car will not start
#1
11-19-2005, 11:50 AM
car will not start
FOR THE LAST WEEK MY 1995 CORVETTE WOULD MAKE A CLICKING SOUND WHEN I TURNED THE KEY AND THAN IT STARTED, THAN ON FRIDAY IT JUST CLICKED. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, BUT HAD IT TESTED AND IT IS OK. COULD IT BE THE COIL OR WHAT?
#2
11-19-2005, 09:13 PM
RE: car will not start
No its not the coil. No way. The click (which is the solenoid enaging to drive the starter gear into the ring gear on the starter, means it is one of these things:
the battery (10% likely) - you say it was tested but about a third of tested batteries are bad enough that they can't start the car anyway. The clicking means you are getting SOME power from the battery but semi-bad batteries had enough juice to hit the solenoid but not enough to run the starter. You could put your battery on a charger for about 10-60 minutes (depending on the amps of charge) until it is likely to be full, then, WITH the charger still connected (it helps), try to start it. If if starts, the battery was good but not good enough: replace it.
the contacts on the battery (10% probability, but easy to do). Remove the battery terminal clamps on both positive and negative cables and clean them aggressively: I use about 75 grit sandpaper on both the battery cable clamps and the posts of the battery, until I see shiny metal, then brush them off with a dry rag and reconnect. If that doesn't fix it, then . .
contacts on the starter (10%): More work 'cause you got to get under the car, but similarly disconnect the power cable to the starter and clean both cable and starter terminal. If this doesn't start it,
Then it might be dirty/worn starter motor brushes (25%): what happens is after about 7-10 years, the starter brushes wear down, as they do, the springs behind them push them forward, but springs that have "lengthened" as they travel (the brushes are shorter, hence the springs have lengthened) and springs that have sat for 10 years, will be weak - pooint being they may not be pressing the brushes against the motor armature contacts hard enough. Take a hammer (a rubber covered one is best) and tap the side the the starter motor (the bigger of the two cylinders) several times, fairly hard, but not too hard. Try to start it. If it starts, then the starter is semi-bad and you need to replace it, but you can "get by" for a day or two or a week if necessary: carrry the hammer as you might have to do this to start it -- just realize one day the hammer trick won't work anymore (probably when its raining and you'vbe just picked up someone you want to impress).
Starter is shot to sh*t (35% likely): the hammer trick does nothing. Very likely a new starter will do the trick. I've had three go out on vettes or Camaros and I always go the Advanced Auto and buy a new one with a lifetime guarrantee, and its about 66% of the cost of one from the dealer.
The probabilities add up to 90% - could be something else, but 9 times out of ten this will fix it.
the battery (10% likely) - you say it was tested but about a third of tested batteries are bad enough that they can't start the car anyway. The clicking means you are getting SOME power from the battery but semi-bad batteries had enough juice to hit the solenoid but not enough to run the starter. You could put your battery on a charger for about 10-60 minutes (depending on the amps of charge) until it is likely to be full, then, WITH the charger still connected (it helps), try to start it. If if starts, the battery was good but not good enough: replace it.
the contacts on the battery (10% probability, but easy to do). Remove the battery terminal clamps on both positive and negative cables and clean them aggressively: I use about 75 grit sandpaper on both the battery cable clamps and the posts of the battery, until I see shiny metal, then brush them off with a dry rag and reconnect. If that doesn't fix it, then . .
contacts on the starter (10%): More work 'cause you got to get under the car, but similarly disconnect the power cable to the starter and clean both cable and starter terminal. If this doesn't start it,
Then it might be dirty/worn starter motor brushes (25%): what happens is after about 7-10 years, the starter brushes wear down, as they do, the springs behind them push them forward, but springs that have "lengthened" as they travel (the brushes are shorter, hence the springs have lengthened) and springs that have sat for 10 years, will be weak - pooint being they may not be pressing the brushes against the motor armature contacts hard enough. Take a hammer (a rubber covered one is best) and tap the side the the starter motor (the bigger of the two cylinders) several times, fairly hard, but not too hard. Try to start it. If it starts, then the starter is semi-bad and you need to replace it, but you can "get by" for a day or two or a week if necessary: carrry the hammer as you might have to do this to start it -- just realize one day the hammer trick won't work anymore (probably when its raining and you'vbe just picked up someone you want to impress).
Starter is shot to sh*t (35% likely): the hammer trick does nothing. Very likely a new starter will do the trick. I've had three go out on vettes or Camaros and I always go the Advanced Auto and buy a new one with a lifetime guarrantee, and its about 66% of the cost of one from the dealer.
The probabilities add up to 90% - could be something else, but 9 times out of ten this will fix it.
#4
11-20-2005, 11:25 PM
RE: car will not start
Lee, you are right on the money. I answered this in the C4 forum. I am very much a hands on kinda guy so I was able to repair my starter myself. I have my own lath and shop and such. If I had to pay someone to do what I did it would be so much cheaper to just replace the starter.
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