Car Wont Start........

[jgarcia9102 10+ year member]

So i went out to my car to check my oil levels and all that, and it wouldnt start. The battery works fine, the stereo and blower both run like they usually do. it just dosent turn the engine over. im thinking that somehting happned to the starter motor, but i dont see how when i drove it yesterday and it started with no problems. i havent done any electrical work in the car, the only thing i did was add oil and coolant.

what could have happned to my car while it was just sitting in my drive?

Click to read more...

 

[jgarcia9102 10+ year member]

Whell i got it started, but it barely turned over. i think im just gonna have to buy a new starter. anyone know how much that will cost me?

 

[djman37 5,000+ posts]

how'd you get it started? I wouldn't rule out the battery, yet.

 

[jgarcia9102 10+ year member]

well the stereo all works, and the blower works, maybe ill go run the car for a while just to be sure....

oh, and i let the car sit for about half an hr, then it started.... i dont realy know why, but it happned....

 

[jgarcia9102 10+ year member]

well, it starts again..... i hate this **** car. i bought it from my brother, who was a complete moron and did every thing you could possibly do wrong. he never checked any fluids (very important on an engine with 160K miles) and managed to break basically everything on the interior, leaving to rebuild the door armrests, and dash, ghaaaa......

its all so overwhelming. i need to get a job again so i can buy a new car.....

 

[ss3079 5,000+ posts]

Mine wouldn't turn over ... figured it was the starter. Wasn't making the typical clicking noise, though. I knew it wasn't a dead battery as it is brand new and I know what a dead battery sounds like, unfortunately.

Tried it again about an hour or so later and it fired up just fine. Drove it downtown, parked it, did some shopping, and it started just fine again - drove it home.

Figured I better start it again a little later on to make sure it was ok and sure enough it didn't start.

Apparently vehicles don't work too well without fuel. ****ing fuel pump.

 

[sixfootman2005 10+ year member]

yea...they do tend to need fuel.....and fuel pumps do like to go out

 

[jgarcia9102 10+ year member]

so without the fuelpump the starter didnt even turn? i dont mean the engine didnt catch, it didnt even turn over. i know what fuel starvation sounds like, and this wasnt it. im hoping its nothing major, i need 4 new tires too, and im broke!

 

[twistedtrik 10+ year member]

Sounds like a selonoid problem. You could have also had a stuck Bendix. Also newer vehicles (well 88 or so and up) have starter relays that will stick from time to time and this could also cause the same symptoms.

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

so without the fuelpump the starter didnt even turn? i dont mean the engine didnt catch, it didnt even turn over. i know what fuel starvation sounds like, and this wasnt it. im hoping its nothing major, i need 4 new tires too, and im broke!

This is a bad time of year to be rolling on "MayPops" - not that any time of year is a good time for them...

No - the operational condition of the fuel pump should have no bearing on whether or not the starter engages and turns the motor over.

If the fuel pump (or as simple as the relay that controls the fuel pump) has gone bad then the car obviosly won't run without gas being fed to the engine but barring any other issues it should still crank - just not fire.

 

[blackgeltabs 5,000+ posts]

If its intermitent the alternator could be starting to go bad. Battery wont be keeping charged and the car just dies. Starter should have no bearing on the car starting then dieing. Starter is the problem if it clicks or it turns over very slow(granted you checked the battery prior too)

 

[twistedtrik 10+ year member]

The click is the selonoid engaging the bendix. If the selonoid doesn't engage the bendix,if one of them is "stuck" there is no click and the starter motor will not turn. Same for a relay going bad. If the juice isn't getting through, you will hear nothing.

 

[stones 10+ year member]

Bad starter Solenoid

Bad nuetral switch

If the battery and connections are good thats where i would look.

 

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

i got a good one for ya that stumped every local mechanic

my rex wouldnt start after sitting for about a month ( ok thats understandable ) i intalled a red top and it would be hard to turn over after sitting for a week or 2 ( during this time i wasnt driving it but gathering building materials for it ) i begin daily driving it and if i would leave the lights on for 5 secs i would try and start it and it wouldnt start.. leave it alone for 15 mins and it would start... leave the stereo on while its off for 5 secs and it wouldnt start ... wait 15 mins would start again.... tryed 2 red tops and my 2400 alone and it would do it... installed both a red top and a 2400 and did big 3 and 5 runs of 2/0 wire and problem solved