NO power, Please help!
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 1
From: Glendale AZ
NO power, Please help!
I searched and after the 6 of 10 pages with not one relevant hit I am posting. I always search first, this is why my post count is so low for the amount of years I've been a member of the board.
2 weeks ago I heard metal grinding from my rear wheel. I knew it had to be the wheel bearing. Last weekend I replaced it along with new rotor and pads. (Has nothing to do with my no start, but the point is my car sat for a week and a half) I went to start it the next morning, and it didn't start. I could hear the fuel pump turn on, but nothing else. It wouldn't crank. I had a dead battery & tried to jump it with my son's Audi A4. It still wouldn't start. I thought his car just didn't have enough juice to start my very dead (had about 6v) battery. So I asked a friend with a Buick, same story. So I went and bought a new battery. This didn't work either. I didn't hear any clicking from the starter. I jacked it up and used my starter solenoid jumper. When I did this with the red clip on the larger (battery side) cable of the solenoid and the black clip on the smaller cable of the solenoid. Turned the key to the start position and pressed the button. NOTHING. And I mean nothing. I no longer have any lights on my instrument cluster. Volt meter read 12+ volts at the battery & 12v at the alternator. Starter 0v.
What the *&%* did I do? I'm replacing the starter, it was probably bad to begin with. But what could have shorted out by jumping the starter, even if I had done it wrong. I was tired, but I know - from +; no matter how tired I am. That's auto mechanics 101.
Thanks for your help all suggestions/advice is welcome. (even calling me a dumarce, I know I had to have done something really stupid. But I don't know what, cause I'm stupid!)
Lisa aka az_camaro
2 weeks ago I heard metal grinding from my rear wheel. I knew it had to be the wheel bearing. Last weekend I replaced it along with new rotor and pads. (Has nothing to do with my no start, but the point is my car sat for a week and a half) I went to start it the next morning, and it didn't start. I could hear the fuel pump turn on, but nothing else. It wouldn't crank. I had a dead battery & tried to jump it with my son's Audi A4. It still wouldn't start. I thought his car just didn't have enough juice to start my very dead (had about 6v) battery. So I asked a friend with a Buick, same story. So I went and bought a new battery. This didn't work either. I didn't hear any clicking from the starter. I jacked it up and used my starter solenoid jumper. When I did this with the red clip on the larger (battery side) cable of the solenoid and the black clip on the smaller cable of the solenoid. Turned the key to the start position and pressed the button. NOTHING. And I mean nothing. I no longer have any lights on my instrument cluster. Volt meter read 12+ volts at the battery & 12v at the alternator. Starter 0v.
What the *&%* did I do? I'm replacing the starter, it was probably bad to begin with. But what could have shorted out by jumping the starter, even if I had done it wrong. I was tired, but I know - from +; no matter how tired I am. That's auto mechanics 101.
Thanks for your help all suggestions/advice is welcome. (even calling me a dumarce, I know I had to have done something really stupid. But I don't know what, cause I'm stupid!)
Lisa aka az_camaro
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 3,660
Likes: 22
well...
knowing the starting system is a step by step process with vettes....you have to have permission from the ECM and VATS for the starter, and bypassing by jumping at the starter might have caused some problem...since the ECM was not necessarily OK with cranking...
I'd start by checking all the fusesd, VATs fuse and ECM fuse. I think there is one hidden behind the center display as well.
Look at the power source lines behind the battery (if so equipped) with the jumper post. All are on fisable links.
Test for power in the fuse box. If nothing there then work backward to the source connections by the battery. Also,. look closely at the battery cable for shorting on the back of the block. It happens...the pos cable rubs thru somewhere and shorts the whole mess out.
Good luck!
knowing the starting system is a step by step process with vettes....you have to have permission from the ECM and VATS for the starter, and bypassing by jumping at the starter might have caused some problem...since the ECM was not necessarily OK with cranking...
I'd start by checking all the fusesd, VATs fuse and ECM fuse. I think there is one hidden behind the center display as well.
Look at the power source lines behind the battery (if so equipped) with the jumper post. All are on fisable links.
Test for power in the fuse box. If nothing there then work backward to the source connections by the battery. Also,. look closely at the battery cable for shorting on the back of the block. It happens...the pos cable rubs thru somewhere and shorts the whole mess out.
Good luck!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
Sound like you may have a bad fusible link. There's one at the starter, and a few behind the battery.
Since the alarm system and the brake lights work without the key, those things have links.
THe starter circuit may run on one. Don't have my FSM handy, but someone will chime in who does.
On my 86, I had a set of worn starter brushes, and changing them and scraping out the micarta from in between the copper bars on the commutator fixed it right up. It has been about 5 years since I changed the brushes, and it's still going strong.
Since the alarm system and the brake lights work without the key, those things have links.
THe starter circuit may run on one. Don't have my FSM handy, but someone will chime in who does.
On my 86, I had a set of worn starter brushes, and changing them and scraping out the micarta from in between the copper bars on the commutator fixed it right up. It has been about 5 years since I changed the brushes, and it's still going strong.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 346
From: Anaheim CA
The positive battery cable goes directly from the battery to the starter solenoid. It seems you're saying that you have zero volts at the starter. If that's true, then the positive battery cable has a problem somewhere.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 48
Likes: 1
From: Glendale AZ
Well I still have the issue after replacing the starter. I think coupeguy2001 is right about the fusible link. Some times it will start normally, most the time not. When I jump start the starter solenoid it starts right up. I hate having my weekends planned for me by my car.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,838
Likes: 31
From: Australia
or a VATS problem if your car is so equipped ( you don't state what year ) VATS (security )
takes out the injectors and starter if the resistor on the key is not read properly.
Common problem is the resistor pellet on the key gets dirty / worn as do the contacts inside the Key barrel that read the pellet so resistor can't be
read by the VATS module that operates the starter.
http://www.thirdgen.org/vats_passkey_system
