Ok on saturday I come outside and my car has a flat. So I just take my moms car to work. Next day Im about to go get the flat fixed, and the car will not turn over. I put the key in, turn it, and it just makes a repeated click from somewhere near the firewall (i think) and does nothing. I can hear the fuel pump whir, and all the lights and the CD player work fine. Is it a bad starter?
Car wont turn over!!
- Thread starter StarFox07
- Start date
I've received bad batteries right off the shelf. I always have a new battery load tested before I purchase it.
It still sounds like you have inadequate amperage to engage the starter. You could use your Mom's car as a donor (jumper) vehicle and see if your car starts with a known good battery.
Good luck.
It still sounds like you have inadequate amperage to engage the starter. You could use your Mom's car as a donor (jumper) vehicle and see if your car starts with a known good battery.
Good luck.
Glaze
New Member
Also:
1. Check the ground terminal to the battery and see if the heavy gauge wire is molded into the terminal or clamp down universal style. If its clamp down style, check for corrosion. Make sure to clean these with wirebrush and coat lightly with silcone grease (dielectric)
2. Same corrosion check at battery end with positive wire.
3. Check solenoid. Possible solenoid is bad, yes its clicking but its not making good contact to transfer electricity.
4. If you still have your old battery you could pull off starter and hold metal housing of starter to neg on battery and run a heavy gauge cable to positive feed to positive on battery. Warning: if you feel brave enough, hold on to starter tightly keeping everything away from gear end and wear safety glasses. Or let auto parts store test it.
1. Check the ground terminal to the battery and see if the heavy gauge wire is molded into the terminal or clamp down universal style. If its clamp down style, check for corrosion. Make sure to clean these with wirebrush and coat lightly with silcone grease (dielectric)
2. Same corrosion check at battery end with positive wire.
3. Check solenoid. Possible solenoid is bad, yes its clicking but its not making good contact to transfer electricity.
4. If you still have your old battery you could pull off starter and hold metal housing of starter to neg on battery and run a heavy gauge cable to positive feed to positive on battery. Warning: if you feel brave enough, hold on to starter tightly keeping everything away from gear end and wear safety glasses. Or let auto parts store test it.
Here's a checklist:
Since some of the tests will bypass the safety interlocks, make sure that the car is in neutral and the parking brake is set. Becoming a pancake isn’t part of the repair process…
Check battery, terminal connections, ground, starter relay switch (also known as solenoid) and starter in that order.
A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection: more than .5 volts across a connection indicates a problem.
See http://www.fluke.com/application_notes/automotive/circuit.asp?AGID=1&SID=103 for help
1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery.
2.) Check the battery to engine block ground, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall.
3.) Jump the big terminals on the starter relay next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring is good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid.
4.) Then pull the small push on connector (red wire) off the starter relay (Looks like it is stuck on a screw). Then jump between the screw and the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it starts, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit.
5.) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then you have wiring problems.
Typical start circuit...
See http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195963.gif for 88-90 year cars .OR see http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195964.gif for 91-93 year cars. See http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/1d/db/3c/0900823d801ddb3c.jsp for 94-95 model cars.
6.) The starter may be hung, loosen up the bolts that hold it on, and give it a good whack with a big hammer. Tighten up the bolts and try again.
7.) If that doesn't work, use a jumper cable from the positive lead on the battery direct to the starter post where the big wire from the relay connects. If it cranks then, it is the power wire from the relay gone bad. This will be hard to do, since there isn't much room to do it.
8.) Pull the starter and take it to Autozone or Pep Boys and have them test it. Starter fails test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.
Since some of the tests will bypass the safety interlocks, make sure that the car is in neutral and the parking brake is set. Becoming a pancake isn’t part of the repair process…
Check battery, terminal connections, ground, starter relay switch (also known as solenoid) and starter in that order.
A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection: more than .5 volts across a connection indicates a problem.
See http://www.fluke.com/application_notes/automotive/circuit.asp?AGID=1&SID=103 for help
1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery.
2.) Check the battery to engine block ground, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall.
3.) Jump the big terminals on the starter relay next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring is good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid.
4.) Then pull the small push on connector (red wire) off the starter relay (Looks like it is stuck on a screw). Then jump between the screw and the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it starts, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit.
5.) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then you have wiring problems.
Typical start circuit...
See http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195963.gif for 88-90 year cars .OR see http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195964.gif for 91-93 year cars. See http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/1d/db/3c/0900823d801ddb3c.jsp for 94-95 model cars.
6.) The starter may be hung, loosen up the bolts that hold it on, and give it a good whack with a big hammer. Tighten up the bolts and try again.
7.) If that doesn't work, use a jumper cable from the positive lead on the battery direct to the starter post where the big wire from the relay connects. If it cranks then, it is the power wire from the relay gone bad. This will be hard to do, since there isn't much room to do it.
8.) Pull the starter and take it to Autozone or Pep Boys and have them test it. Starter fails test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.
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