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Starting issues.

  • Thread starter Thread starter click
  • Start date Start date Oct 21, 2006
C

click

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Nov 13, 2003
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Oct 21, 2006
#1
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #1
So i got home a little bit ago and i press the button to bring my windows up. My passenger window goes up fine yet my drivers window is stuck all the way down
then i shut off my car and try to start it back up. But all i get is a single *click* But my stereo, headlights, instrument cluster, etc. all worked. And my battery is a newer optima which has never been drained. My car has always fired right up. No hesistation from the starter, nothing. Until now. I tried cleaning the battery terminals, cause that's all i can really do at this hour. But i have a feeling it is the starter solenoid then? A

Any help is appreciated cause this is the first time i have encountered a problem like this.

Thanks.
 

94GTStang

Founding Member
Oct 26, 2001
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Oct 21, 2006
#2
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #2
I have this same problem with my car starting. I just have a push button wired up for now. I'd like to start it with a key again
 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
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Oct 21, 2006
#3
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #3
Have you confirmed that you indeed have enough battery (using a jumper battery, if you can with an Optima, etc)?

A weak S-terminal signal (as mentioned) can cause this issue. However, normally if you try to start the car a couple times, it will break through the resistance and energize the solenoid solidly.

Do you have an alarm with a starter disable feature?

Good luck.
 
C

click

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#4
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #4
Alright well i will definetely try see if it putting out full voltage. I'll go test it right now lol. But it should be okay. My friend told me to jump the solenoid from the S-terminal. But i will have to wait until the morning to do that. As for now i'm going to try to get my window back up.
 
C

click

New Member
Nov 13, 2003
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#5
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #5
Well i just checked the battery and it's putting out 12.38~12.39V under no load. I wasn't able to check it while i turned the key since I have no one to help me right now. But I don't know to much about the starting system... what should be the voltage being put out by the battery when the engine cranks.

Thanks.
 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
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Oct 21, 2006
#6
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #6
if you have a digital voltmeter, you can prop it up so you can see the display while you crank the motor over. Anything less than about 10 volts wont turn the motor over decently. Unfortunately, the no load test you did doesnt reveal much.

Your friend might have a fox, where it's cake to jump the S-terminal wire to the battery lug - it's a pain to do on an SN (with a piggyback solenoid).

Good luck.
 
C

click

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Nov 13, 2003
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#7
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #7
Hey I just checked the voltage when i turned the key and it didn't drop below ~11.69 so that should be okay. And the car did have a alarm with starter disable but i ripped it out a couple years ago because one time because there was no power to my car cause it thought i was trying to steal my own car. So should i still be checking that s terminal since it's not the battery.

Thanks
 
C

click

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#8
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #8
So I have been outside looking at probable causes and like i mentioned before, a couple years ago my car was disabled cause of the alarm. Well my buddy is the one who fixed it and took the alarm out. And i remember seeing this wire plugged into one of the slots on this connecter. And when i looked at it a few minutes ago the wire was out...so maybe it fell out last night.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/clickx/DSCN1545.jpg

Also that fuse was blown out, so replaced that. But I don't know much about that connecter. A couple of the wires have a ~12 volt source. But i'm not sure which is the one he had it in. And I checked all the fuses and the starter relay in the under the hood fuse box. They are all good.

So, anyone have any suggestions? I think the connecter is what originally plugged into the alarm box, so the wire is some kind of bypass, etc.

Thanks
 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
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Oct 21, 2006
#9
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #9
click said:
So I have been outside looking at probable causes and like i mentioned before, a couple years ago my car was disabled cause of the alarm. Well my buddy is the one who fixed it and took the alarm out. And i remember seeing this wire plugged into one of the slots on this connecter. And when i looked at it a few minutes ago the wire was out...so maybe it fell out last night.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/clickx/DSCN1545.jpg

Also that fuse was blown out, so replaced that. But I don't know much about that connecter. A couple of the wires have a ~12 volt source. But i'm not sure which is the one he had it in. And I checked all the fuses and the starter relay in the under the hood fuse box. They are all good.

So, anyone have any suggestions? I think the connecter is what originally plugged into the alarm box, so the wire is some kind of bypass, etc.

Thanks
Click to expand...

That wire was a fuse tap for something. I'd want to know if it was for the alarm or if someone chose to grab power for an unrelated accessory simply at your alarm. That wire might or might not be needed. The fact that the fuse blew suggests that the other end of the wire might have been disconnected when the alarm was removed, so it might not go to anything.

Back to voltage: if the motor was not turning over, I would not call 11.70 volts acceptable. I'd try a the jumper battery if you can.

Back to the alarm: you might want to find the S-terminal wire that was cut for the alarm. That connection can become resistive and keep the solenoid from creating sufficient field to energize (that's why I originally asked about the alarm).

Random thoughts. Good luck.
 
C

click

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Oct 21, 2006
#10
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #10
Thanks for all the help!
It ended up being the ground wire on to the starter. It looks like a metallic braided wire and it was snapped in half. So a new starter did the trick.

Thanks!
 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
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Oct 21, 2006
#11
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #11
Glad to hear it is fixored.
What was the deal with the power window?
 
C

click

New Member
Nov 13, 2003
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Oct 21, 2006
#12
  • Oct 21, 2006
  • #12
The power window is simply going bad. I ended up removing the three screws to the motor and dropping in down, and lifting the window manually and screw the motor back on haha.

The car starts like a dream now though.

Thanks again hissin.
 

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
31,179
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Oct 22, 2006
#13
  • Oct 22, 2006
  • #13
 
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