bgoetz

So the past 2 times I have gone out to start my car after it has sat for a couple days, I get nothing when I push the button, not a sound. I release the clutch, turn the key back, and go back through the start up procedure (turn key, push in clutch, push button) several times with nothing, not a sound, and then it just fires right up. The first time I got the stuck starter sound bad, this time I didn't. So far the car will go on to start flawlessly the rest of the day. I have no clue what it could be, maybe the starter button itself?

windhund116

Connections to starter are clean and tight? Maybe a bad solenoid.

bgoetz

Yeah I am thinking it must be something along those lines. Hopefully just the connection, but if that were the case I am thinking it would happen randomly all of the time. The fact that it happens after sitting leads me to think the solenoid is sticking? Anyone know these starters well enough to have any input? How difficult is replacing the starter?

Edit: found the DIY, seems sorta difficult, but not awful. I do need to replace the clutch at some point so would it be easier to just wait and do it then?

bgoetz

Ok, I am not overly keen on just replacing the starter since they run ~$200, plus the screech is a normal S2000 thing, failure of starters does not seem normal. So after reading my course of action will be this:

1.)clean and check battery terminals (I doubt it is this, but never know).
2.)clean and check clutch switch (again doubtful but easy to do)
3.)clean and check started terminal (again doubtful but I will give it a go).
4.)smack starter with wrench (if it is something sticking maybe this will free things up)

Thoughts?

I will be sure to update with results, in case someone has this same issue in the future.

windhund116

Hope that it is simple connection contact issue(s). Good luck!

bgoetz

Thanks! Yeah me too, but any idea why it would only happen after sitting overnight if this were the case?

windhund116

The car needs the most current on cold starts. I would suspect that bad connections would manifest themselves under those conditions.

jkelley

Failure of a starter is common enough that all of the major parts stores (advance auto, autozone, etc) all carry them and recore them. I think it's more common that you think.

bgoetz

I am sure your right, but I bet that starter isn't specific to just the S2000.

So, I checked everything out, cleaned the terminals, and noticed that the positive wasn't really able to get really tight. I added a washer which helped snug it down better and the car actually seemed to start better. So maybe that was the issue, or I at least hope because that dang starter is buried, I could hardly see it from above let alone do anything to it!!

windhund116

I would either go for a long drive or charge the battery with a charger. To get the thing back to full charge.