starter issues, but not starter itself
Okay, my car has been misfiring and sputtering when humid, so I changed plugs, wires and cap. Having said that, here is the horrible dillema I have been having.
Car sputtered and died a week ago, and I knew the wires and cap where shot and I was prepared to change them anyway so I had the items on hand (yes this leads to starter issues) however when I started it up again, it died immediately. I tried to turn it over once more because I can sometimes get it running while pressing the gas (fuel injected not supposed to do this but it does don't ask why cause I don't know), but all I got was ONE CLICK and NOTHING.
So I replaced the plugs, wires, cap, a very very loose positive battery terminal, a broken oil pressure sensor connection and a weird ground that goes to the alternator (a lot of this was just fixing crap as I found it). This was all done after I bench tested the starter and solonoid at Advance Auto which turned out the starter to be peachy keen condition.
Boom, after doing all this and tossing the starter back on the car started right up but at a lumpy idle due to the battery being dissconnected for so long. The few days after the car started running better than it ever has for me. Yay right?
Today I started it up on a hot muggy day and stuck it in reverse to head to the store and it stalled after about 30 seconds. Okay, put it in park, foot on the brake, turn the key, ONE CLICK and then NOTHING. I'm thinking really, you're kidding me. Pop the hood find the negative terminal loose, I assumed it was my bad from working on it prior, tighten it up, visually inspected what I could see, hopped in the car and turned the key. One click from the passenger side and then nothing. The lights come on on the dash, the stereo works find in ON and AUX mode.
I am at wit's end, something is wrong with the starter and it's not the starter, lol. I cannot even begin to imagine that I am up to the task of replacing the ignition switch. But I really have no clue what else to look for.
What else can I do to narrow the problem down? Battery seems fine, starter and solonoid tested. Car was running perfect, and now randomly it's doing the same thing it did before it was fixed. ARGH!
By the way, 1990 ES SOHC auto with serious valve guide damage, but has been the most reliable beast in the two years that I have owned it. Could it be the heat? ECU? If it is the wiring it shouldn't have been running fine for the last week right?