Help: Car Won't Start
01-11-2010, 11:31 AM
#1
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 36
Help: Car Won't Start
Haven't been driving the car (90 S13) much over the last few months. Probably only about 150 miles over 7 days of driving in those 2 months.
About 2 weeks ago, I started it up for the 1st time in 2 weeks. It cranked slowly, but it started. I made the mistake not driving it for awhile, instead I let it idle for 5 minutes and then shut it off.
Last week, I tried starting it and nothing happened. Flipped the ignition and the motor didn't even turn over. I figured the battery was dead, as I couldn't even open the doors with the car alarm, had to use a key. I removed the battery and trickle charged it overnight. After it was done charging, I checked the volts with a multimeter and it was reading 12.73.
Installed the battery again and flipped the ignition. This time is cranked and fired-up for a brief moment, but then died. Tried to turn over the ignition again, but it wouldn't start. Tried yet again and this time I was getting a buzzing noise, it wasn't turning over.
I checked the battery volts again, the readings had dropped below 12 again. Figured I needed a new battery. Got a new battery today and installed. But again, the motor is not turning over, just a buzzing noise.
Is this a starter issue? I checked my grounds, all seems ok.
About 2 weeks ago, I started it up for the 1st time in 2 weeks. It cranked slowly, but it started. I made the mistake not driving it for awhile, instead I let it idle for 5 minutes and then shut it off.
Last week, I tried starting it and nothing happened. Flipped the ignition and the motor didn't even turn over. I figured the battery was dead, as I couldn't even open the doors with the car alarm, had to use a key. I removed the battery and trickle charged it overnight. After it was done charging, I checked the volts with a multimeter and it was reading 12.73.
Installed the battery again and flipped the ignition. This time is cranked and fired-up for a brief moment, but then died. Tried to turn over the ignition again, but it wouldn't start. Tried yet again and this time I was getting a buzzing noise, it wasn't turning over.
I checked the battery volts again, the readings had dropped below 12 again. Figured I needed a new battery. Got a new battery today and installed. But again, the motor is not turning over, just a buzzing noise.
Is this a starter issue? I checked my grounds, all seems ok.
01-11-2010, 10:01 PM
#2
The issue with checking a battery voltage via the terminals is... there is no load at that point. You must get your reading from the terminal across the altenator... you can only really do this while the car is running.
get a good known working battery. Dead cells will not have enough to crank the car and if your altenator is bad.... the car will surely not run.
Easy was... pull another car up to yours and hook up some jumper cables to get your car running. Once running, Pull the Positive terminal completly off... if your car shuts off, your altenator is toast.
get a good known working battery. Dead cells will not have enough to crank the car and if your altenator is bad.... the car will surely not run.
Easy was... pull another car up to yours and hook up some jumper cables to get your car running. Once running, Pull the Positive terminal completly off... if your car shuts off, your altenator is toast.
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