Car Trouble
- Thread starter JackEd
- Start date
Zunardo
Well-known member
That makes you above-average.
At that point my expertise ceases. Now you're talking starter, alternator, maybe a computer module. Best of luck!
Dog groomer just told me she had the same issue and changed the battery and worked fine. I don’t want to drop $150 for the battery and still be in the same boat. When it was starting my battery gauge would drop down to nine volts DC then up to 14 when it did start. It was struggling to start more than it wasn’t in the days leading up to yesterday.
It is an automatic. My battery doesn’t require water. When I just turn on the battery all the lights, fan and radio work. Once I start to crank it they all go silent/dark. I got a brand new battery from a place put it in and still the same ole thing. I was able to return said battery. Next step would be starter, but it was checked and it checked good. Thanks for any advice so far.
eastisbest
Well-known member
If it were a more recent vehicle. Some cars get bumped to the point siren goes off, safety switched kick in so it can't be started. Normal solution is to remove all power, let it reset. But you did that when you changed batteries. I'm thinking Chito is on the right track.
Is that a Toledo made Jeep? No one around here wants to work. Changing their batteries doesn't help.
Is that a Toledo made Jeep? No one around here wants to work. Changing their batteries doesn't help.
Raider6309
Well-known member
I remember my first police car you had to start in neutral because of the safety switch ?
irish_buffalo
Well-known member
If it will not crank with a jump then it is not the battery at all. Who tested the starter? Usually you can take a screw drive and place it on the solenoid and get spark which will tell you it is working. Would not be the alternator as it would start or at least crank but not stay running.
My money is on something electrical and from a computer standpoint. Ignition coils or switch perhaps? Be sure to check ALL of the relays and fuses. You usually have a panel under the drivers side dash and another on the other side of the firewall in the engine compartment along with relays.
Try to not focus on the headlights in the second video.
After more scowering the internet, I have found out about the Neutral Safety Switch. Pretty expensive part that can be cleaned but that doesn't guarantee it'll work. I found a few videos that show the ability to use a paper clip and jump across two female terminals and then reconnect the plug. Only issue is if that route works i'll be able to start the vehicle in any gear. I'll keep you posted on how this goes.
If it will not crank with a jump then it is not the battery at all. Who tested the starter? Usually you can take a screw drive and place it on the solenoid and get spark which will tell you it is working. Would not be the alternator as it would start or at least crank but not stay running.
My money is on something electrical and from a computer standpoint. Ignition coils or switch perhaps? Be sure to check ALL of the relays and fuses. You usually have a panel under the drivers side dash and another on the other side of the firewall in the engine compartment along with relays.
Try to not focus on the headlights in the second video.
What, I am focused on the headlights.....
Starter? Hammer time.... If the starter is easily reached just smack it with a hammer.
Had issues with my car as well. Driver front side window would not roll down....no problem, it was winter.... did not care.... now it is summer but I have ice cold air.... still not a problem. Well, inside door handle snaps in two and door will not open. Can't roll the window down to open it from the outside or climb out.... so now it is a problem. Part to fix it was 3 times the price it should be so I did not buy locally and ordered the part. Showed up, installed it works great. Next day...... Break line snaps. As long as I am going I don't need to stop right????
It's always something ........
It's always something ........
Well after all the headaches it turns out it was as simple as the starter. I tried some of the YouTube suggestions to no avail. Went down to my local mechanic and ran it by him. He said the obvious “it’s hard to diagnose without seeing it”, then strongly suggested the starter. I said it was tested good but he quickly pointed out that it’s tested without any load on it. So it should do what it’s designed to do under those conditions. Good news is I now know I can change a starter on my vehicle in about 10 minutes.
Thanks again for all the suggestions. I am sure it won’t be to long before I other questions.
Thanks again for all the suggestions. I am sure it won’t be to long before I other questions.
TriangleMan
Hates Particle Man
DRLsTry to not focus on the headlights in the second video.
irish_buffalo
Well-known member
I had an 84' Chevy truck that ran through starters. About once every six months it would go bad and need replaced. To this day no idea why? The good thing was it was always under warranty and easy as could be to change out (unhook the power cable and three easy bolts) with easy access.
I had to change out my 97 F250's starter and it took me two days. I had to take off the right front tire and it was an absolute pain to get to. I even had to use a mirror to see what I was doing (3 bolts) and to make matters worse I snapped off the bottom bolt. I put a new one on with only two bolts and talked to an old wrencher at work and asked if it would be ok? He said did you tighten down the two existing bolts really tight? Yup. He winked and said you'll be fine. Lol. Got another 100,000 miles out of the thing.
I always hated wrenching on cars/trucks but was always too poor to afford to pay anyone to do it. And this was pre-Youtube. I remember asking neighborhood nickel mechanics and heading to the library to look things up (Haynes I think?). Heck of a way to learn.
Well I’m back. The past 3 months or so I noticed my car was leaking something. It was just the size of a quarter over the length of a workday. It didn’t look like oil or smell like coolant. I wiped off underneath and couldn’t find anything obvious. Well on Wednesday it happened. I was taking my son to weight conditioning when steam came pouring out of the right side of my hood. I get home and see a huge puddle on the ground which was coolant. I thought I could smell it earlier in the day but it wasn’t overwhelming. Took out the million bolts and screws and found a cracked radiator. Replaced it no issues. Well when I turn the car on (2000 Jeep Cherokee) it had an extremely rough idle, and I could hear a noise like nitrogen leaking out of joint. Took me a while but I found a silver barbed fitting on the right side of the manifold that had nothing hooked to it. I put my finger over it and the car stalled right away. Tried t again with my finger over before my wife started it and it ran fine. Bought vinyl vacuum cover pack ($3.99), usedbthe one I needed and problem has gone away for today. I’ve never heard that before and the fitting looks brand new so I’m assuming it had a cover on it prior to the other day.
Back in the sixties, seventies and even into the eighties I did all the repair work on my cars. I ran cars at the drag strips built engines and could tear apart and put together almost anything on a car. I even had a time when I had a repair shop and made a living fixing other peoples cars. Now that I am old and cars run by computers and chips, I find it much easier to take it to a local shop or the dealer and say call me when it is fixed.
Does anyone have issues with getting parts from big box auto stores? My wife drives a Chevy Travers 2017. Check engine light came on, AC quit working and the temperature gauge started moving up and down very slowly. I bought a diagnostic tool after the nightmare I had with my Jeep. It said the Engine Temperature Control sensor was messed up. I YouTube the crap out of it and everything confirmed what I had e re sf and what the computer told me. Not super easy but easy enough to get the sensor out, but like with everything I try to fix, the plug connectors tab snapped as soon as I touched it. That tab locks the connector in place onto the male end of the sensor. Obviously now the plug won’t stay tight and get the same symptoms from time to time.
Every place I’ve been to has the sensor, which I don’t need, but they do not have the connector. The dealership has it but it’s almost $200, Amazon has a ton of them for cheap but no way to tell if it’ll 100% be for my wives car. Any suggestions?
Every place I’ve been to has the sensor, which I don’t need, but they do not have the connector. The dealership has it but it’s almost $200, Amazon has a ton of them for cheap but no way to tell if it’ll 100% be for my wives car. Any suggestions?