IntellectCorner
Probationary Member
- 10
- 3
- May 6, 2023
-
Harrisonburg,
Virginia
* EDIT: PROBLEM IS FIXED! Turned out my brand-new high dollar battery was bad.*
So I had an appointment at 1 PM EST today [so I'm already late] to have a new windshield installed [needed to pass inspection], and even though it's been fine until now, the car won't start.
For some background, I'm in the process of getting this car back on the road after sitting for ~7 years; it's been started periodically during that time though, and I've been actively working on it the last few weeks. It's started perfectly fine the last few times I've started it (and even after sitting, started fine with just a little longer cranking). I started it just 2 days ago, and it fired up virtually INSTANTLY when I hit the key. So I've had ZERO starting issues with it (well, in the last 10-15 years anyways, but that was clearly a bad starter and it was replaced).
Anyways, so I'm in a mad rush trying to get the car started this morning; the dash lights came on fine, but only an erratic clicking noise when I tried to start. *Normally* that would most likely be a low battery (although I have a brand new, AGN battery in the car, soooo...... yeah). I can't find our multi-meter (it's in my roommate's room which is literally stacked floor to ceiling with stuff), and I didn't have time to spend possibly hours looking for it, so I just assumed it was a low battery, so I grabbed a battery-powered jumper pack we have and tried that. I haven't used it in a while (I think my roommate has occasionally, so it hasn't been sitting that long), it showed it still had 80% battery left. Well, that seemed to have ZERO effect, even left it connected for 10-15 min.
Next I got out our battery charger / tender / starter that you plug into the wall, so it has full house power (compared to a battery). It too unfortunately doesn't show voltage of the battery; I left it on a 10 amp charge rate for 10 min or so, then tried to start the car, did the same thing. So then I switched it to 50 amp start mode, and as soon as the key touches the ignition switch (a very weird siren alarm goes off that I've never heard from the car before. I try to start it, still nothing, engine doesn't spin, but this time a LOT of clicking rapidly [probably the main relay or something like that]. At this point I switch it back to 10 amp mode, and go look for the multi-meter. Eventually I find it, so I unplug the charger and check the car battery - something like 13 volts or so. Ok, that's normal. Think about things a bit, check it again, and it briefly spikes to like 15 or 16 volts, then back to 12.7. Odd. Check it again. 12.7. Again... 12.7, but then jumps to 15 volts.... WTF? There's no charger attached, so no idea where the extra power is coming from.
Next I try plugging the charger back in, on 10 amp mode, and check the voltage again - and it reads something in the vicinity of 46 VOLTS. I'm crapping bricks, unplug the charger as fast as I possibly can. I put the key in the car and turn it to on (but not start), and no dash lights come on. I'm REALLY worried it overvolted things.... I try VERY briefly plugging the charger in again at 10amp setting, turn the key to on, and the dash lights DO come on [so at least not all the fuses are blown / things blown out]. I IMMEDIATELY unplug the charger again. I've checked all the fuses in the engine bay, nothing is blown. Checked battery voltage with the charger COMPLETELY disconnected from the car, and it's sitting at ~13.0 give or take, a normal amount. However still no dash lights come on (NOTHING happens) when the key is turned to ON. The good news is I don't see any smoke, don't smell any burnt electronics, etc. at all.
Also FYI we've used that plug-in charger many times before and never had any issues with it; that doesn't mean it's impossible that there is an issue, but it's not like it's new and I've never used / tested it before.
Does anyone have any thoughts? Since I was reading the voltages at the battery (with the charger on), is it possible that the 46 volts was just going into the battery, but not the rest of the electrical system? Also the weird alarm noise - which it did every time after that, when it did anything - was static-ey and probably much higher or lower frequency than usual. I suppose it's also possible it's a defective multimeter (it is a cheap one), but that still seems somewhat unlikely.
I don't know what to think now. I went from dash lights coming on with no charger hooked up, to no dash lights coming on. Did I fry something? Is there some other fuses I need to check? (The ones in the driver's footwell didn't seem relevant to starting, but I couldn't see all the listings - if that is something I need to check more thoroughly, let me know; I can't remember if there's more fuses on the passenger side - I don't think so though...?) Also, the dash lights DID come on when briefly [presumably] back at 46 volts, so they're not blown/fuse not blown. I don't know what to think, obviously the highest priority is hoping I didn't fry the electrical system - or my full version of DSMlink ECU - but, if it is a more minor problem, I need to get it fixed ASAP so I can still make it (albeit late) to my appointment (they've ordered in a windshield for me, so I can't brush it off / wait too long).
Oh, and as for the "Main" relay (sometimes called the EFI relay), correct me if I'm wrong, but that has nothing to do with the starter / spinning the engine part of starting, correct? So even if it was bad, the engine should still spin, correct? Now if I can get it spinning but it won't fire, THEN it could possibly be the EFI reply, but we're not there yet.
Is it possible for the battery to be at proper voltage but for some reason too low voltage is getting to the circuits? I'm not sure what to think about this whole situation, and I'm *super* nervous about the possibility of having fried some expensive / hard to find things (although it's definitely too early to jump to that conclusion).
ANY help or thoughts of things to check or try would be greatly appreciated!!!
So I had an appointment at 1 PM EST today [so I'm already late] to have a new windshield installed [needed to pass inspection], and even though it's been fine until now, the car won't start.
For some background, I'm in the process of getting this car back on the road after sitting for ~7 years; it's been started periodically during that time though, and I've been actively working on it the last few weeks. It's started perfectly fine the last few times I've started it (and even after sitting, started fine with just a little longer cranking). I started it just 2 days ago, and it fired up virtually INSTANTLY when I hit the key. So I've had ZERO starting issues with it (well, in the last 10-15 years anyways, but that was clearly a bad starter and it was replaced).
Anyways, so I'm in a mad rush trying to get the car started this morning; the dash lights came on fine, but only an erratic clicking noise when I tried to start. *Normally* that would most likely be a low battery (although I have a brand new, AGN battery in the car, soooo...... yeah). I can't find our multi-meter (it's in my roommate's room which is literally stacked floor to ceiling with stuff), and I didn't have time to spend possibly hours looking for it, so I just assumed it was a low battery, so I grabbed a battery-powered jumper pack we have and tried that. I haven't used it in a while (I think my roommate has occasionally, so it hasn't been sitting that long), it showed it still had 80% battery left. Well, that seemed to have ZERO effect, even left it connected for 10-15 min.
Next I got out our battery charger / tender / starter that you plug into the wall, so it has full house power (compared to a battery). It too unfortunately doesn't show voltage of the battery; I left it on a 10 amp charge rate for 10 min or so, then tried to start the car, did the same thing. So then I switched it to 50 amp start mode, and as soon as the key touches the ignition switch (a very weird siren alarm goes off that I've never heard from the car before. I try to start it, still nothing, engine doesn't spin, but this time a LOT of clicking rapidly [probably the main relay or something like that]. At this point I switch it back to 10 amp mode, and go look for the multi-meter. Eventually I find it, so I unplug the charger and check the car battery - something like 13 volts or so. Ok, that's normal. Think about things a bit, check it again, and it briefly spikes to like 15 or 16 volts, then back to 12.7. Odd. Check it again. 12.7. Again... 12.7, but then jumps to 15 volts.... WTF? There's no charger attached, so no idea where the extra power is coming from.
Next I try plugging the charger back in, on 10 amp mode, and check the voltage again - and it reads something in the vicinity of 46 VOLTS. I'm crapping bricks, unplug the charger as fast as I possibly can. I put the key in the car and turn it to on (but not start), and no dash lights come on. I'm REALLY worried it overvolted things.... I try VERY briefly plugging the charger in again at 10amp setting, turn the key to on, and the dash lights DO come on [so at least not all the fuses are blown / things blown out]. I IMMEDIATELY unplug the charger again. I've checked all the fuses in the engine bay, nothing is blown. Checked battery voltage with the charger COMPLETELY disconnected from the car, and it's sitting at ~13.0 give or take, a normal amount. However still no dash lights come on (NOTHING happens) when the key is turned to ON. The good news is I don't see any smoke, don't smell any burnt electronics, etc. at all.
Also FYI we've used that plug-in charger many times before and never had any issues with it; that doesn't mean it's impossible that there is an issue, but it's not like it's new and I've never used / tested it before.
Does anyone have any thoughts? Since I was reading the voltages at the battery (with the charger on), is it possible that the 46 volts was just going into the battery, but not the rest of the electrical system? Also the weird alarm noise - which it did every time after that, when it did anything - was static-ey and probably much higher or lower frequency than usual. I suppose it's also possible it's a defective multimeter (it is a cheap one), but that still seems somewhat unlikely.
I don't know what to think now. I went from dash lights coming on with no charger hooked up, to no dash lights coming on. Did I fry something? Is there some other fuses I need to check? (The ones in the driver's footwell didn't seem relevant to starting, but I couldn't see all the listings - if that is something I need to check more thoroughly, let me know; I can't remember if there's more fuses on the passenger side - I don't think so though...?) Also, the dash lights DID come on when briefly [presumably] back at 46 volts, so they're not blown/fuse not blown. I don't know what to think, obviously the highest priority is hoping I didn't fry the electrical system - or my full version of DSMlink ECU - but, if it is a more minor problem, I need to get it fixed ASAP so I can still make it (albeit late) to my appointment (they've ordered in a windshield for me, so I can't brush it off / wait too long).
Oh, and as for the "Main" relay (sometimes called the EFI relay), correct me if I'm wrong, but that has nothing to do with the starter / spinning the engine part of starting, correct? So even if it was bad, the engine should still spin, correct? Now if I can get it spinning but it won't fire, THEN it could possibly be the EFI reply, but we're not there yet.
Is it possible for the battery to be at proper voltage but for some reason too low voltage is getting to the circuits? I'm not sure what to think about this whole situation, and I'm *super* nervous about the possibility of having fried some expensive / hard to find things (although it's definitely too early to jump to that conclusion).
ANY help or thoughts of things to check or try would be greatly appreciated!!!
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