97 Geo Metro Starting Problem, very unique, please help!

Hello,

Okay I looked through the forums and I was only able to find one thread that was even similar to my problem. It was Wont Start Problem. Suggestions?

I have a 95 Geo Metro, but a 97 engine. The engine finally died about two years ago so we replaced it with a very new, but salvaged 97 engine. It was the same style 1.3 liter, 4 cyl engine. It worked great for about a year and then we had starting problems. The car would not start it would just make a clicking sound, but it would jumpstart. It started happening when the weather got hot. We checked the starter, battery, alternator and everything was fine. Finally we took it in to get the electrical checked. The shop said that it was cause by defective alarms (1 that was factory installed but disabled, and a newer one that I currently had turned off, both with kill switches). They remove the alarms and the car worked great for about 6 months.

Starting about 6 months ago, very rarely the car would not start again! Now that it is hotter it wont start all the time. We found that the battery was completely dead and we replaced it and it worked great for a week. But a couple of days ago it started acting funny again. Now when I try to start it, it loses temporary connection with the battery, but cables and battery are ok, and it wont jumpstart either? We have checked the starter and that is fine, battery is brand new. What else could it be? The car still makes a clicking sound, and you do hear some humming noise, and all the power turns on, but nothing!

Please help, I would love to listen to any suggestions that you might have. This is our only car and my husband and I both work and have 1 child and another one on the way. I dont know what else to do, but take it back to the shop that worked on it before and have them temporarily fix it just so we can get by for the next 6 months. This is got us totally perplexed.

Thanks for the help!

"Doesn't crank" type problems should be easier to find than "will not fire" or "runs rough" type problems. Battery (and alternator to keep it charged) and the starter are the two main components for cranking. When you said that it "wont jumpstart" and that " loses temporary connection with the battery" makes me wonder if you need to change both battery cables (+ & -) and clean the connections at both ends when you do.

Intermittent problems can be a bear to find and often results in replacing components until it works.

Agreed, most likely a wiring problem. I replaced my + cable from the battery to the starter with an 8ga amplifier cable. Then changed the ground from the distributor to the firewall with the same kind of wire. Also, on the back of the starter, make sure the 2nd wire(just plugs into the back with a blade terminal) is in good shape. If that is worn, or loose, the solenoid will never get power.

Check the alternator HOT terminal for clean, good and tight connection. If not perfect, it'll run just enough to fool you into thinking its' OK, but it'll run down the battery in a day or so. Replace end terminal with heavy guage. After running awhile, stop and check alternator HOT terminal for excessive heat, if so, thats your problem.

Hello,

Well we figured out that it was a wiring problem, but did not know which wire was the problem. For now we have put in a temporary starting switch that is wired straight from the battery to the starter. When the car does not want to start, I just have to turn it to auxillary and push the starter switch, and voila it starts! I know that it did not fix the problem, but for now it works every time and I dont have to get out of the car to jump start it.

There's a black wire with a yellow tracer connected to your ignition. That's your start solenoid switch. Cut that wire. Run it from the ignition directly to the starter solenoid (connector with the blade terminal on the starter) No, there are no adverse effects from this. You're merely bypassing the fuse block, which this circuit isn't fused anyways. There's probably a burnt terminal in the fuse block. Use at least 12ga wire, 10 or 8ga recemmonded.

Um your problem is not so unique in fact that is exactly what is going on with my car right now. However we have changed the alternator and still nothing is going on so i am going to take the help everyone has given you and try it on my car so thank you!

if its a automatic the neutral saftey switch could be bad, try starting it in N instead of P and see what happens. if its a stick the clutch switch on the pedal could be bad, also make sure you don;t have floor mat partially wadded up where pedal is in case its not letting it go down far enough