Motor doesnt crank, loud buzz from dash when key is turned D:

[Apex91]

Ok so this is my first post (sadly its a problem lol)

I picked up a 97' off the ole' craigslist, 166xxx miles, $500 cash. Was the kids collage car and his parents got him a new lancer so the galant got thrown to the side.

The thing was spitting oil everywhere on the belt drive side, (im talking add a quart every two days, puddles everywhere), EVERYTHING WAS BLACK AND COVERED WITH GRIME! Turned out to be the cam seal, which I had diagnosed about two months and 3000 miles ago, but like a noob, I put off the time, money, blood, sweat, and tears of fixing the seal, and pulling everything off for a through cleaning.

Alrighty, with the massive leak taken into consideration, let me elaborate on the bigger problem.

So from the start the ignition was f***ing off, sometimes the key wouldnt turn at all, sometimes it would get stuck (like turn it all the way as if to start, turn it back and its stuck in the ACC position and wont go to the lock position to be removed) and other times it wouldnt turn past lock.

On top of the key locking, intermittently (id go as far as to say at random) when you would turn the key to start the car, nothing would happen, like, turn the key all the way, clock dims (headlights would not if they were on) and nothing happens, no attempt to crank, no engine noise, no starter engagement, nothin. This happened anywhere from 4 times a day to sometimes stopping for three days at a time, to the other extreme, of me having to turn the key 20 or more times attmepting to start and nothing happening. But eventually, shed ALWAYS start. And without problem, as if nothing was wrong. Turn the key, clock dims, nothing happens, and after a few tries, car starts right up.

Well I pulled into my driveway about a week ago, and when I came back to head to work, no start, and after about 15 minutes of solid attempts, I gave up. She hasnt started since.

So first off, I replaced the ignition lock cylinder, I figured since the thing locked up randomly, and the problem seemed to be with they key, id start there (my battery, terminals, wires, cap, rotor, plugs, theyre all new, so I figured it wasnt one of those) no dice. So I ran over to NAPA and the guy there told me it sounded like my ignition switch since apparently current was going somwhere on account of the clock dimming, so I went ahead and grabbed that. I installed that and still no start, BUT now when you turn the key all the way theres a loud buzzing coming from my center console, no CEL, no crank, but a loud electrical buzz reminiscent of those old school elevator buzzes.

I pulled my starter and my alternator to be tested, any they checked out fine.... any ideas as to whats wrong? :/

A friend told me it might be my voltage regulator, which I found is built into our alternators, which, in my case, was impregnated with oily grime, ive since cleaned it thoroughly, but haven't attempted to start the car yet due to me deciding to take the opportunity to just go ahead and pull the timing side apart and clean out all that grime from everywhere, replace my oil laden filth encrusted belts, and change out that cam seal.

Sorry for the long post, but after about a week of troubleshooting, I figured it was time to lay it all out for the guys at TGC and see what y'all think :P

[stayer]

The first is a bad contact of the interconnection ( - ) of the battery pack. You must also check the "ground" on the body of the car and engine. Check the starter for the presence of an internal fault. If the starter removed from the car, try plugging it directly. Further act on the circumstances...

[mko]

That has to be the ignition switch, the part that consists the electrical connections. Its very easy to replace. The buzzing is either the starter relay or the fuel pump/mpi relay not getting enough power thru the faulty ignition switch.

If you pull the ignition switch out and measure it with an ohm meter, it might read fine, but its because the ohm meter runs just that much mili amps and the actual draw from the car systems is in amps.

[Apex91]

That has to be the ignition switch, the part that consists the electrical connections. Its very easy to replace. The buzzing is either the starter relay or the fuel pump/mpi relay not getting enough power thru the faulty ignition switch.

If you pull the ignition switch out and measure it with an ohm meter, it might read fine, but its because the ohm meter runs just that much mili amps and the actual draw from the car systems is in amps.

Hmmmm, sounds sensible enough, but I replaced the ignition switch (its what the little diblet in the lock cylinder fits into on the left side under the steering wheel right?) and thats when I got buzz with not start as opposed to nothing at all D: The old one deff had issues, the copper contacts were silver, as if the copper itself was just a coating over some silver metal.

[mko]

ok.

Look around the battery tray. There should be a thick black that goes to the starter, it actually might be easier if you trace it back from the starter. Its not the ground wire, its a smaller gauge wire. Anyway that wire has a connector like this



this connector has a heavy duty plastic shield. Unplug it and then get a wire and connect it to the black wire on the starter side and then touch the positive battery terminal with the other end and the starter should crank. Before you touch it to the positive battery terminal, turn the ignition on.


Another thing would be the Park/drive /neutral switch on top of the trans (assuming its auto). It the ECU doesnt see the trans being in Park it wont let the starter crank. Your car might be having an issue where the shifter cable is slightly out of position which doesnt allow the park switch to be fully engaged.

Try these things and get back to us