O.k. i've searched around on here, but didn't come up with anything similar to my problem.
A few days ago I went to the junkyard to get a few odds and ends for my car. Drove the eclipse there and it ran fine. Came back out to get in my car and leave and the car wouldn't start. When I turn the key to accessory the radio and everything comes on right. Well when I turn the key to crank the car nothing happens and all my gauges, radio,etc. turn off. No clicking from the starter solenoid or anything. After checking the battery connections and fuses I got a couple people to push the car while I try to crank it. Cranks right up. Drive it home turn the car off and try to crank again...nothing happens. I take my starter off and take it to a parts store to get it tested and it fails the test. So I buy a new starter and install it on my car. Go to crank it up and the engine finally turns over but sounded like it had a hard time turning over. Turned the car off and tried it again and nothing just like before.
I've tried a couple test on the starter and it works fine. I don't think its my ignition switch or starter relay, but don't really know how to do a test on them. I would have thought my battery is the culprit, but the battery is practically brand new and I just changed the terminals and I'm positive they have no corrosion. Could it possibly be that I need to buy some new power wire to go to the starter or what? It's a p.i.t.a trying to troubleshoot in the 110+ heat index too so any help would be appreciated.
#118359, "RE: Problem with starting the car!!!" In response to Reply # 0
It is going to be hard to say with that amount of info but if the battery is practically brand new you may have had issues with the alternator not charging enough originally and that led to your battery getting killed. You can check this by putting a known good battery in the car or hooking up a 12v 40 amp+ battery charger and cranking. You may need to charge the battery for a little while if you are using 40 amp and it is dead. If you are killing a new battery the issue could be poor wires going to the alternator or the alternator itself. 420a's love cranking amps and a weak battery will not cut it. If you had to change the terminals you may have run it with improper connections enough to damage the battery where it will not hold a charge. To check this take the battery out of the car and do a slow charge 12v 20amp or lower and bring it back up to 12 volts. Disconnect the charger and check voltage with a voltmeter. Check again every hour and see if it drops. If it drops you know you battery isn't holding power.
With these cars it could always be the ECU but I would swap the battery first and go from there.
#118360, "RE: Problem with starting the car!!!" In response to Reply # 1
Originally posted by mreigle I would swap the battery first and go from there.
That's what I would do. Never cross a battery off your list of things to check just because it's relatively new. Roll into Autozone and have them test it for free in the car. Tell them you can't shut the car off.
Hell. Try jump starting the car when it won't start. If you can jump it, you've got battery issues. If the alternator was shot, you'd drain the battery and the car would die even if it was running. If the alternator is not charging enough, you will eventually run the battery down, but if your battery is shat, the car will generally run fine once you get it running.
Screw those over-priced Optima batteries, imo. When the OEM battery in Daisy went dead, I dropped $75 on a Duralast Gold at Autozone. 3yr 100% replacement, pro-rated out to something like 5yrs. I've only paid for two batteries in the almost 11 years I've owned Daisy. And that's only because, when they updated their computer system, they lost the warranty information on my original battery purchase back in 99.
#118361, "RE: Problem with starting the car!!!" In response to Reply # 2
I've tried jump starting a couple times but nothing happens the only way I got it to crank was to have someone push the car while I tried to crank it up. I just put a battery I know was good in my car and tried to crank it but got nothing. I have no clue what it is. I've replaced the starter, switched batteries to see if mine was no good, checked wires to starter for corrosion, done tests on ther starter. It maybe the alternator I don't know. Before any of this happened though I can remember when I would do a cold start it would crank up fine, but when I would crank it up when it was near operating temp it would take longer for the engine to finally turn over. Maybe this has something to do with it??????
#118364, "RE: Problem with starting the car!!!" In response to Reply # 4
double check your wires too, I don't know how many times I've posted this but your car is more than 5 years old, the power and ground wires may have taken a shit. I used to work at checker auto parts and probably 1 out of 5 cars with starting problems were bad wires. I even had this problem a few years back, I kept my terminals pristine cleaning them at least once a month but the corrosion got into the cables and eventually prevented starting. I tried checking the starter and the battery, both were good. I finally push-started the car and drove it to the shop I was working at. my buddy dave found the problem by slicing open the jacketing on the wire with a razor, solid white inside. replaced the wires and the car fired over faster than it ever had the entire time I've owned it.
Erik P. Official 2GNT thread Hijacker Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be... All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!
#118365, "RE: Problem with starting the car!!!" In response to Reply # 6
Originally posted by RoninEclipse2G double check your wires too, I don't know how many times I've posted this but your car is more than 5 years old, the power and ground wires may have taken a shit. I used to work at checker auto parts and probably 1 out of 5 cars with starting problems were bad wires. I even had this problem a few years back, I kept my terminals pristine cleaning them at least once a month but the corrosion got into the cables and eventually prevented starting. I tried checking the starter and the battery, both were good. I finally push-started the car and drove it to the shop I was working at. my buddy dave found the problem by slicing open the jacketing on the wire with a razor, solid white inside. replaced the wires and the car fired over faster than it ever had the entire time I've owned it.
+1
I had the same symptons. Accesories ran fine but when I tried to start everything would die. Turned out my ground wire had came loose. Give them a look and let us know.
#118366, "RE: Problem with starting the car!!!" In response to Reply # 7
I cut the jacket back from both the positive and ground wire and both of them look good, almost too good I think the person before me might have replaced them b/c the cables look brand new outside and inside. Is it possible to buy a rebuilt starter with a broken solenoid or is it easy to break the solenoid? I've checked the relay and looked fine. Checked all my wiring and it looked good. I personally don't think its the ecu. The car was absolutely fine last Wednesday and Thursday morning. I just got out of my car went in the junkyard for like 10-15 mins. came out and it wouldn't crank at all. I think when installing the rebuilt starter I might have broke it?????
#118367, "RE: Problem with starting the car!!!" In response to Reply # 8
all you can do is pull it off and check it again, if it's bad it should still be under warranty right?
Erik P. Official 2GNT thread Hijacker Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be... All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!
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