86 spider starting problem

[Spider86]

Has anybody had this problem, My 86 spider will not start sometimes. When I turn the key to start the car sometimes I will get the dash lights (i.e. battery and temp.) to come on and the car will start other times I get no dash lights and it will not start but if I keep trying after 10 or 20 mins. it starts. I have changed the ground bolt on the motor to stainless steel but it did not help.

[ghnl]

Come on over to the Spider section!

Good idea to check the engine ground. Next thing I'd suggest is to clean the contacts in the fuse box. Pull all the fuses and use small brass brush (the size of a toothbrush) to scrub the contact blades. I'd also suggest replacing all the fuses - old fuses sometimes look OK but refuse to work.

Next area to consider is the ignition switch. Below is a snip from the Shop Manual. Unplug the two connectors that lead to the ignition switch and use an ohm meter to test if there is excessive resistance or iffy contacts.

[Spider86]

Thanks I'll give it a try. I'm new to this site what is the spider sectiom?

[Slapbass]

There is a forum under "technical forums" specifically full of spider owners.

It might also help to check the relays under the parcel shelf/carpet thing behind the seats... Specifically behind the passenger seat. When you turn the key to start, the relays should click. The larger of the two relays is the fuel pump/combination relay, which power the coil, fuel pumps, and auxilary air valve. The other relay is the main relay which provides power to the fuel injection system and the relays. If the relays aren't clicking when you turn the key, then you could check with a 12v test light/probe to see if power is getting to the green wire with a black stripe. That is the switching wire from the ignition switch that triggers the relays via 12 volts.