ugh so I came out to my car the other morning and it wouldnt start. not the usual "click click click" evident of a dead battery, but just one click and then nothing (while keeping the key turned). The battery still showed just under 13 volts. So I put in a new starter. Still the same thing. So I put in a new starter solenoid. Still the same thing. I had already put in a new battery, regulator, and alternator a few months ago. I have no idea whats going on here. I've already been given plenty of advice on how to use a voltage meter to test if voltage is getting to the starter or through the solenoid, yada yada yada If anybody has run into similar problems please let me know. Any advice helps here guys. thanks
Pull the spark plugs out, and try it. Just to see if the engine will turn over. Then you will know if you have it all wired correctly and everything is working. If it spins really slowly, then you will need to look into another battery. Might have 13 volts, but not putting out any amps, which is where the power is.
Similar thing happened to me a couple weeks ago. With the engine off, the carb had let gas flow down and fill up a cylinder or two. Just click-thump. Pulling the plugs fixed it, too, just pushed all the gas out.
Do you have the battery grounded to the frame of the car as well as the engine grounded to the frame?
This sounds dangerous but Ill give it a try lol. I've been having bad seals/leaking problems lately so that is a real possibility. I believe the battery is grounded to the block only. I'll take a look and make sure when I can. Should it be grounded to both?
I had a car that was slowly leaking coolant into one of the cylinders. If you drove the car daily, there was no sign of any problem. I found out about it one weekend after letting it sit for a couple of days. The cylinder filled with coolant and hydro locked the engine. After pulling the plugs and engaging the starter it vomited out the coolant and was good for another day.
How did that car run, with the coolant leaking? Sounds like a blown head gasket. It would have run hot and crappy.
Up until it hydro locked I was unaware of any problems, so the leak must have been slow. Once I found out there was a problem I fixed it as I am sure it would only have gotten worse until it would have been belching water from the exhaust.
Just pulled all the spark plugs and turned the key, still got the same thing. Although it may have done a slightly longer click, not sure lol. I checked my battery ground and it goes straight from the battery terminal to the frame, no engine ground. But the cable looks fine to me.... Still no clue
At least now you know it is an electrical issue. Not wired up right. Unless engine is seized, but I doubt it.
But nothing changed between when I drove it home one night and tried to start it the next day. nothing at all changed. It was wired up fine and ran fine for 2 years and then for it to all of a sudden be bad wiring? doesn't make sense... I even just put a new ground cable on and that didn't do anything either...
Oh, I wasn't aware of that. I thought you put in the new stuff and then it wouldn't run. Ok, back to the seized engine theory. Pull the spark plugs again, put a socket and ratchet on the big bolt in the front of the engine inside the crankshaft pulley. See if it turns. It should turn fairly easily. If not, we need to start looking at other things... If it will not turn, try to turn it the other way, and see if you feel any hard stops, or grinding feelings/sounds. Is this a 6 or 8 cylinder? If it DOES turn freely, put spark plugs back in and jump it off another car.
