2018 GT350 no crank issue - is it the starter?

[edunn14]

Hey everyone,

Of course my car won't start this week of all the weeks. It ran perfectly fine as of Monday 8/7. Went outside to start it yesterday morning (very early, still dark). Everything came on as usual. Pushed brake, then clutch - I heard the fuel pump whine and 3 clicks like I always have. Pushed to start - nothing. No crank. Tried a few times, same result each time. There is just a single click and a low whirring sound similar to the fuel pump whine when the clutch gets pushed in, but no starter engagement as far as I can tell.

Clutch safety switches work/are intact. Fuses under hood are intact. Switched starter relay with wiper relay right next to it, same result. Battery terminals good. Battery tested at 12.3v and I have no idea how old the battery is, so I did get a new battery - same result. I did the BMS reset, saw the battery light blink a few times - same result. Dash reads 11.7v but to be fair I've tried to start it several times now. Tried jumping with a battery pack, then my roommate's car - same result.

No codes per my OBDII scanner.

Before this the only real "problem" I had was that this past weekend the audio stopped working from the speakers. I read the forums here, disconnected the negative terminal for a few minutes, put it back on - everything worked perfectly after that and the car started up just fine.

I'm out of ideas - I don't think my multimeter is accurate because the brand new battery also tests at 12.3v.

Dash reads I have 356 miles to empty; I do have a nearly full tank but there is no way that's accurate - it has never even approached 200 because I mostly drive city. 356 maybe is what I get if I took the whole tank for a highway drive, MAYBE.

I took a video of what is happening inside the car but I keep getting an error trying to attach it to the post. I'm out of ideas - I don't have a garage and/or the time unfortunately with work to diagnose further. Closest dealership appointment is a week out and then it'll take 2-3 days from there apparently to diagnose. Not thrilled about that.

I had this issue last year with my prior car and it turned out to be the starter with all these troubleshooting steps . . .

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[pilotgore]

Hey everyone,

Of course my car won't start this week of all the weeks. It ran perfectly fine as of Monday 8/7. Went outside to start it yesterday morning (very early, still dark). Everything came on as usual. Pushed brake, then clutch - I heard the fuel pump whine and 3 clicks like I always have. Pushed to start - nothing. No crank. Tried a few times, same result each time. There is just a single click and a low whirring sound similar to the fuel pump whine when the clutch gets pushed in, but no starter engagement as far as I can tell.

Clutch safety switches work/are intact. Fuses under hood are intact. Switched starter relay with wiper relay right next to it, same result. Battery terminals good. Battery tested at 12.3v and I have no idea how old the battery is, so I did get a new battery - same result. I did the BMS reset, saw the battery light blink a few times - same result. Dash reads 11.7v but to be fair I've tried to start it several times now. Tried jumping with a battery pack, then my roommate's car - same result.

No codes per my OBDII scanner.

Before this the only real "problem" I had was that this past weekend the audio stopped working from the speakers. I read the forums here, disconnected the negative terminal for a few minutes, put it back on - everything worked perfectly after that and the car started up just fine.

I'm out of ideas - I don't think my multimeter is accurate because the brand new battery also tests at 12.3v.

Dash reads I have 356 miles to empty; I do have a nearly full tank but there is no way that's accurate - it has never even approached 200 because I mostly drive city. 356 maybe is what I get if I took the whole tank for a highway drive, MAYBE.

I took a video of what is happening inside the car but I keep getting an error trying to attach it to the post. I'm out of ideas - I don't have a garage and/or the time unfortunately with work to diagnose further. Closest dealership appointment is a week out and then it'll take 2-3 days from there apparently to diagnose. Not thrilled about that.

I had this issue last year with my prior car and it turned out to be the starter with all these troubleshooting steps . . .

The ever problematic starter…. Does it start if you push the car and pop the clutch? My starter went out so often at the track, I starter parking uphill just in case.

 

[edunn14]

I haven't tried popping the clutch yet . . . It is on very flat ground and in a parking lot right now. Not an ideal spot for getting it rolling but it could be done . . . I've never had to do that before though. I'm only familiar with the process "in theory."

 

[526 HRSE]

I would try and bypass the clutch switch to be sure that's not the problem.

 

[ChipG]

Sounds like the starter, which is a weak spot. I've done a few more starter swaps than I'd like on this car. First thing, before swapping it, is to check and ensure the cables are firmly bolted down to the starter. The nuts on mine have worked themselves loose before.

 

[TEAsGrabber]

Ya.....I'd agree with above post! Sounds like the car is searching for a ground.

 

[pilotgore]

I haven't tried popping the clutch yet . . . It is on very flat ground and in a parking lot right now. Not an ideal spot for getting it rolling but it could be done . . . I've never had to do that before though. I'm only familiar with the process "in theory."

It’s 100% worth a shot. I’ve had to do it 20 times or so and doesn’t take more than a few car lengths. Oddly enough, 50% of the time, my car would start normally with the starter after a push start

- Make sure the key position is in run (or just attempt to start using the starter and then just don’t touch the starting button again.)
- Move the shifter to 1’st gear and hold the clutch in.
- Have one or two people get you rolling (faster the better but you don’t need faster than a walking pace.)
- Once you’re moving fast enough, let your pushers know you’re about to pop the clutch so they stop pushing and don’t hurt themselves when you release the clutch and the car lunges.
- Fully release the clutch abruptly. Leave the clutch fully engaged for a half second then push the clutch fully back in.

With any luck, the engine will be running. If it doesn’t work the first time, try a second time. Remember that the goal is to keep the car rolling. If you come to a stop while in gear, it’ll obviously kill the engine.

I’ve been through 3 starters, as many others who track their cars have been also.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

[jmn444]

also... double check your battery connections since you said you just had it disconnected.

If the old battery was bad, did it crank slowly the last time it started for you? possible the starter fried if so...

 

[edunn14]

I didn't notice any weak crank before this but that's not to say I didn't miss it. Still getting used to push-button systems when issues arise.

I'll try popping the clutch tonight and report back.

 

[WItoTX]

2018 and factory battery? Or are you saying you bought a new battery? If not, my money is on battery. The dash might show 11.7 (typically the dash is .5 low), but it might just not have the amperage to turn the car over.

Also, 12.3 on a new battery is normal. After having electrical issues myself, I've checked mine religiously, daily, with a multimeter. Mine usually hovers around 12.7, but I'd not be shocked if an off the shelf battery is at 12.3.

Can you post a link to the YT video?

 

[honeybadger]

this is exactly what happens when my starters fail. I went through 4 of them. 1 time it was the solenoid, 3x it was the starter itself. Make sure to get an OEM GT350 starter - the FP one isn't built to handle the vibrations. Need the GT350-specific one

 

[ClayDee]

Bad Fuel Pump Relay Module maybe. Had a similar incident with mine a while back and that was the issue. From what I remember, the back seat had to be removed to get to this particular module.........

 

[edunn14]

Hey all, quick update. I popped the clutch, car fired up perfectly fine and then ran like a top. No codes, no battery drain, nothing. Voltage on dash read in the appropriate range. All accessories worked fine.

Here's the video link for what I'm still experiencing:


It's now parked in a covered garage at least and facing an incline so I can get it started again if need be. I am thinking starter at this point . . .

And yes - I got a new battery. Wasn't sure how old the one in it was.

I really hope I don't have to go through 3-4 starters with this car!

 

[edunn14]

My other issue is that I'm currently planning on taking this to a stealership unless people have other thoughts. This is my first performance car so I'm not sure where else to take it.

 

[pilotgore]

Hey all, quick update. I popped the clutch, car fired up perfectly fine and then ran like a top. No codes, no battery drain, nothing. Voltage on dash read in the appropriate range. All accessories worked fine.

Here's the video link for what I'm still experiencing:


It's now parked in a covered garage at least and facing an incline so I can get it started again if need be. I am thinking starter at this point . . .

And yes - I got a new battery. Wasn't sure how old the one in it was.

I really hope I don't have to go through 3-4 starters with this car!

Just curious, where it’s currently parked, have you tried starting it with the starter for kicks? Also, congrats on your first “pop the clutch” start. Wasn’t it fun?!?!

You definitely need a new starter. If it makes you feel any better, guys like me and @honeybadger who’ve gone through multiple starters in a relatively short amount of time tend to track the car hard. The heat cycles from track duty have a tendency to kill the starter faster than usual.

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