Won't crank!!

[Green Sho]

Hey guys I need your help on this one. I recently bought a 93 atx with what I thought was a bad starter. I took the starter off my 93 mtx and put it on just to see if it would start. I had the coil pack disconnected and I forgot to reconnect it before I tried to start it. It turned over and turned over until I realized my mistake. When I reconnected it the car turned over for a second then stopped. Now all it does when I turn the key is make one click and all the lights are really dim when the key's turned but they don't go out.

I thought I had cooked that starter as well but I put it back in my car and it works fine. I recently bought a good used starter from someone here on the forum (Thanks Dan!) and just put it in and am having the same problem. I tried disconnecting the coil pack again just to see if it would crank again but it will not.

I checked all the connections and they are all clean and tight. The battery cables are in good shape and the battery is good as well. Every now and then it sounds like it turns over once but that's it. I don't really know whats going on here I need help! thanks guys

 

[Rubix]

Check the connection of the ground strap and wiggle those battery connections some more.

 

[93rev2sev]

have you tried running the starter on the bench? make sure it'll spinning well.

Your battery could be dead...try a jump.

 

[elarm1]

Check battery and or ground

 

[Green Sho]

I checked all my wires and ground and they're all good. I did not try the starter on the bench I could spin it by hand barely before I put it in though. When I try to start it all the lights go so dim you can barely see them but they're still on alittle. I tried jumping it as well with no luck. It honestly seems like this thing just seizes up starters the second I put them in. The battery is from my mtx that I drive daily and I just took it out of the car so I know its good.

 

[Green Sho]

When I turn the key it clicks loudly once like the starter motor is trying to turn but cannot. This sounds like a bad starter to me but it did this with the starter I put on it from the mtx and it works fine on my car...

 

[Pro*banshee]

Yes but you still haven't tried to jump the car, correct?

You could have fuel locked the motor if that's possible, try putting the car in gear and rotating the drive wheel or pushing it if it's on the ground.

 

[Green Sho]

I have tried to jump the car if you read my other post. The car is up on jack stands and the wheels just spin even in gear. You can only do this if you have an mtx im assuming? Is this fuel locking possible anyone know?

 

[93rev2sev]

dood...

Listen to us. Or don't...it's up to you.

We've read your other posts. You've been swapping starters and batteries like a madman and from what you've said, I'm left to assume that you are currently working with an UNKNOWN starter with a USED battery that's been TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY to start your car for the past few days.

Therefore...there is no guarantee that the starter and the battery that you are currently trying to use are BOTH good.

Get your MTX car started with any combination of starter and battery so we can eliminate those as your cranking problem.

OR...
Jump the car with the current battery and starter...if it's clicking, it's probably a dead battery and might crank with a jump...lots of cranking can **** a battery pretty quickly.

 

[Green Sho]

I've listeneded to you. If you read the other post it stated that I've already tried jumping it. It does the same thing. Ive also told you that the battery I've been using is from my daily driver which is only a couple months old. The mtx starts with said battery and now that I have switched them out again, both starters work with said battery in the mtx.

And there hasn't been a lot of cranking because it will not crank.

 

[93rev2sev]

Then you have a bad connection between the battery and the starter or between the starter and ground

 

[Pro*banshee]

My mistake on it being an ATX. I keep assuming that everyone owns MTXs cause that's all they made!

Hah, anyway; there's probably some sort of bypass that is waiting for the car to be in park or neutral before it'll start, have you tried to start it with the shifter in both positions?

 

[93rev2sev]

Wait a minute...

 

[93rev2sev]

And there hasn't been a lot of cranking because it will not crank.

It turned over and turned over until I realized my mistake.

What am I missing? I DID read and answer correctly.

I repeat...remove SUSPECT starter and SUSPECT battery and install them in the MTX.

 

[SHObill]

My mistake on it being an ATX. I keep assuming that everyone owns MTXs cause that's all they made!

- they made lots of the better optioned= ATX cars that are still driving around as most of the MTX's are broke! LOL
-I thought ATX & MTX starters were different?

Then you have a bad connection between the battery and the starter or between the starter and ground

-probably - or the motor is froze!
put a breaker on the crank bolt & see if it will even rotate.

 

[Green Sho]

In the first post I explained how it cranked the first time with the coil pack disconnected. Once I reconnected it it stopped cranking. I don't see how the motor is frozen if it cranked over a few days ago. As soon as I can tomorrow morning I will be putting a breaker bar on the crank bolt and seeing if she goes.

I will also take the starter down to autozone and have it tested even though it works in my mtx. I have tested the battery and both starters in my mtx and they work....I thought I said that before but maybe not.

I also took and cleaned and wire brushed all the connections and retightened them. Even though the battery cables are in good shape with no corrosion that I can see I think I'll replace them tomorrow just in case.

Thanks everyone for your help so far and I hope I can figure this out!

 

[Green Sho]

I'm sorry I neglected to mention the fact that after I cranked it over and over the first day....I put the battery back in my mtx as this is the battery I use everyday, so the battery is not worn down from the cranking. Sorry about that!

 

[Rubix]

Alright battery ruled out, starter ruled out, battery to starter wires ruled out.
My last thought. How many wires did you hook up to the starter when you installed it?

 

[SolidState]

I can almost guarantee you this is a bad neg battery cable...

 

[93rev2sev]

just for giggles, try lightly whackin on the starter with a little hammer and immediately trying to start it again.

Also, try rapid fire start attempts. methinks that sv&hodan special might be deeed.