elsewhere. Good luck.

 

By the way almost all the ignition switch harnesses and connectors are the same for '80s and early '90s subys. Easy to find a good one at any junkyard; cheap too.

another quick test of the above problems

that I have not seen mentioned is

 

run a "hot lead" (piece of 14 AWG or so wire)

fom the battery positive terminal to the

small spade connector on the starter

 

If it cranks

you have two

easy options

1) install a "never fail" button

 

or

2) Add an aux. relay operated by the ignition switch

to operate the starter solenoid.

 

as such

My brat had the same problem and it was the starter switch. If you turn the key all the way it just clicks but if you turn the key very slowly in the spring forward part of the starting cycle mine would start it just fine but if I kept going it would seem to pass the conection in the switch and then the starter would just click. try moving the key forward very slowly to see if this is the problem. I got a new starter switch for about 15.00 bucks new.. Works just fine now.... Bret

Classic ignition switch issue.

 

Search *pushbutton*

Rarely do the ign. switches fail on EA81's. That's a classic EA82 problem.

 

The EA81 switches suffer from other ailments - some you have to not turn quite as far as another poster above noted. Some you have to pull the key out about 1/16" before they will turn. And sometimes the pink connector for the switch gets hot and burns the plastic.

 

But the EA82 classic bad switch or bad harness is rare - at least I haven't seen it on the dozen or more I've owned.

 

GD

GD makes a good point, as usual

 

I would like to add to his and Edrach's checking of

the connector under the coluum that houses the ignition

switch wires.

 

(pink or white) -I've only seen pink and saw what Ed mentions.

 

If allowed to go, it could fail completely

leaving you with no ignition switched components.

Finally a search revealed the picture I was looking for. Here's the link to the thread. As others have stated, this is a common problem on all the other '80's cars that seem to have intermittant starting problems. Looking at the connector doesn't take a long time and can eliminate lots of other un-necessary work and effort.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2856&d=1124597297

well done Sir ED!!

Porcupine73 would be proud

When I read the posting about the problem I too first thought about the connector under the dash going to the ignition switch. Get a test light probe to work on this so you can trace where voltage is getting to, and it isn't.