No Start - HELP !!!

[91 SHOplus]

Hey everyone,

I went outside to start the plus after about a week of sitting. With all the snow, I've been driving the Jeep.

Anywho, I go to turn the plus over and nothing. No cranking, no nothing. Then the alarm starts struggling to sound off, almost like it was stuttering, then the alarm is at full strength, and I have to disarm it. Try to start it again, and the whole thing repeats.

I have plenty of gas and the battery has juice, as the clock, lights, horn and radio all work.

What do you think.....

Starter?
Clutch lock out switch?
Something else?

 

[projectSHO89]

If it ain't the battery, it's something connected to it.

Focus on the connections, cables, etc.

Turn on headlight switch. Then, using a voltmeter, look for a huge voltage difference between two points that are expected to be a solid connection. Examples: Battery negative post and the engine block, the battery positive post and the starter solenoid, etc...

Once you find that "dropped" voltage, you will have located the faulty connection or conductor.

Steve

 

[ransnan]

[Focus on the connections, cables, etc.

Check for croision on the starter and battery thats my guess!

 

[91 SHOplus]

You guys think it's a battery connection? Being that the accessories work, like the lights, radio, etc, I figured it might be something else.

In fact, now that I think about it, I tried starting it last week to come home from work and it cranked as normal, then it just stopped.

I figured my foot might have let the clutch up a bit so I tried to restart. Nothing. I tried again, almost putting the pedal through the floor and it finally restarted and it was fine.

 

[heavylvr]

Hasnt anyone thought that it possbily could be the Alternator?? The heart of any car. And have you actually brought it to a mechanic yet? Get a voltage reading for the alt and I bet my check its that. The battery could be fine but if the alternator is bad nothing will go. Also if not that..you starter might be mangled.

 

[projectSHO89]

Hasnt anyone thought that it possbily could be the Alternator?? The heart of any car. And have you actually brought it to a mechanic yet? Get a voltage reading for the alt and I bet my check its that. The battery could be fine but if the alternator is bad nothing will go. Also if not that..you starter might be mangled.

If the alternator is faulty, the battery won't be charged. Since the car cannot be started or run and there was no report of the BATTERY light being on, the alternator is an unlikely suspect without further information that would point to it.

My previous suggestion stands provided...

Q for the original poster: What do all the accesssories/lights do when the starter suddenly stops cranking? Do they remain at full brightness or do they dim/darken abruptly in synch with the stopping of the starter motor? Your symptom with the alarm indicates that its power feed is being interrupted.

If they dim/darken, focus on my previous tip.

If they do not diminish but the starter quits, focus on the starter, starter relay, the clutch interrupt switch, the ignition switch, and the power feed to this specific circuit.

Steve

 

[stangeater]

The battery is the "heart" of any vehicle.........the alternator takes over AFTER the car starts up, thus not an alternator problem. Sounds like a connection problem to me, especially after sitting for a while. Corrosion is like a fungus......it grows and gets worse........therefore your car may start fine one day, and do what yours is doing the next. GOOD LUCK!!

 

[91 SHOplus]

Q for the original poster: What do all the accesssories/lights do when the starter suddenly stops cranking? Do they remain at full brightness or do they dim/darken abruptly in synch with the stopping of the starter motor? Your symptom with the alarm indicates that its power feed is being interrupted.

If they dim/darken, focus on my previous tip.

If they do not diminish but the starter quits, focus on the starter, starter relay, the clutch interrupt switch, the ignition switch, and the power feed to this specific circuit.

Steve

Thanks Steve. This now makes sense to me. Everything works with the key in the 'on' position, but as soon as I turn it to 'run' it craps out. The starter never even gives one crank.

 

[shospeed143]

I would take the battery out of the car and put it someplace worm for a few hours then put it on a charger to make sure it has a full charge. Then clean all of the battery connections and put it back in the car and see if that works, if not then you minght want to get the battery tested at a parts store.

 

[TimboSHO]

And have you actually brought it to a mechanic yet?

Ha ha... who brings their cars to Mechanics?

 

[91 SHOplus]

Thanks for the help everyone.

The neg battery cable had a bad connection. I took it off, cleaned the terminal, put it back and she revved up as strong as ever.

I'm just glad it was something dumb. And free!