Not on any mazda forums so i figured i'd try my luck here..

So i went to start my 1999 mazda protege today. nothing. not even a click.

battery light on dash flickers. figured maybe i left my lights on.. threw charger on it. it won't boost and it says battery is full charge. double checked with volt meter. 13.45 volts at the battery.

i cleaned the terminals.

now when ignition switch is in the on/start position, i get a clicking noise from my fuse box under the hood. i don't see any blown fuses. charge/battery light on dash still flickers.

loose connection somewhere? replace fusebox? i checked connections into fuse box. all wires are intact with none showing any wear, excessive corrosion or open points that could create a ground.

here is the video of the sound the fusebox makes when i turn car to on/start position.

fusebox - YouTube


any ideas?

any help would be appreciated!

 

Could be a grounding problem some where would be my guess

 

clicking noise is probably a relay, which means power from the battery and a working ignition and starter relay.

starter?

In that video, is that with the key just on or with the key in start position? It is clearly a relay chattering.

 

Starter... My wrx just did the same thing

 

if it's your starter , you could always whack it with a hammer and see if it starts...

 

the noise is not coming from the starter. it's coming from the fusebox. it is not a bad solenoid in the starter i am 100% sure because i know what that sounds like.

the noise is there when i have the ignition in the on position. i am not turning the key at all.

 

I'm obviously not sure what meter you're using, but if it has a recording feature (or even min/max feature) set it to record and pull up the lowest value it gives when you try to crank it. If the value drops below 8Vdc, then the voltage isn't good enough for the relay to latch properly which is what is causing the relay to chatter. If voltage however doesn't change (or changes nominally) while trying to crank, then either the relay itself is bad or there could be a weak ground as already suggested. This doesn't at all look like a starter issue at this point though.

:edit: I just noticed your last post there....

So the relay is chattering just when the key put to the accessory on position, or when you try to crank the engine?

 

the fusebox only makes this noise when the ignition is in the accessory on position. also the charge/battery light on the dash flickers which to me means noticeable fluctuations in voltage.

im thinking a ground somewhere in the fusebox itself but haven't started pulling it apart yet.

i wish it was dark here so i could see if there is arcing.

 

Check the resistance between the primary ground directly on the fuse box and the battery negative, then check from the ground on the fuse box to directly to the engine block, then check from the engine block back to the battery. Resistance should be no more than .7-1ohm or so. You may also want to check resistance from the fuse box to the chassis, and battery to chassis as well just to be sure. Also, which relay exactly is chattering?

 

That would be really helpful to find out. You should be able to feel it with your fingertip.

 

Dont rule out starter cuz thats not where the noise is comming from... Check it for lose connection, than wack it with a hammer

 

was playing around in the fusebox and narrowed the noise down to a box attached to the fusebox. I can put my finger on it and actually feel it buzzing. it's a relay. it's labelled "B110 head". when I took it out the noise is gone.

looks like a headlight relay. not sure what it would have to do with the starter.

it is the same as this...

Imasen Mazda Relay B110 AC Horn Headlight FOG Starter | eBay

UPDATE:

ended up swapping the horn for the headlight relay. the buzzing/clicking noise in the fusebox is gone. but I can hear the starter clicking really faintly now.

so now it's looking like it may be the starter like some had suggested.

 

Double check battery voltage while trying to crank before you decide it's the starter.

 

im starting to think it's not the starter. just went to start it again before going hammer on it's ass and it doesn't click anymore. voltage at the battery is 12.45V and when I try to start the car it drops to around 2V.

going to check the main grounds and give the hammer a try anyways.

 

Electrical gremlins can definitely be tough to find at times. Generally speaking though, only a few things will cause a relay to chatter; weak voltage, weak/bad ground or a bad relay. Start simple and move on from there. If you know for an absolute fact that your voltage is good at the fuse box AND the 12V+ relay constant, move on to check your ground resistances. If all that checks out, now try applying a load to the circuit in question. Again, check voltage while trying to apply a load or while engaging the circuit and also check your grounds. Things can change vastly in a circuit when loads are applied.

 

CAA towed it to my mechanic. they boosted it.

he said.. ya just a dead battery.

i said well dead batteries don't usually light up all your electrical systems and show 12.45V on a voltmeter or fully charged on a battery charger..

heard of batteries having voltage but not amperage. maybe the battery itself took a ****. dunno.

in any case should have it back tomorrow. thanks for the help to all who gave input! much appreciated!

 

I was just reading through all this and saw you had it fixed already but my guess would have been with the battery. if it was at 13V without recently running or anything like that it could have a dead cell inside or a shorted cell to give you a reading like that.

Glad to see you got it fixed tho.

 

How old was the battery

 

no idea to be honest. but it's been meticulously maintained. it looks new for a 13 year old car

apparently the battery had a dead cell. showed full voltage but only made 78 amps haha

all fixed.

 

I hate to quote myself BUT I think I will anyways..

Should have been your first test..

 

Yeah I just learned this.

12v when key is on.
Should not drop by much when cranking
13v or more when car is running for alternator to be working.

Glad it is fixed.

 

i have a $15 canadian tire cheapy meter haha

voltage dropped to 2v when cranking :/