Mad about my car...any suggestions

canman · **Mad about my car...any suggestions**

About a month ago in the morning I went to start my car on a cold morning and nothing happened so I had to go to school. I came home and jiggled the battery connections, and then cleaned them and reconnected. The car worked fine for another month. We got something like 10-15" of snow, and the car was buried for 2 days. I dug it out, and it worked fine that day. This morning before school, I went to start it again, but it didn't work. I barely had any gas, so I figured it was just frozen and went to school. I came home and started the car just for kicks and it started on the first try. I then drove it to the gas station, turned it off to get gas. When I went to start it again, it once again didn't work, so it's stuck at the gas station right now. The connections to the battery are fine, we tried jumping it twice, all other electical appliances work fine. I'm pretty sure it's the starter but I was just wodnering if anyone had any other ideas on what to do other than completely replacing the starter.

**SpectorV** · 01-25-2005, 01:38 PM

could also be the alterntor

lowflyn · 01-25-2005, 01:42 PM

I don't think it's the alternator Brandon, he says it won't start sometimes but will start other times.
Have you tried just checking the connections between your battery and starter real well? That could be part of it. It might be something as simple as a loose wire somewhere, there could be a short somewhere, etc.
That's about what I can think of...

canman · 01-25-2005, 03:55 PM

Yeah I was thinking it could possibly be the connection between the battery and the starter...I got it towed like an hour ago to a mechanic and he's checkin it out now....hopefully I don't need a new starter cause they aren't cheap

Dark02Pony · 01-25-2005, 04:01 PM

i have friend whos having similar problem...btw where in jersey ?

Ponycarman · 01-25-2005, 04:10 PM

Batteries can fail like that. My MIL's Beetle like to do this. It'll run the accessories just fione, but put a heavy load like a starter on it and nothing happens.

An internal break in the battery is usually the culprit. I'd have the battery tested.

Cold weather really tend to aggravate battery issues too.

Steve

canman · 01-25-2005, 04:35 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by Dark02Pony i have friend whos having similar problem...btw where in jersey ?

Central Jersey, right by Princeton...Hillsborough's the town name.

I'm hoping that it's just a battery problem...I should know tomorrow once the mechanic looks at it.

Dark02Pony · 01-25-2005, 04:37 PM

oh alright im up north morris co..parsippany

**MonteCitan** · 01-25-2005, 06:51 PM

I'm down south, near millville

my 89's had this problem before... my positive battery cable (the short one from the battery to the starter solenoid) got so corroded inside it basically acted like an open circuit.. I had no power to anything though

if jumping it didn't work the battery's either fully dead or fine, and you have a starter issue.. or your clutch pedal switch is inop (If you have a manual) or your pats system is acting up (the cars typically crank but don't start, but I've seen some not even crank with a pats failed key..) could be your ignition switch is going down the tubes.. could be any number of things

let me know what the mechanic finds out, I'm curious

canman · 01-26-2005, 04:29 PM

Alright we got the battery replaced but it turns out it was probably an issue with the security system. Whenever I turned the car off, in order to be able to start the car again I had to press the unlock button on my keypad. Even if I did not lock the car and was in it the whole time doing something like getting gas, I would still have to push the unlock key to get the car to start. I pushed that little orange blinking button by the headlight knob and I think I fixed that problem. I just feel like an idiot because I got the car towed and the battery replaced and that probably wasn't even the problem.

**SpectorV** · 01-26-2005, 04:49 PM

if you cant find it at least have the alt checked but as sait it may short and then work fine..... one of those check an item and go to the next till its found.

**MonteCitan** · 01-26-2005, 05:11 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by canman Alright we got the battery replaced but it turns out it was probably an issue with the security system. Whenever I turned the car off, in order to be able to start the car again I had to press the unlock button on my keypad. Even if I did not lock the car and was in it the whole time doing something like getting gas, I would still have to push the unlock key to get the car to start. I pushed that little orange blinking button by the headlight knob and I think I fixed that problem. I just feel like an idiot because I got the car towed and the battery replaced and that probably wasn't even the problem.

little orange button?

so you have an aftermarket alarm/remote start installed with a kill switch? ..

canman · 01-27-2005, 03:37 PM

Well the orange button i believe is stock...its the one that blinks when the car turns off? I'm not sure. Just called the previous owner and he forgot to tell me that an aftermarket security system was also installed that won't let the car start unless you push the unlock button first....blew $150 on towing and a new battery because of it