Okay, so yes i know, ive tried searching but cant find anything to match my question...so here goes!!

Soo i have a 2004 Manual 8..it has 106,xxx miles, but runs greattt..no problems. Its been running perfect, until this evening when i went to start it in my driveway, it made one crank noice when i went to turn the key, then nothing..so i continuously tried over and over again to start it but nothing happened at all..no cranking, no nothing..its like im turning my key on, and the radio and all comes on, lights work, but no sound...like its not even trying to start..sooo i tried jumping it, to see if it was the battery but no..my radio/subs/headlights everything work...so then i roll it down my driveway and pop the clutch and it starts right up..no problem..i took it out, drives perfect...it wont start with the key tho? But i wouldnt think it'd be the starter, cuz those slowly go out and you can flip it over sometimes? This was just all of a sudden..no previous problems..someone mentioned something about the ignition switch maybe, or maybe the ecu?! Idk..im lost...

So if anyone has had this problem..or if anyone is certain as to what the problem could be, id appreciate it..or if you can point me in the right direction..thanks everyone in advance.

yeah could be the starter

Same thing happened to this guy... it was his battery even though he could not get it jumped

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=179712&highlight=battery+dead+start

hmm thanks guys..but my car doesnt even click click click...and i popped the clutch to start it...and i have two ten inch subs...and with my car sitting wth the key turned on, my subs r pounding and my xenon headlights are bright as ever....?

Just saying the other guy said the same thing, it could be the starter but the fact that your stereo and lights are working does not rule it out. Make sure you keep us updated :)

Possibly the ignition relay.

EDIT: Nevermind... read back through your 1st post and saw that popping the clutch starts the car.

thanks again..how would i go about finding out wut is wrong? take it to the dealer and spend $500? haha

Haha as much as i myself would hate to go there, i am in no way smart enough to figure it out myself, hopefully someone else is knowledgable enough to know, if not then yes the stearlership is the best answer.

I would first check voltage at the starter.
143949

The connection that has a white cover over it has constant voltage straight from the battery.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH THIS AGAINST THE CAR BODY!!! You'll get a nice spark!
Verify that you have voltage there.

If that is OK, check the starter solenoid (and put the white cover back on the terminal).
To the left of that protective white housing you'll see another terminal.
That is the wiring that sends voltage to the solenoid when you turn the key to 'start'.
Have someone turn the key to 'start' and see if you get voltage there.
You might even hear the starter motor running while you're under there (never tried it myself).
Or at least here the solenoid firing the drive gear forward to the flywheel.

I would try and take the battery you have out of the car and put in another good battery. and see if you still have that problem. If you still do then its not the battery for sure. But unplugging the battery from the car will reset everything so watch out when starting the car cuz it will want to die before the ECU returns to normal. But like Dozer and Jon316G said also. check out the starter.

Keep us all updated on wut went wrong.

I had a similar symptom a few weeks back with a 2004 that I test drove (from a dealer). I took it out for a drive, brought it back, was encouraged to take it out again (it was their late night). When I went to start it again, there was no click, nothing. They thought I'd flooded it. Then a service tech came out, and found that one of connections to the starter had come loose. He reached under the car, put it back on, started right up.

Wait, I guess that's less likely in your case, since you got some crank noise when you first tried to start it. But maybe it's worth a check. If you do the check that Jon316G mentioned above, you'd probably notice it first thing.

it was the starter...took it to a shop here in town and got it fixed for $266

when was the last time you had the compression checked on your engine.. I had an issue once where I thought I had a bad alternator.. since my battery tested good.. and car woulldn't start.. but it did take the jump.. turned out to be low compression.. just a thought

thanks..wut did u do to fix the low compression?

Same thing happened to this guy... it was his battery even though he could not get it jumped

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=179712&highlight=battery+dead+start

yup, that was me :rollingla
it turns out it was the battery, and i had the same problem as the OP
like lights stereo and all other stuff work but i tried to crank it it would just Die!

just get the battery replaced.


EDIT: nvm just saw the post about the starter!