Suddenly wont start.

[BlueRooster]

Parked it for two weeks, and the starter wont turn over. All I get is a raspberry sound from the solenoid.

I charged the battery.
Changed the solenoid.
I am getting 13.6 at the battery and between the solenoid prongs.
I tightened the ground on the starter(it was already tight)

I dont know where to go from here...Any ideas?

[Blas]

Battery ground clean and tight?

[RedBarchetta]

Dane, check ALL of your ground connections, especially the one coming off the MSD box (assuming you're running an aftermarket ignition). 13.6 volts should be enough to turn the motor.

-Dean

[rokndad]

Did you add electrolyte or check the level in the battery prior to charging. I forgot that once and the battery, although showing a full charge, wasn't enough to kick over the engine until I topped off the cells and then trickle charged again at 4 amps

[STCinc]

If you have a jumper box, try that first.

I had to replace the battery in my car, it showed good static voltage but same symptoms.

[BlueRooster]

I just changed the battery...an optima red. It shows 12.6 at rest. I jumped it with my truck, and kept a trickle charger on for hours.

Ill try the ground on the MSD. Everything else seems to be OK?

It wouldnt be the starter at all....right? It has to be between the battery, and the solenoid and starter specifically the grounds between the three.

Thanks for the ideas.

[jams]

Is you solenoid stuck? You mentioned it made a noise. Do you hear it extending out and retracting as you turn the key?

If all of the electrically looks good then give the starter and solenoid a tap/whack. This may help if come free of it is stuck.

You can also remove the starter and apply voltage for a see if the solenoid pops out and starter turns. Be careful the starter has plenty of torque so clap it down somehow. Only do it for a sec or two. Someone else may have a better way of testing your starter. Auto parts stores may even test it for you.

Hope that helps.

[fsstnotch]

If you pull the starter, most parts stores will test it for you. I'd bet tapping on it with a screwdriver or something while you try cranking it, will get it to turn over.

Josh

[BlueRooster]

OK....The battery shows 12.6 at rest. The solenoid shows 12.6 at rest on the positive side.

When I crank it, the battery drops to 12.2. The solenoid drops to 6.7.

While cranking, the positive side of the starter also drops to 6.7 .

Do you think the cable that runs from the solenoid to the starter is grounding out?

[jams]

Do you smell anything burning. I would think you would hear some arcing or smell something burning if there was a wiring issue????

You might want to get that starter tested. It may not be the proble but at least you can rule it out.

[BlueRooster]

No I dont smell anything, and nothing is hot. I removed the wire from the starter side of the solenoid and I removed the starter. I cleaned all the contacts and checked the wires to make sure plastic coating wasnt frayed.

I realized that the top started bolt was loose. So I bolted the whole thing back together. Charged the battery, and the same problem is there......The starter doesnt turn over and solenoid makes a raspberry sound.

Do you guys think the battery could be showing 12.6 but not have the ability to deliver it? I hate to buy a brand new battery just to have the problem not get solved.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

Dane;

Turn on the key as if your trying to start the car and hold it in that postion for 10 seconds, then, turn it off and begin at the battery and put your hands on the cables and see which one if any are warm/hot,then work your way to the starter doing the same thing.... Hot negative cable will usually mean a bad ground, hot positive cable means bad connection or faulty starter, no cables warm/hot, bad battery......

Take the starter off and hook a good battery to some jumper cables, lay the starter on the floor and put one foot on it with your weight, hook the jumper cables directly to the starter and see if it will spin or not............

Hope this helps.......

David

[wrench]

Sounds like a bad contact in the solenoid

[Rwillia4]

Check your solenoid out, connect the two bolts, I don't know what your solennoid looks like but I have used pliers and screwdrivers in the past to by-pass it. Make sure the car is out of gear with the ignition on.

Did you check your engine to chassis ground cable?

[BDR561]

Have you just tried jumping the car to rule out the low battery? If the car won't jump start, then you have bad starter (you had already replaced the solenoid right).

My $$ are on a bad cell in the battery