Problems Cranking & Starting
04-11-2006, 09:18 PM
#1
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Problems Cranking & Starting
I need some help please,
I,ve been restoring my 89 s4,replacing anything that was bad. I never had a problem cranking over the engine or starting before, but now I have problems.The battery is new,the starter and the alternator,the car has been laid up for about 6 months, when I go to try and start it is sounds like the engine is tight or not enough power to crank or start. It rolls and stops,turn the key back and then try to start again, all you can hear is the starter solonoid inguaging then it rolls and you can feel the car vibrate or pulse then stops, even with the booster on the battery it still does the same. I've replaced the positive mains and grounded the starter direct to the battery to see if there was a bad ground. Still the same sh.......................Can anyone help with this problem please.
I,ve been restoring my 89 s4,replacing anything that was bad. I never had a problem cranking over the engine or starting before, but now I have problems.The battery is new,the starter and the alternator,the car has been laid up for about 6 months, when I go to try and start it is sounds like the engine is tight or not enough power to crank or start. It rolls and stops,turn the key back and then try to start again, all you can hear is the starter solonoid inguaging then it rolls and you can feel the car vibrate or pulse then stops, even with the booster on the battery it still does the same. I've replaced the positive mains and grounded the starter direct to the battery to see if there was a bad ground. Still the same sh.......................Can anyone help with this problem please.
04-11-2006, 09:47 PM
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New batteries can also be a problem: while it may read ~12.6v, does it provide sufficient amperage? ie., headlights bright, fans blow hard at full speed, etc. The real battery test is a measure of CCA at the local shop.
Before anything else, I'd probably turn the engine over by hand and/or verify that the starter gear was disengaged from the flywheel.
You may wish to read through this thread . Niels had two similar episodes with his car, the most recent on pg 5 or 6 of that thread.
Before anything else, I'd probably turn the engine over by hand and/or verify that the starter gear was disengaged from the flywheel.
You may wish to read through this thread . Niels had two similar episodes with his car, the most recent on pg 5 or 6 of that thread.
04-11-2006, 10:22 PM
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Are you positive you have a fully charged battery, after all it's been sitting for 6 months? I would remove the battery and put it on a charger for a day before doing anything else.
04-12-2006, 02:42 AM
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1. Battery is fully charged 13.6v, cca of 1000,
2. alt spins free as can be.
3. Air Pump is free.
4. With spark plugs out engine turns freely, place back in,it rolls then sticks, apparently the seems to be a power to starter problem, is there anything that interupts the signal to the starter solonoid( maybe something is restricting the total power that engages the starter solonoid?)
2. alt spins free as can be.
3. Air Pump is free.
4. With spark plugs out engine turns freely, place back in,it rolls then sticks, apparently the seems to be a power to starter problem, is there anything that interupts the signal to the starter solonoid( maybe something is restricting the total power that engages the starter solonoid?)
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04-12-2006, 02:54 AM
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If it's cranking the engine at all, the starter solenoid is engaging properly. Corroded grounds? Broken battery ground strap? Critters chew threw the positive lead from the battery to the starter?
04-12-2006, 07:04 AM
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The braided ground strap breaking within it's shield has caught a few sharks - there is still enough contact to show full voltage, but not enough to carry the amperage required to start.
A quick test is to ground the -ve terminal to the chassis with one of your jumper cables.
If the +ve contacts are clean at both battery and starter, then removing the starter may be next ....
A quick test is to ground the -ve terminal to the chassis with one of your jumper cables.
If the +ve contacts are clean at both battery and starter, then removing the starter may be next ....
04-12-2006, 01:21 PM
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The Starter is grounded direct to the battery,I'm not relying on the car ground for the starter, New positive lead to the starter, still same problem.
04-12-2006, 08:47 PM
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No Brian, I have never adjusted the flex plate,
To shine a light on the problem, with the plugs out the engine turns over but not freely, I believe that there is a problem with the rings in the cyclinders, being that the cyclinders don't have any steel liners. With the plugs out and belts of of all accessories tha engine should spin freely but this does not happen. I sprayed PB Blaster into the cyclinders to help free up the binding.
To shine a light on the problem, with the plugs out the engine turns over but not freely, I believe that there is a problem with the rings in the cyclinders, being that the cyclinders don't have any steel liners. With the plugs out and belts of of all accessories tha engine should spin freely but this does not happen. I sprayed PB Blaster into the cyclinders to help free up the binding.
04-12-2006, 09:00 PM
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If the car cranks fine with no plugs, you don't have any internal engine problem. Do not spray PB Blaster or anything else in the cylinders. All you'll do it remove the pprtective oil on the cylinder walls and risk destroying your cylinders.
In post #6 you say it cranks freely without plugs. In post #12 you say it doesn't. Which is it? If it doesn't, Brian may be on the right track. If it does spin freely, it's an electrical problem and you're not getting enough amperage to the starter.
In post #6 you say it cranks freely without plugs. In post #12 you say it doesn't. Which is it? If it doesn't, Brian may be on the right track. If it does spin freely, it's an electrical problem and you're not getting enough amperage to the starter.
04-12-2006, 09:12 PM
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I was made a mistake when writing #6, It turns with the plugs out but not freely, with the bat at full charge we bridged the starter and gave it direct power from the bat, and the result was the same, a very slow tight sounding rollover, it can't roll fast enough to fire even 4 of eight plugswhen put back in.