Is my ignition or starter going bad?

[Cra1g]

Video:

2002 Madza B4000 4.0L

A few days ago my truck wouldn't start. No crank. Nothing. What was odd is that once I removed the key, a repeating clicking noise would occur (which I'm guessing is the starter?) Once I put the key in and turned it, the clicking would go away. I discovered that when I take the key out and the clicking starts, if I put my foot on the brake, the clicking stops. Also, if I shift into gear and then back to park, I get dash lights to come on again, whereas they wouldn't come on at all if I tried starting it...

So I replaced the battery and that seemed to fix it. Didn't have any issues over the next few days. Suddenly one day it starts doing the same thing. Only this time I'm stuck in a parking lot. So I call my mechanic buddy and he comes to take a look. He goes to start it and it fires right up!

He ran some tests. Battery voltage looks good, so it's not the alternator. He ran the scanner and it came back with an ignition fault. I can't remember the fault code, but it sounds like my ignition is going bad? I also swapped out the starter relay for a known working relay and that didn't do anything. Would love any additional insight!

 

[Uncle Gump]

Sounds like the GEM module clicking...

 

[Cra1g]

UPDATE: I disconnected the battery and reconnected it. Dash and dome lights turned back on, as well as door chime. Went to start it and the starter motor clicked once and that was it. All dash and dome lights turned off again, key fob doesn't lock/unlock the doors, and back to square one..

 

[Uncle Gump]

UPDATE: I disconnected the battery and reconnected it. Dash and dome lights turned back on, as well as door chime. Went to start it and the starter motor clicked once and that was it. All dash and dome lights turned off again, key fob doesn't lock/unlock the doors, and back to square one..

You need to take a good look at your battery connections. Both ends.

The ground cable down near the starter under a bell housing bolt has been a fault many times in my experience.

If that's good... start looking at dash grounds. Well all ground points.

 

[Curious Hound]

I agree this is starting to sound like a loose connection, most likely a ground.

 

[RobbieD]

Agree with Gump and Curious Hound on checking your battery connections and cables.

Engaging the starter creates the highest electrical system draw. It sounds like you may have a failing main power, or ground, connection. which in failing is creating such a voltage drop during a start attempt that it's wigging out the "smart" stuff in the truck.

 

[Cra1g]

Thanks all! How would I go about finding all the ground connections? The ground on the battery is obvious to find, and I found the ground on the starter motor, but I have no clue where any other ground connections would be.

 

[SenorNoob]

Look for flat cables. Like this:
Ford Grounding Strap

 

[Uncle Gump]

Thanks all! How would I go about finding all the ground connections? The ground on the battery is obvious to find, and I found the ground on the starter motor, but I have no clue where any other ground connections would be.

I forgot to follow up here...

If you turn the ignition to START and get a single starter click... 9 out 10 times it's gonna be in the high current side of the starting system. That being your battery cables and their connections and the starter itself. I think your clicking is being caused by a poor ground (maybe the same fault that causes your starter click).

I also think that because of a poor ground... all that clicking you hear is the GEM getting a ground through the stoplamp circuit. I say that because when you tap the brake all the clicking stops.

I could also be totally wrong...

Google voltage drop testing... then go do a bit of testing on your battery cables.