Its not a Vette But I need help

sandman · 08-30-2007, 02:01 PM

A friend of mine has a 90 something Mazda protige and I changed the starter last night and when I go to hook up the battery cables the car tries to start. I can't figure it out. Unless the starter is wired wrong. I can put the positive lead on the pos.post and it will try to start. I can switch the cables and it tries to start. There are 2 cables going to the battery. Both are black and one has a yellow stripe down it. I am assuming that is the pos. Cable. Even switching them on the battery doesn't make a diff. Any one have any ideas. Bad starter, maybe wired wrong??/

gmjunkie · 08-30-2007, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandman

A friend of mine has a 90 something Mazda protige and I changed the starter last night and when I go to hook up the battery cables the car tries to start. I can't figure it out. Unless the starter is wired wrong. I can put the positive lead on the pos.post and it will try to start. I can switch the cables and it tries to start. There are 2 cables going to the battery. Both are black and one has a yellow stripe down it. I am assuming that is the pos. Cable. Even switching them on the battery doesn't make a diff. Any one have any ideas. Bad starter, maybe wired wrong??/

I think you got something backward on the starter solenoid!!

sandman · 08-30-2007, 02:15 PM

I knew youd show up

Well the solinoid only has one nut, well 2 but the other is wired and nut in place when I bought the new one. I was thinking maybe the factory screwed up and put the lead on the wrong nut!!

what do you think.

gmjunkie · 08-30-2007, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandman

I knew youd show up

Well the solinoid only has one nut, well 2 but the other is wired and nut in place when I bought the new one. I was thinking maybe the factory screwed up and put the lead on the wrong nut!!

what do you think.

Dose the starter look like the one you took off??I'll have to Look but I don't think I have any Mazda books that new!!

sandman · 08-30-2007, 02:34 PM

Ya it looks identical. I will put them side by side tonight and make sure they didn't wire the solenoid wrong.

sandman · 08-30-2007, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandman

Ya it looks identical. I will put them side by side tonight and make sure they didn't wire the solenoid wrong.

Is the black cable with the yellow stripe the positive cable?

Mark Dalton · 08-30-2007, 05:07 PM

Do you have a volt meter handy? If so, check power at the leads that hook to the starter. I'm not familiar with Mazdas but it seems like you shouldn't have power to those leads unless the starter relay is energized. And that shouldn't happen unless the key is turned. If you've got power to those leads without turning the key then you may have a bad starter relay. Just a possibility.

gmjunkie · 08-30-2007, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandman

Is the black cable with the yellow stripe the positive cable?

Well I haven't found out anything!! The positive is a Bigger terminal though!!
Did you get that Volt Ohm Meter?? If so you can find out witch one is the ground with it!! Put it on Ohms and ground the black prob to the engine and With Key off and lights Off which ever cable has the Least Resistance is the one that is the ground!!

sandman · 08-31-2007, 06:13 AM

Thanks Junkie
I have the meter and will check it today. I'll Let you know what it was. Have a great weekend holiday.
Rob