This will be long - sorry - but I'm perplexed:

Friday I went out to start the car and it wouldn't start - assumed dead battery - beed sitting a few weeks, and put the charger/started on and after a while it started up. Put the charger on over night Friday and Saturday she started and ran just fine. Sunday go out to start and same thing - appearrs to be dead battery. This time the charger won't help, nor can I jump it with the other car.

Pull the battery and go to battery's plus and am told - its like its right off the shelf - battery is great.

Go home, reinstall the battery and the car starts right up.

What the heck?

Any thoughts?

 

I have had the worst year with a starting problem. Mine would behave similarly. After battery/cables/alternator, I still had a problem and replaced the solenoid. So far, seems it's OK.

 

It sounds like you just had a poor connection on one of the battery terminals.

 

You didn't say, or maybe I missed it if the engine wouldn't crank over

Check the connections at the starter for cleanliness

seeya

 

Could also be the VATS . The next time it doesn't crank, look for the security light (bottom left on dash cluster). If it's lit when the key is in the cranking postition your VATS might be going bad. My car did this 3 weeks ago so I switched to my spare key. So far so good.

 

Poor description. What year? stick or auto? starter cranks or doesn't?
Both battery cables MUST be clean bright and tight, starter motors require 100+ amps and therefore a good electrical connection to the battery. Is the battery charged up? You can determine the state of charge by measuring the no load battery terminal voltage. 12.9 v and higher, fully charged, 12.0 v and lower, discharged. Also, you can measure the battery terminal voltage while cranking. It must not fall below 9.0 volts or the battery is discharged, poor cable connection, or the battery is at the end of its life. Next, VATS will prevent cranking if the pellet is not measured. First try your spare ign key as its pellet contacts aren't worn like your everyday key. Next, pull the driver kick panel and disconnect the two end wires of the ribbon of wires from the middle of the steering column (orange and brown on my 87) and measure the resistance of the wires from the column with the key inserted. The resistance should measure the same as the pellet. If over 13k ohms, you need a new ign tumbler which will have new contacts that make with the pellet. If ok, then try jumping the clutch safety switch (gear selector sw if auto). Also, you can check the starter by jumping 12v to the purple wire (thats the color on my 87) on the clutch/gear switch, this should make the starter run.

 

Yeah you're right - sorry about that.

Car is an '88 'vert, automatic, no mods that I know. Bear in mind that I am, more or less, a mechanical nincompoop. But I'm trying to learn more and improve my skills.

When it happened on sunday the dash would light up but as soon as I hit the starter there was a "pop" and the dash would go black. No cranking or anything. It was almost like like popping a circuit breaker. At the time I thought it was the battery so I'd hook up the charger for a few minutes and then it would be ready to try again. This went on for a while until I decided to try jumping it with my other car, figuring more power might help. It didn't - same effect.

At that point I pulled the battery (terminals were very clean) and went to Battery's Plus. They tested the battery and said it was perfectly fine. Went to Auto Zone and the guy there suggested maybe it was the relay between the starter and the security system - which sounded logical, but they did not have any of them.

After reading the posts it makes sense that the VATS could be the problem, since its my understanding that it would act like a circuit breaker and shut the system down. Problem now it the place I bought the car from only had the one key, so I guess its time to get a new one made and check that out.

Thanks

 

When you hit the starter and the dash goes out, that is a strong clue that you have a poor connection from the cables to the battery posts. The starter draws 100+ amps and if you have only a small area of metal to metal connection, the starter current blows out this connection and your dash goes out. Read my reply above!

 

Larry
code5coupe

 

I'm really hoping you guys are right - that it was a battery terminal connection problem. Still, to be on the safe side I guess I better get a new key cut - if for no other reason than to have a spare. Hopfully I won't have the problem again.

Thanks guys

 

Nice doggy!

 

Thanks - he was the best. We lost him in November at just shy of 11. Probably the sweetest, most personable dog I've ever had.