Car Won't Start

Last night, my car wouldn't start. I popped the hood, noticed corrosion on the hot terminal, whacked it with a hammer, and it started right up. This morning, it won't start. I took the lead off the post, cleaned everything up with a terminal cleaning brush, put it back together, and nothing.

When I turn the key into the running position, all the dashboard lights come on, the day running headlights come on, and the fuel pump comes on. Then when I turn the key to the on position, it makes one click, and everything cuts off. If I let go of the key, everything immediately comes back on.

The battery is showing a full charge, and when I tried to put a charger on it for ****s and giggles, it did nothing. The alternator and starter/starter solenoid are all about a few months old. I have traced every wire I can see, and nothing is visibly grounding out anywhere. I am at a loss for what to do, anyone got any ideas?

MikeSr619 said:

perhaps when you hit it with a hammer you finally broke it all the way

Click to expand...

I was just outside messing with it and was coming on here to say I found the problem - the battery has about a 4 inch crack going from the terminal, down the side of the battery, and there is fluid leaking all over the compartment. Lovely.

MikeSr619 said:

somethings wrong..thats my best guess.

Click to expand...

I concur! This is most likely your problem, Extreme.

Lanky Livingston said:

I concur! This is most likely your problem, Extreme.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I knew I could count on you guys

And who would've guessed you'd both be right?

Would you believe the broken battery isn't the problem? FML.

Wondering if I might have a bad ignition coil, but have no idea how to tell, or where it's at. Looked at a Chilton's, and it didn't even mention one, so I really have no idea where to look.

Chances are it is either a bad starter or bad battery. These soft case batteries can still have enough power to run the lights and radio, but not start the car. The PCM needs a certain amount of voltage to operate.

If the battery has a seperated cell than it won't start the car. To jump newer cars you need a good set of jumper cables or a good jumper box.

If you replaced the battery check the starter. You may try hitting (light tapping) the starter. If there is a bad spot on the armature this may move it enough to where the car will start.

Something tells me he likes it in the willywomp.

riggins44 said:

Chances are it is either a bad starter or bad battery. These soft case batteries can still have enough power to run the lights and radio, but not start the car. The PCM needs a certain amount of voltage to operate.

If the battery has a seperated cell than it won't start the car. To jump newer cars you need a good set of jumper cables or a good jumper box.

If you replaced the battery check the starter. You may try hitting (light tapping) the starter. If there is a bad spot on the armature this may move it enough to where the car will start.

Click to expand...

I replaced the starter this past Summer, and bought 2 since the online price was less than half of the in store price. If I exhaust all other options, I will go ahead and replace the starter again, but not first since it was a chore and ruined my weekend the first go around.

The more I learn about ignition coils, the more I'm leaning toward that being the problem. A couple of months ago, I did a check engine scan on my car. I can't remember what the code was, but when I looked it up at the time, it said I would need to replace my EGR valve or my ignition coil soon. Today when I read up on how to tell if the coil is bad, it matched almost perfectly a lot of the really oddball symptoms my car has had for several months while I was driving, which I was never able to find the source of.

I went ahead and bought the new ignition coil today, and tomorrow I will take to the chore of putting that on. The coil itself is an easy part to replace, but since my car has the high end engine that was available, it comes with more things in the way. Since it's at the back of the engine underneath the throttle body, intake manifold and the headers are also in the way, it will take 10 times longer taking parts of my engine out than it will take to pull the plug and three bolts on the coil. If it doesn't solve the problem, it won't matter because I will most likely destroy my car in a fit of rage

MikeSr619 said:

sounds you got a doo hickey makin a wackadoo type noise in your willywomp.

Click to expand...

Actually, it's more like a wrzzzzy pollywomp, but there are probably several doohickeys involved. They are the bane of my existence.

Elephant said:

Something tells me he likes it in the willywomp.

Click to expand...

No, no no.....I said I stick it in your momma's willywomp. Man, you really twist my words

Just because replaced starter back in the summer doesn't mean it isn't bad. I've seen too many rebuilt starters fail in a short time. If its the starter than return it for credit.

If coil doesn't work let me know. Didn't I give you my number to call before if had car problems? If not let me know, could have had a senior moment.

I bought the starters new from an American company, hoping it would eliminate the chance of error. They were new, and entirely manufactured and assembled in Georgia.

I replaced the ignition coil, and it still doesn't start. I tried banging the starter and no go. For the hell of it, I even replaced all three cables coming off the battery, and the alternator cable, just because I had the cables and didn't want it to be something stupid like corrosion inside a cable. Still nothing.

I'm gonna go back out in a minute and replace the starter, so I'll let you know how that goes.


Edit: I just pulled the starter, and the small wire going into the solenoid is completely corroded and broken off. I have a hunch it might be the problem

MikeSr619 said:

so, you did basically NO troubleshooting but to hit it with a hammer and make a thread on a message board. You must be a hell of a mechanic!!

Click to expand...

So you basically did nothing in this thread, or any thread, to contribute to the topic at hand, but still would rather sling your absurd look at me BS. The more people try to help you, the more pathetic you become. Sorry if my idea of troubleshooting doesn't involve spending 3 hours disassembling something I replaced a few months ago. I also did 4 hours worth of work before ever submitting this thread, including troubleshooting.

No, I'm not a mechanic, but I've also never taken my car to a mechanic, and I did still do all the work. I'm sorry I can't be as wonderful of a human being as you all mighty master Mike and know how to do every single thing in life without ever asking a question

Again, you have derailed a thread and made things personal. I have seen admin ask you to knock it off in threads outside of the asylum, yet you don't. I think you need to make a trip to the doctor and make sure you have all your chromosomes. Guess you've been hitting the meth hard lately.

MikeSr619 said:

yeah, thats what i did. apparently you missed where I nailed it.

Click to expand...

The ignition coil was bad, I tested it. So it needed to be replaced anyway. The starter cable was fried, so I had to replace the starter. Failing to see where you "nailed it" by telling me my crappy battery that I said I was replacing needed to be replaced, when in fact that had nothing to do with why the car wasn't starting.

MikeSr619 said:

lol...youre funny. "cables are bad" doesnt really say the battery is crappy and that it needed replacing. "cables are bad" means that the cables are bad. not the battery. i know that when someone says to me "cables are bad" i usually dont assume they mean the battery bad. but hey, thats just me and everyone is obvioulsy different.

nah lanky, this is funny to me. he is all huffy and puffy and getting personal when we both know that he was joking too with all of us. he's just all mad now because he didnt get that when I said "cables are bad" i didnt mean the battery.

Click to expand...

I already said I replaced the cables, so suggesting something after the fact isn't too bright.......and I guess where you said the "battery", which you quoted yourself, you didn't mean the "battery" really. Although when I say "battery", then I quote "battery", I am usually talking about the "battery", but then again, that's just me.

As far as the joking around goes, I was joking back so you didn't get satisfaction out of thinking you were bothering me, because at first you weren't. Then you just couldn't let it go. When you couldn't get to me, then you had to resort to your typical jerkoff behavior, which I called you out on.

And I am huffy now, but not over you, you aren't worth me stressing over for any reason, ever. I don't care what someone like you does or says, your existence is completely irrelevant to me. I am huffy now, because I just got back from the ER because I crushed my finger when the socket wrench slipped off the starter bolt, then I had to finish fixing my pos car to drive myself to the hospital to get a tetanus shot, a stitch, a penicillin shot, and painkillers. The fact that you were being a blatant dick bag was just fuel to the fire.

But it's cool, I layed off of you for a while to try and be civil, but it's obvious you're incapable of it. I have no problem going back to telling you all about yourself.

MikeSr619 said:

lol..youre funny. "big mike is full of rage"

Click to expand...

Hey, I was being nice. For the children