Help Again

[ThaDyce17]

Okay I went over this girls house today and was chillin out which was a few hrs ago. We went to Wendys and everything then when I got ready to leave my car wldnt start. The battery terminal kept sputtering at first then after trying to crank it afew more times my dash lights started to dim and th ecar wouldn't even attempt to turn over. My hombody came and tried to jump me, after he attempted to jump me for abt 10 minutes all the dash lights lit up when I tried to crank it but the car still wouldn't turn over whats going on!!! afew details on the car....I recently got a new battery last week and I got a new started 2 months ago. Ive had the car for 3 yrs and it has 310,000 miles on it. I think it might be my altenator but thats not explaining why the dash lights will light up but the car wont turn over help!!!!

[96RS Alex]

Re: Help Again

310K is awesome miles. Signs point to an electrical overhaul. Best stop treatin yourself at Wendy's and treat yourself to a Chiltons Book on Camaros and read up on that if you have the time.

Time spent on your Camaro will pay off immensely! Tighten ALL electrical connections from ALT/ BATT / STARTER. Look for corrosion on the STARTER terminals. Any codes that flash at ya can be drawn and read from a free scan at AutoZone.

If ya had the car for only 3 yrs, do you have some obscene stereo rigged up all wrong? Maybe some car alarm wiring giving you the problems. More input from your car is needed.

[cam98aro]

Re: Help Again

sounds like a lose terminal or something.

i always keep a size 8 wrench in my car just incase (that has happened to me before)

[ThaDyce17]

Re: Help Again

Man at this point I mean.....I know I hooked up some stock speakers in the car but it really didn't start doin all this bs until I was driving it and all the water in my radiator had frozen. Then the car started to overheat and I guess pressure started to build up in the coolin gsystem and water shot everywhere. I mean i've been having battery problems latley which is why i got a new one and now the car doesn't wanna start and all the dash lights do is light up. ALTHOUGH afew months ago when my vat system went out we all thought it was my stater so when I got a new starter on it and they made a tap wire so anytime I needed to get power to the starter I could tap the battery and it'd start. Now when i tried it this time it would spark while the car was shut off but when my hombody tried to start it and I tried a tap it didn't spark or anything......Any hints?

[95firebird3.4]

Re: Help Again

holy crap what year is your car? you should post pics of the odometer

[95firebird3.4]

Re: Help Again

Man at this point I mean.....I know I hooked up some stock speakers in the car but it really didn't start doin all this bs until I was driving it and all the water in my radiator had frozen. Then the car started to overheat and I guess pressure started to build up in the coolin gsystem and water shot everywhere. I mean i've been having battery problems latley which is why i got a new one and now the car doesn't wanna start and all the dash lights do is light up. ALTHOUGH afew months ago when my vat system went out we all thought it was my stater so when I got a new starter on it and they made a tap wire so anytime I needed to get power to the starter I could tap the battery and it'd start. Now when i tried it this time it would spark while the car was shut off but when my hombody tried to start it and I tried a tap it didn't spark or anything......Any hints?

how long ago did the water freeze? that would have cracked your block.

[ThaDyce17]

Re: Help Again

maaan that happened.....damn I think it might have been like two weeks ago...and it's a 94 I think I will put some picks up of the odometer

[ThaDyce17]

Re: Help Again

My question is why when I try to start the car the battery won't spark the tap it kinda like it's not giving out any energy. Is it possible for all of my dash lights to light up and my terminal cables are loose?

[ThaDyce17]

Re: Help Again

My question is why when I try to start the car the battery won't spark the tap it kinda like it's not giving out any energy. Is it possible for all of my dash lights to light up and my terminal cables are loose?.....I dun mean to be a pest but I really want my car to start and im looking for any possible solution that might can help me

[cam98aro]

Re: Help Again

My question is why when I try to start the car the battery won't spark the tap it kinda like it's not giving out any energy. Is it possible for all of my dash lights to light up and my terminal cables are loose?.....I dun mean to be a pest but I really want my car to start and im looking for any possible solution that might can help me

yes, or a bad ground somewhere.

like i said before, i had a similar problem where my terminal was loose and when i went to start the car, my alarm was making a weird beeping noise and the only way to get it to stop was to unhook the battery and hook it back up.

thankfully i was at home when it happened, because i would have been stuck with my alarm going off till i could disconnect it

[ssms5411]

Re: Help Again

damm, 310,000 miles, rebuild the poor motor.J/K LOL It is probably something simple. Good luck.

[ThaDyce17]

Re: Help Again

Okay so I was going to try and tap the started with a hammer to see if it'd start and when I touch it come to find out I have a hell of an oil leak and it's ALL over the starter......wld that prevent it frm starting?

[speedyx14]

Re: Help Again

Oil can contaminate a starter and shorten its life span. Three things a car needs to start: 1.Spark 2.Fuel 3.Compression. Make sure your getting all three, but if the engine wont crank it is likely spark. And all of the spark components must be checked.

[Rob Bell]

Re: Help Again

First check the battery terminals and cables for corrosion. I would also sand them just in case, because sometimes there is corrosion that you cannot see, but still is enough to block current flow.

If that does not work, and the battery is truly dying on you, I would suggest you hook up a multimeter set on Amps to measure the current draw when the car is off. You hook up the multimeter leads in series between a battery terminal and the corresponding battery cable. Now you will see how much current is being drawn. If it's more than, say, 100 mA you've got a problem. There will always be some draw because of the clock, computer, radio, etc.

So, now that you have the multimeter measuring current draw, you start pulling fuses one at a time until the reading drops way down. Then you have found the problem circuit, and then you have to diagnose from there. If none of those works, disconnect the + cable from the alternator. Sometimes when the diodes in the alternator die, you get a short. Actually, if you have a current draw in excess of 1 amp I would start with the alternator. I had an alternator die once and it was drawing 2 amps. It was enough to run the battery totally dead in one night.

I wouldn't worry about the starter just yet. I'm sure the starter is designed to be somewhat water resistant because it's on the underside of the car and exposed to the elements. I've had old engines leak oil on starters with no issues other than it makes the thing filthy.

[cam98aro]

Re: Help Again

Oil can contaminate a starter and shorten its life span. Three things a car needs to start: 1.Spark 2.Fuel 3.Compression. Make sure your getting all three, but if the engine wont crank it is likely spark. And all of the spark components must be checked.

what?

an engine will still crank if its not getting spark.