No start... no nothing (sometimes)

[Gurt Diggler]

So... for a few weeks or so I would go somewhere and my car would not start (this is after it had been running fine). SOmetimes in the morning when I would turn the key everything would light up but nothing would happen, then on the second try it would start fine. (This lead my to believe that it was my fuel pump.) But then for the last two days... everytime I would try to start it, it would not start until I tried a bunch or waited a few minutes. That brings us up to today. I went to get a sandwich on lunch break, everything was fine. When i came out of the sandwich shop it wouldn't start. I thought it was my battery. So I jumped it and it started fine. However, on the way home it acted possesed (for lack of better definition)... foe example: my tach was fluctuating (sp?), my anti-lock brake light came on, my radio would turn off for a half a second and then resume as if nothing happened, and finally my dash clock reset. When I got back to work, after turning it off, I tried to start it again. Nothing. So I got the battery charger from my work's shop and charged it for a while. With the charger still connected it clicked rapidly (as in machine gun fire) and would not start. Then it got weird. My key warning buzzer went all demented on me and started sounding funny. And the clicking stopped. Windows won't work, keypad on door won't work, car won't start, battery is fine. Does this sound like a stupid side effect of a bad starter or alternator? I have no idea right now, and at this point (with anger clouding my vision) I don't want to start ripping it apart without a few ideas from you guys (whom I value greatly). Anyway, thanks in advance for any help. Hope this isn't too much.

*Edit* All of it was caused by the ground wire from the negative battery post to the fender. :***::sh:

 

[Gurt Diggler]

BUMP!

Help, please.....pretty please?

 

[projectSHO89]

You most likely have a defective battery cable or cable connection.

Be explicit when you say that "nothing happens". Some indicate that means it cranks but ddn't fire. Some interpret that as that absolutely nothing happened.

Steve

 

[Bizzy]

*Edit* All of it was caused by the ground wire from the negative battery post to the fender. :***::sh:

So it's all fixed now?

I was going to suggest the battery cables, ground wires or perhaps even an alternator issue. When my alternator died my car acted much like you described.

 

[Gurt Diggler]

Well, now I am not sure. I found that loose ground, and after I fixed that... it seemed to be fine. Then today, on lunch break again (maybe I should not eat), when I came out of the store... it wouldn't start again. I do have suspicions of my alternator because sometimes when I start the car the battery light stays on until I rev it up to around 2k, then it goes away never to return. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I did get it to start today though. I just took about ten tries. And when I said nothing, I meant nothing. I was doing nothing other than lighting up the dash, and the the door buzzer/bell started slowing down with its tones and then died. Luckily it is not doing that, but I still have a random "no start" issue where it sounds like everything powers up but it won't crank... and then magically it does.

 

[qiksho]

1) check the voltage of your battery it should be above 12.5
2) check the output of the alternator with the car running, the last one I checked (granted it wasn't a SHO) was 14.5

This will tell you your battery is good or bad, and if your alternator is good or bad.

If they both test decent then I would clean all wire connections and test again.