Starting Issues?

[RedZMonte]

OK, so the car has been starting hard for a while now. Sometimes it fires right up, other times (became more frequent) it will not even crank.... I turn the key, all the lights go off and the radio memory wipes out. After about 3-5 attmepts (turn key a few times) it will finally will start.

NOW i just replaced the starter and it fired up like 8x in a row. pulled it out of the shop and now nothing, key turns makes a single TICK noise and nothing... 3 or so attempts later it fires up.... Whats next? Battery? bad starter out of the box? the starter did sound a little funny on the disengage (like it was not pulling out fast enough when the engine started)...

MAY OR MAY NOT be related but some times my dash is a little dim and then i hear a click like a relay and it gets brighter, when its dim the needles "Twitch" when the blinker is on.... If that makes sence?

Thanks for the help.

S

[bszopi]

I'd look into the ignition switch as a possibility.

[Schurkey]

IF turning the key results in dim lights and no power to keep the clock going...


...I'd be CLEANING AND TIGHTENING every battery cable connection I could find. This to include the GROUND side of the circuit as well.

Textbook case of voltage drop between battery and the various loads; with the starter motor acting as a short-circuit due to the immensely high amperage draw typical of such a large electric motor.

While the battery itself "could" be suspect, in this case it seems to be an intermittent problem; and if it was a defective battery it'd NEVER start properly.

[86FieroSEv6]

^^^ THIS ^^^

[RedZMonte]

thank you everyone for your help!

found 2 things
* Defective starter right out of the box and battery tested good but low current at the other end of the cable. (my mechanic found this one)
* battery cable connection was wrapped in electrical and apparently the tape glue got warm enough to melt and seep into the connection and cause the connection to fail... (yes it was ghetto rigged...) cleaned the connection and worked like a charm.

S

[pocket-rocket]

I tend to solder stuff a lot, even the big cables like where the battery terminals hook to the wire. Makes stuff like your #2 problem impossible. Corrosion can't penetrate solder.

[RedZMonte]

yeah, i was gunna do that but then decided i will fix ghetto rigging and down the road i will restring it with 1 piece of 2 gauge

S

[pocket-rocket]

Yeah, I can't for the life of me see why people ghetto rig in the first place. I mean, sure, if you are stranded and it will get you home, but later down the road stuff like this happens. I've been told the really heavy gauge stuff they use for huge car stereos with the fine strand wire works good for stuff like this. I did mine with some heavy thick strand stuff that didn't like to flex well. It works, but when I mess with the car this spring, I'm going to change it out for the fine strand stuff. It's much easier to work with.

[Schurkey]

If you're buying "special" cable for use in an automobile, you'd do well to pay attention to the cable insulation.

I made jumper cables from bulk welding cable, and the insulation doesn't flex when its cold. Every winter I have to tape more and more of the cable because the insulation falls off in chunks.

I get by with this because I seldom use the jumper cables--but--if this cable were a permanent fixture on my vehicle, I'd have had a short to ground and a burnt car ages ago.

[RedZMonte]

Update... my Ghetto "fix" helped but didnt completely cure the problem... would randomly get screwy.... Just pulled the 4 gauge "ghetto fixed wire" out and ran some fine strand 2 gauge monster cable i got from amazon. fit thew the same hole in the firewall i made originally so it was easy to run. had a good chunk extra left after making the power and ground cables (7' odd a 25' roll). So far everything seems to work much better. i did use crimp terminals for the 2 gauge but i think it will not give me issues. BTW 2 gauge is a bitch to crimp!

S

[pocket-rocket]

I'm not sure on the gauge, but stuff we use at work is almost as big around as my pinky. The set of crimpers they use at work are almost 3 feet long and resemble huge bolt cutters more than they look like crimpers from a distance.

[RedZMonte]

Lol yeah, mine is more like the size of my thumb.... (i got these small hands!). Best Buy's install guy had a modified set of bolt cutters for the big gauge crimping so thats what i used...

[Schurkey]

I prefer the crimping tools that you set on a stable surface...and beat 'em with a hammer.



Thirty bucks from a handful of suppliers; the photo is from

http://crimpsupply.com/tools/crimping-tools/hammer-indent-crimper.html

Hammer Indent Crimper Part # 37A12007

Works with cable up to 4-0 (0000 gauge)