argh..car wont start..please help..

35tbird

Registered User
hi..i'm just wondering if this is my starter or battery(i hope it's a battery)

i'm turning the ignition and the car makes a small beeping noise as i do so and it only goes up to 300 or 400 rpm and sounds like it's struggling to crank...and it will not turn over.......


any help?







thanks
 
oh wow..i tried it again and no beep or anyting....it just clicks and wont even go over 50 rpm!












salute
kevin
 
well..one last time..it's now a rapid fire machine gun sound...so i'm done with it....i guess i just wont drive anymore...lol
 
Sounds like a bad battery connection, or the battery is going bad. I would clean the connections first, then if that doesn't work, check the battery. Typically, if the starter is not getting enough juice, the solenoid will just clatter (like the machine gun you mentioned) because it doesn't have enough power to turn the engine over. If the battery is bad, try to determine why....age, temperature (too hot or cold can kill one), or something draining current (stuck relay, lights left on, etc.)
 
thanks..i'll check it out...i just gotta wait for a friend that has my cables..lol


i think it's old but somethig concerns me...i believe a 1990 sc should have a batter with a somethin like 550 cold caranking amps...mine has 875......that couldn't hurt it could it? or maybe be a reason it's drained...







thanks again
 
Well, the one that seems to cause the most problems is the one that controls the Teves Mark II hydraulic pump (our ABS unit). The relay tends to fail and that will sometime cause it to stick (closed contacts). This causes the hydraulic pump to run until the battery is dead (or the pump burns up). You should be able to hear the pump running when you turn off the key if the relay sticks. Check for a humming sound on the drivers side.
 
i agree with ljgriggs, once you get some cables and if it starts up disconnect the poss. battery cable while it's still running if the car stalls then your alternator is not charging and you will need a new one.
joe
 
well...i tried to start it 1 last time when my friend got here..and the battery completely went dead...


so we took it out and it's chargin right now...the funny thing is...i have only a very small amount of water in it.....
 
If it was dry, then it was overcharged until the electrolyte boiled off. Fill it with DISTILLED water if the battery has any value. Minerals in regular tap water will shorten battery life. While waiting for it to charge up, go to the auto parts store and buy a cheap little bead battery tester. After charging it up, check to see that all 6 cells are fully charged. If any of the cells is way lower than the others, then that cell is bad and you'll need a new battery.

After you get it charged and get the car started, take a voltmeter and measure the DC voltage across the battery terminals. It should be 13.5-15 Volts. Although, 15 is a bit high. More than that means your alternator is overcharging the battery. Unfortunately, a replacement alternator is not cheap.

Hope this helps:)
 
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