nothingfiction
15+ Year Contributor
- 1,566
- 2
- Nov 9, 2005
-
YamaBischi,
AB_Canada
Long time I've been away. Way too long.
Il get right into it...
This last winter was really hard on my poor car. Had several times she just didn't want to start. Had to put her on the battery charger almost every they night so I could go to work in the morning. Thought it was just the cold (-40 degrees) and not having a garage to protect her in and all that. Well the weather is starting to get better but still barely have time or much less the energy to do anything after I get off work. But as I was saying... Weather has gotten better from that cold winter and she started right up. Without having to be on the charger at all. So figured had to be the weather right?
Now... About a week ago I get a no start again. Good thing I invested in a battery jumper thingy. But now my car will not start unless I jump it. Had the battery tested, it failed hardcore. Got that replaced since it was still under warranty. First battery they gave me was shit, but the second one I had them test before I put it in, then again after installing it. Tested great, but still wouldn't start without being jumped. So thought maybe it was the starter or maybe the alternator. Got a brand new starter since mine looked shot. I mean damn, it looked like the paint boiled right off and had seen better years like 30 years ago.
Just got around to putting the brand new starter in today... Still won't start without being jumped. Which leaves me with either the alternator, a starter relay (not even sure where that's located, I've read there's a relay in one of the two black square boxes on the firewall next to the break fluid and windshield washer fluid. I've found this part. But also heard the relay is connected under the ignition key switch. Haven't dug that far yet. Could just be a bad ground somewhere... All of these "could be's" are making me pull my hair out.
When I say she won't start what I mean is...
Without the battery jumper, all the lights and electronics come on, nice and bright too. They do not "dim" as I keep reading about. As soon as I turn to crank it over... Everything dies as if I hit a kill switch. No turn over, no crank, no clicking of the starter or anything at all. Just dead. Can't even roll the window up.
With the battery jumper on, depending how full of a charge the jumper has... On full charge she starts right up and stays running until I turn the car off. Turn the car off, even for a minute, have to jump it again. Try to start it without the jumper, the led on the alarm system lights up, but it doesn't lock the doors. Strange. Almost as if it disengaged the starter... No, as if it disengaged all power to the car except for the alarm.
If the battery jumper's battery is low, I still get all lights and ect and it will start... But it's slow. If the jumper's battery is too low you can literally see the cam gears teeth spin individually like in extreme slow motion.
And now since I put the new battery in, my battery light comes on. Let me rephrase that. At idle or sitting in neutral it stays off. Once in gear or even reverse, the battery light comes on.
Had the alternator tested (yes, under load) and it tested "ok" but low voltage.
So I know I am having some kind of problem with the charging system. However all the "tell-tale" signs of a bad alternator I've read keep repeating the brake light comes on as well. My break light does not come on. It does not even come on when I put the e-brake on now (since the battery light came on, I no longer have a brake light on my dash). Figured that was a diferent problem (maybe my e-brake brake pads are worn down and low. Read that somewhere so figured it was unrelated, but now I'm double guessing everything.
Battery brand spanking new (tested "ok" 3 times). Starter brand spanking new (tested once before installed)
Spark plugs and spark plug wires about 9 months old.
No new mods to my car.
About 2 years ago when I was in New York I replaced my under drive pulley back to a brand new oem one (belt too).
Sorry for the long post/rant. Just wanted to give as much detail to MY problem as I could, to possibly accurately diagnose what is going on.
Want to take her into a shop to get looked at but that costs money and that costs time that I cannot afford. If I knew what the problem was I could at least feel better knowing where to start, or where to have a shop even start instead of tossing money out the window for their diagnostics and time and excuses of could be this so we tested that. I've played that game once before.
Please help a girl out. I'm getting real sick of this
Il get right into it...
This last winter was really hard on my poor car. Had several times she just didn't want to start. Had to put her on the battery charger almost every they night so I could go to work in the morning. Thought it was just the cold (-40 degrees) and not having a garage to protect her in and all that. Well the weather is starting to get better but still barely have time or much less the energy to do anything after I get off work. But as I was saying... Weather has gotten better from that cold winter and she started right up. Without having to be on the charger at all. So figured had to be the weather right?
Now... About a week ago I get a no start again. Good thing I invested in a battery jumper thingy. But now my car will not start unless I jump it. Had the battery tested, it failed hardcore. Got that replaced since it was still under warranty. First battery they gave me was shit, but the second one I had them test before I put it in, then again after installing it. Tested great, but still wouldn't start without being jumped. So thought maybe it was the starter or maybe the alternator. Got a brand new starter since mine looked shot. I mean damn, it looked like the paint boiled right off and had seen better years like 30 years ago.
Just got around to putting the brand new starter in today... Still won't start without being jumped. Which leaves me with either the alternator, a starter relay (not even sure where that's located, I've read there's a relay in one of the two black square boxes on the firewall next to the break fluid and windshield washer fluid. I've found this part. But also heard the relay is connected under the ignition key switch. Haven't dug that far yet. Could just be a bad ground somewhere... All of these "could be's" are making me pull my hair out.
When I say she won't start what I mean is...
Without the battery jumper, all the lights and electronics come on, nice and bright too. They do not "dim" as I keep reading about. As soon as I turn to crank it over... Everything dies as if I hit a kill switch. No turn over, no crank, no clicking of the starter or anything at all. Just dead. Can't even roll the window up.
With the battery jumper on, depending how full of a charge the jumper has... On full charge she starts right up and stays running until I turn the car off. Turn the car off, even for a minute, have to jump it again. Try to start it without the jumper, the led on the alarm system lights up, but it doesn't lock the doors. Strange. Almost as if it disengaged the starter... No, as if it disengaged all power to the car except for the alarm.
If the battery jumper's battery is low, I still get all lights and ect and it will start... But it's slow. If the jumper's battery is too low you can literally see the cam gears teeth spin individually like in extreme slow motion.
And now since I put the new battery in, my battery light comes on. Let me rephrase that. At idle or sitting in neutral it stays off. Once in gear or even reverse, the battery light comes on.
Had the alternator tested (yes, under load) and it tested "ok" but low voltage.
So I know I am having some kind of problem with the charging system. However all the "tell-tale" signs of a bad alternator I've read keep repeating the brake light comes on as well. My break light does not come on. It does not even come on when I put the e-brake on now (since the battery light came on, I no longer have a brake light on my dash). Figured that was a diferent problem (maybe my e-brake brake pads are worn down and low. Read that somewhere so figured it was unrelated, but now I'm double guessing everything.
Battery brand spanking new (tested "ok" 3 times). Starter brand spanking new (tested once before installed)
Spark plugs and spark plug wires about 9 months old.
No new mods to my car.
About 2 years ago when I was in New York I replaced my under drive pulley back to a brand new oem one (belt too).
Sorry for the long post/rant. Just wanted to give as much detail to MY problem as I could, to possibly accurately diagnose what is going on.
Want to take her into a shop to get looked at but that costs money and that costs time that I cannot afford. If I knew what the problem was I could at least feel better knowing where to start, or where to have a shop even start instead of tossing money out the window for their diagnostics and time and excuses of could be this so we tested that. I've played that game once before.
Please help a girl out. I'm getting real sick of this