SKooT1027

I went to use my car late last night and the car would not start. The radio still worked, so I assumed the battery is okay. I would just hear a clicking sound like the car was trying to start up, but it wouldnt do anything. This was very random because in 2 years of using the car, it has always started up immediately. Now, the car was parked for maybe 24-48 hrs and it isnt working. What do you think the problem is?

inactiveuser92616

bad starter solenoid. Try a push start.

barelyrunshalfthetime

battery is probably not that great. The radio is a fairly easy to power item, meaning it doesnt take much power for it to work. Big power items are headlights and such. Turn em' on, try starting the car. If they flicker or turn off, your battery is near death. Or you can use a multimeter and measure across both poles, and you should get a reading above twelve volts. If it is, then clean all battery/starter connections, and if that doesnt fix that, it might be the starter. Then you can bench test it to be sure of it. This is just a broad post, but the same thing justr happened to me at a chipotle, and it turns out it was the starter.

SKooT1027

ugh thats not fun if its the starter... im at school and dont have any tools here

SKooT1027

okay ill try some of the battery tests and see how that works.. i think is hould be able to get my hands on a voltmeter too

pat - to pushstart.. just throw it in 2nd w clutch in, crank the car and basically drop the clutch once its moving, right?

inactiveuser92616

no. Get a friend or two, start pushing the car with muscle, use gravity if you can. Get up to 10-15mph with the clutch in while in 3rd gear, then drop the clutch. Make sure the throttle is open. The key has to be in the run position. You need someone sitting in driver seat the whole time or your car will hit something.

When it fires push the clutch back in.

SKooT1027

okay.. yeah i knew someone had to be in it haha.. but with the key do I want to keep trying to start the car, or just turn it as forward as i can w/o cranking it. And what do u mean by make sure the throttle is open?

JohanvdWalt

Just leave the key in on position do not try the starter. If you've got an immobelizer make sure it is deactivated.

inactiveuser92616

you want the key to be just off of the cranking position, where it is it when the engine is running. Throttle open=gas pedal down

SKooT1027

Alright.. when im able to take lunch ill see if i can get some friends to help get it moving. In the mean time, are there any things i can check to try to figure out where the problem is? Id like to be able to figure as much as I can out as opposed to hoping it will start and then get it to a mechanic and let them tell me, because Im never a fan of the bills that come with.

I think the battery is okay bc i could get the lights up and down and move the wipers. Is there any way to check to see if its the spark plugs, or anything that basically wouldnt require lifting the car (i dont have any jacks here with me either)? I cant really think of what else it could be to even think up more examples

barelyrunshalfthetime

If you can get your car over to sears, they will check the battery, alternater, and starter for $12.99. I got my batt tested there, but I never got the car moving to bring it over there. Try to jump it, and if that doesnt work, you have a couple possibilities.
1. bad ignition switch.
2. corroded connections/broken wiring
3. bad starter

there are prolly one or two more, but these seem the most likely.

Sysgen

That doesn't mean that the battery is good at all. Those do not draw a lot of current but when you try to start it, your really demanding enormous effort of the battery,

The fact that you say it sat for 24 to 48 hours tells me that your battery died.

SKooT1027

I hope its only the battery.. ill try to jump it at lunch too and see if that works

iamgod

i had the same exact problem...i believe my dome light door switch was my gremlin...also it rained and i had wiring sitting in a pool of water in the batt tray.

i cleaned the drain blockage and bout a new batt ( the old one was 5 yrs old anywho...also a 590amp where my new one is 700 according to the application book) workin ok now...i gotta buy a bulk spool of wire and just start replacing sets

Sysgen

So, curious minds want to know