whats up guys im new here, and to the saturn family. my brother has recently bought a saturn 95' SL1 and well after sweating my ass off today i cant figure out what it wont crank, it is a manual and has high milage, when u turn it over u get nothin. just all the accesseries turn on, no starter turning. this just happened today and had no signs leading up to it. i think it might be the starter but am not ready to play games on any car thats not my buick... lol we tried jumping it off just to see if it might have been the battery, also i have been told its the clutch switch, do they go bad after long abuse? can i get any kinda step by step to try and problem solve?

From description, there is no mention of hearing the starter solenoid
kick in. Can you hear it at all or is it completely silent when you
turn the key to crank?

Indeed the clutch start switches can go bad. But I'd check some easy stuff first.

Check the 30A "IGN 3" fuse in the underhood junction box. If it is burned, replace it with a 30A and try again. If it works, may have been a fluke or a sign of an intermittent short.

If the fuse is ok, check the wiring connections at the starter/starter solenoid. Loose connection from battery to starter and/or clutch start switch to starter solenoid could both create the scenario you describe.

If all seems well at the starter, test the clutch start switch by jumpering around it at the switch terminals. If the starter spins or the starter slenoid engages, replace the clutch start switch.

If the starter solenoid engages but the starter does not spin, it is probably a starter issue. Pull the starter and have it bench tested at a local parts store.

If none of the above works out, let us know that too.

Derf

there is no sign of starter enguageing at all, and i did check the fuse when i first looked at it and it was fine, i will check the starter if he hasent taken it to a shop yet, as for the clutch switch, can i like hot wire it or anything? jump the plug with a paper clip? wanna try to narrow it down as much as possible b4 i start buyin stuff.

thanks,
Jeremy

I think I am having a simular issue with my 92 SC2. I will tell you right now, I am mechanically challenged. If the starter solenoid was engaging, would that sound like a faint electrical motor spinning? I have plenty of power, it just wont fire or turn over, the only thing that I can hear is what sounds like a really faint electrical motor spinning.


Its had a few problems recently starting, that may or may not be related. About a month ago, it would lose all power when I would try and start it. It would click and then all the power would cut out. I would have to touch the battery terminal with something metal and the power would come back. It would sometimes start right away, or sometimes I would have to repeat process a few times. It only did this periodically and not all the time. For that last two weeks or so, it has started just fine. The last couple days, it wouldnt lose power, but wouldnt start when I turned the key. I would have to turn it 2 or3 times and then it would start. This morning it took a couple turns of the key to start, I drove it to work. It started just fine when I went to go to a doctor's appointment. When I went to leave the doctor's, it wouldn't start at all. There is plenty of power, I just hear that faint whine, but nothing fires or turns over.


If this is the starter issue you were trying to describe for the other fellow, please let me know... Thanks.


Edited by: sirfodder

if u hear a motor spinning when u turn the key and the motor itself isent turning over then yes ur starter is good but its not enguaging... replace the solinoid... how ever u spell it.

Sirfodder

TurboGN86 is on the right track...unfortunately the starter solenoid is "internal" to the starters on the S cars, so I don't think you can easily </span>replace the starter solenoid....

Never opened up one of these starters so I don't know how realistic the endeavor would be.....


Edited by: derf

Grand National,


My saturn does this very same thing on occasion and I have been


lucky and not had to replace it yet. There is a lash gear that when spun pushes itself out to engage with the flywheel. Sounds like yours is History. I have one or two in my shed. They are a pain to get to. If you need one I can ship it to you cheap ? I will only charge shipping and if it works settle up. If not send it back.


Good Luck Darryl

The common name is: starter drive. Edited by: sw2cam