[salvator_rizzo]

My car is a 98 impreza with an 06 wrx swap. everything mechanical in the car is from the wrx as is the wiring harness. I had to pull the engine to do some head work on the car, but now the engine is back in and bolted up. However, right now, for some reason, i cant get the car to start.
The car would crank and start before i pulled the engine, so i can't seem to figure out what the problem might be.

Here is what i have found
- started clicks once and all the lights and stuff go off inside the car as long as the key is held to the starting position
- the battery cables get hot for some reason, no smoke, but they get pretty hot
- the little black clip that goes on the starter along with the main battery cables is properly plugged in
- my battery is good and was fully charged before i tried starting again
- I am 98% sure i hooked up the battery cables to the starter properly, i can't see another way they would go
- all the wires in the car are properly grounded and connected, as are the battery cables themselves
- i had the starter tested once and it passed but the guy said it sounded weak, not sure if that mattered or not

I am going to get the starter tested again today just in case, but otherwise, i dont know what to do or whats wrong, and i'd love to hear my car start again

thanks in advance

 

[Aphex28]

does it push start?

 

[Rooster]

That sounds pretty odd, but hot wires usually indicates a short. Like that time I accidentally connected a jumper cable from the + battery terminal to ground and the connection started glowing...

 

[Keener2.5]

You forgot the starter ground. The big cable that should have attached to the top engine bolt that holds the starter in. Check the clutch line, it's probably hot too.

 

[salvator_rizzo]

does it push start?

i tried that once and it started, but i still have to work out some issues with the ecu connectors, theres a problem with the connection for the fuel pump

You forgot the starter ground. The big cable that should have attached to the top engine bolt that holds the starter in. Check the clutch line, it's probably hot too.

I'm not sure if i know what you are talking about. there are the two cables that come from the battery to the starter and both bolt onto the starter, one with a rubber cap and then the ground cable, i don't see another ground cable that would go onto the upper engine bolt, unless i'm doing something wrong, which is possible

 

[Zephyr]

The cable that runs from the hot side of the battery goes to the bolt on the starter. The cable from the cold side of the battery runs to the case of the starter, meaning the little metal bracket that is held on with one of the long starter bolts, in this case the long bolt on the top of the motor. If you have it running directly to the starter you are going to have some pretty serious issues.

Z

 

[salvator_rizzo]

see below

 

[salvator_rizzo]

ok nevermind that actually didnt work

i've got some pictures here to show you what i mean. the bolt that holds the starter to the tranny case can't fit through the ground wire for the starter. on the starter, there are two spots for the battery cables and then a third little clip thing for the little connector that also goes on the starter. I am pretty sure that i am not missing another ground wire somewhere.

here is what i mean

cables

starter

not sure where to go from here

 

[Brydon]

Lead on the right is the starter power. The lead on the left is the engine ground. Normally there is another piece that bolts to that to go on one of the starter bolts. But basically just bolt it to the engine to ground the engine to the chassis.

On a note: It looks like the copper lead that runs from the starter to the soleniod is loose. Tighten it please the lead that sticks further off the soleniod is for the power lead on the right of the first picture.

You will also have a single wire that will clip to the soleniod which activates the soleniod.

Also note that there is no "starter ground"... It is grounded to the block and the main grounding lead creates a ground the battery.

The fact that the lead gets hot tells me there is a short somewhere. So either your starter got messed up somehow and the short is internal or you have been connecting things oddly.

Hope this helps

 

[2slo4u]

In your bottom picture the gold bolt on bottom that is loose needs to be tightened. Use the one further up for the large cable that runs directly to the battery. And like others have said, the small wire with the clip that comes from the harness on the firewall connects to the clip on the starter.

 

[DAV3_02]

yeah just connect the wire on the left in the picture to any engine ground in the area. the wire on the right goes the the tall starter bolt. tighten that other one like everyone said.

how you had it before. when you turned the key it was basically connecting power and ground at the starter. not good.

 

[salvator_rizzo]

ok cool, well ive been setting it up right then. the bolt is loose because i dont have the ground or the power hooked up, those are just nuts that will tighten over the cables.

thanks for the help, im going to get the starter checked tomorrow

 

[DAV3_02]

the starter doesn't have a ground cable. the case s the ground so when you bolt it up it has a ground. you should only have to connect 2 wires. the + from the battery and the small wire from the firewall.
the ground wire from the battery needs to go to the engine somewhere.

 

[2slo4u]

+1 !!!!!!!!!!! Wire it up now, your starter isn't bad... You could be driving tonight instead of stressing over it until tomorrow.:banana:

The only bolt on the starter that goes to anything is the top one that sticks up further in your bottom picture, not the one that is on the braid. Just tighten the braided one. Connect the cable with the weird shaped terminal (+) to the large starter nut. Connect the cable with the rounded end (-) to a decent sized bolt on the block


Do eeett mang :banana:

 

[96Imprezadent]

here

 

[salvator_rizzo]

so the cable on the left here

should be bolted to the chassis somewhere for sure?

the thing that got me was that the bolts that hold in the starter, the big long ones that bolt the engine to the transmission, dont fit throught the hole of the wire

ill go out and try bolting it somewhere right now

 

[Brydon]

so the cable on the left here

should be bolted to the chassis somewhere for sure?

the thing that got me was that the bolts that hold in the starter, the big long ones that bolt the engine to the transmission, dont fit throught the hole of the wire

ill go out and try bolting it somewhere right now

You are missing a piece!!!! But just bolt it to the engine block. should be a 12mm bolt down spot right next to the starter. It will fit and you will have success.

 

[salvator_rizzo]

hey so i need you guys to guess for me real quick














































did you guess?



























yea?














































IT FUCKING STARTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
its been about 8 months and it finally ran god damn


still need to figure out my ecu connector problem, i have like no pedal response and i cant go over about 1800rpms... but enough for one night

 

[awesome2.5rs]

sweet man! Hey, don't worry, we all do silly things and make mistakes!! Just a learning process to help better ourselves

 

[96Imprezadent]

good shit,glad we could help.