wont turn over after sitting all year

marrart

Registered User
have a 94 sc and it wont turn over after sitting for a year. its a project car after my daughter decided to run a stop sign as the sun was in her eyes. ran fine when i parked it, put a new battery in it and turn the key and doesnt seem like it has enough juice to crank over. any suggestions would be helpful, have to get to work so will look at it in the am. art
 
Is this the same one you had sitting for two years before (2003?), that wouldn't turn over then?

Could be rusted/gummed up and/or lousy electrical connections.

Turn the headlights on...anything?

- No? Start cleaning/tightening connections at the battery and work out from there. Check the ground strap on the front/passenger side of the motor to the body. Replace any cables that look green/crusted etc.

- Yes? If the headlights work, try to turn it over...
- - - - If the headlights dim, you have some battery connection, but drag on the motor. Worst case might mean taking the plugs out, and squirting in something to loosen things up and letting it soak for a bit. If the engine simply won't turn over, you can choose to either push it to start it (manual trans) or maybe face a tear-down.

- - - - If the headlights don't dim, you have connection issues beyond the battery. Check the starter solenoid connection in the engine compartment...check the ignition switch down on the steering column. Reset the fuel shutoff in the trunk. Manual trans...check the neutral/clutch-in safety switch at the pedal. Auto trans...if your car has one (not likely), check the 'foot-on-brake' safety switch relay inside the dash, lower left side of steering column.

Ken
 
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I agree with pulling the plugs. Once the plugs are out, try turning it over by hand with a breaker bar and socket. Have a helper watch for any coolant shooting out of any of the plug holes. If coolant does come out of a plug hole, a headgasket failed and filled a cylinder with coolant (I've had this happen before on a SC engine that sat for awhile). If you don't see any coolant, and you're able to turn it over by hand without too much effort, you may be ok to go.

If one of the cylinders did fill with coolant, and you attempted to start the car, start praying that nothing was damaged.

-Rod
 
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