hinchcliffe

Friend just bought this car from someone they know, its an automatic. Test drove it, all was good to go. It was driven up on to the car carrier for shipping up here and thats where the fun begins...

When the truck arrived at their house the car wouldn't start, didn't even turn over. Rolled off truck and into the garage where it sits today. When it did run there was a bit of white smoke assuming Oil Separators are an issue. Put in a new battery and still nothing, it clicks once but then nothing. Almost seems like its locked up or the starter is completely shot.

I suggested draining the oil to see if anything else is in it, then pull spark plugs and inspect them. Once the plugs are out see if you can start turning the crank and getting the motor moving.

Anything else I should suggest or look for?

Anker

Make sure the ground wire from the battery has a good connection to the frame. The click indicates that there's too little voltage/current going to the starter.

Dan87951

Can you put a breaker bar on the crank pulley and turn it by hand?

hinchcliffe

That's one of the next steps. I figured drain the oil see what's / if anything in it. Then pull spark plugs, inspect and turn crank.

Macster

What was the mileage when the car was put on the truck vs. when it was taken off the truck?

I wouldn't drop the pan/sump plate at this point.

Doesn't read like an engine is locked up problem, but I'm not at the car and can't hear/observe the engine. If you believe the engine is "locked" up then remove the plugs and try to turn the engine by hand. Be sure you turn it in the same direction it turns when running.

If it turns by hand then try the starter. If the starter turns the engine then put the plugs back in and look elsewhere for the problem.

If the starter doesn't turn the engine then the problem is electrical or with the starter though the ignition switch is suspect.

You can "test" this by wiggling/moving about the key as you turn the key from off to on to start and if you can change the behavior and actually get the engine to crank.

Anker

I still believe its a simple electrical problem. What happens to the instrument lights when you hear the click? Do they dim, or do they stay at the same brightness?

The engine MUST be turned in the correct direction. Counter clockwise as seen from the transmission.

Taigaw67

Greetings, I am the new 1997 Boxster owner friend of hinchcliffe's that originated this thread. I appreciate everyone's responses and wanted to let you know that I was able to manipulate the crank manually via the flywheel and was indeed able to get the Boxster started. My guess is that it was stuck on some compression stroke somehow that might have been too much for the starter at that time. I'm also guessing that one of my future projects may be to replace the starter as well.

In either case, I wanted to share my appreciation to hinchcliffe for his action and posting on my part as well as to all of you for replying and helping me figure out the solution.

Now...on to changing that AOS that is smoking out my neighborhood.

Macster

The starter only has to overcome the compression of one cylinder. Once the engine is turning while each cylinder goes through a compression stroke prettty much all the energy that is required for this is returned as the compressed air in the cylinder pushes down on the piston (even assuming the compressed mixture didnt ignite).

But the starter is probably bad, has a dead spot. However, the ignition switch can be to blame as can a bad (or mispositioned) clutch safety interlock switch.