Try to start and every thing dies
12-08-11, 02:27 PM
#1
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Try to start and every thing dies
Just puchased a 1994 LS400 this week. I knew the cluster needed fixed and have researched that issue and have a workable system to drive without tickets.
I drove it home - about 70 me on interstate and county roads - with no issues. Drove as expected, lots of power, smoothand quiet. My wife was thrilled and immediately moved her mobile office all to her new car, having given up on the 2000 Taurus that blew HG twice.
She drove it to work last night, about 10 miles. She called 'cause of noises that I could hear; sounded like like she had the windows open but ther wer all closed. In addition, sometimes it shook the car, soudning on the phone like she was running over rumbles strips. They it all smoother out and ran good to work....and to her second location with no issues....until she stopped the engine. I has refused to start since.
The auto settings on the steering wheel activated and the chimes sounded until she tryed to start. All stopped. No lights, no chimes, no moving the steering position.
Knowing the dependence on good clean power, I removed the old battery I'd been warned about by the PO, and installed a known good and fully charged battery. Things were better: steering moved, chimes,etc.
Turned key to start engine, saw the momentary flash of the cluster, a click and then nothing. Nada. Zilch. No lights, no chimes & no power column. What is going on & more importantly, How do I Get This Car Going?
Thanks in advance,
Mark
I drove it home - about 70 me on interstate and county roads - with no issues. Drove as expected, lots of power, smoothand quiet. My wife was thrilled and immediately moved her mobile office all to her new car, having given up on the 2000 Taurus that blew HG twice.
She drove it to work last night, about 10 miles. She called 'cause of noises that I could hear; sounded like like she had the windows open but ther wer all closed. In addition, sometimes it shook the car, soudning on the phone like she was running over rumbles strips. They it all smoother out and ran good to work....and to her second location with no issues....until she stopped the engine. I has refused to start since.
The auto settings on the steering wheel activated and the chimes sounded until she tryed to start. All stopped. No lights, no chimes, no moving the steering position.
Knowing the dependence on good clean power, I removed the old battery I'd been warned about by the PO, and installed a known good and fully charged battery. Things were better: steering moved, chimes,etc.
Turned key to start engine, saw the momentary flash of the cluster, a click and then nothing. Nada. Zilch. No lights, no chimes & no power column. What is going on & more importantly, How do I Get This Car Going?
Thanks in advance,
Mark
12-09-11, 11:44 AM
#2
Welcome to CL
Does the dash illuminate and all other electrical items work when the key is in the ACC position i.e. ignition on but without starting the engine?
It could be a faulty starter motor but it is a long job to get to it and therefore replace and I wouldn't want you to have it replaced unless 99% sure it is that.
It may be worth calling out an auto electrician for a professional diagnosis.
Does the dash illuminate and all other electrical items work when the key is in the ACC position i.e. ignition on but without starting the engine?
It could be a faulty starter motor but it is a long job to get to it and therefore replace and I wouldn't want you to have it replaced unless 99% sure it is that.
It may be worth calling out an auto electrician for a professional diagnosis.
12-09-11, 08:07 PM
#3
check battery cables for corrosion all the way down, maybe you have bad terminals, I just replaced mine today due to corrosion eating away at the "gold plating" took me a while to figure out but i replaced them and its good as new, test battery again just to make sure, that would be a good start, thats sounds like the same thing that happened to me earlier
12-14-11, 01:21 AM
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I went back and re-checked connections, applied wire brush and circuit cleaner and assured good conection. (wasn't working with daylight failing as before) The negative was not as tight as I'd thouht when I got to it, so it got the same attention. I did notice that the strands in the neg cable are showing some stress; the clamp was after market and loosley clamps - fixed that. The cable itself appears to be corroded under the insulation.
Same result, except that Isaac was looking at the battery when I turned the key. He saw the neg cable move slightly and some strands actually moved. He also heard a click at the rear center of the engine.
Friday, I sent Isaac and a friend to look into some way to splice the line so we could move it the mile or so to the house. After several failed attemps - in frustration - Elijah shook, twisted and spun the cable after which Isaac attached the cable.
Car started.
Seems that either the ground connection to the battery is problomatic OR the started in going out and the extra draw is causiing the cable problem or merely exacerbating itl.
My research tells me that a starter is a several hour job, requiring draining coolant, releasing fuel pressure and releasing a number of electical connectors on the way though the intake system to reach the starter...and also have to remove 2 layers of under enging covers to access other parts.
I am open to suggestions.
Same result, except that Isaac was looking at the battery when I turned the key. He saw the neg cable move slightly and some strands actually moved. He also heard a click at the rear center of the engine.
Friday, I sent Isaac and a friend to look into some way to splice the line so we could move it the mile or so to the house. After several failed attemps - in frustration - Elijah shook, twisted and spun the cable after which Isaac attached the cable.
Car started.
Seems that either the ground connection to the battery is problomatic OR the started in going out and the extra draw is causiing the cable problem or merely exacerbating itl.
My research tells me that a starter is a several hour job, requiring draining coolant, releasing fuel pressure and releasing a number of electical connectors on the way though the intake system to reach the starter...and also have to remove 2 layers of under enging covers to access other parts.
I am open to suggestions.
12-14-11, 12:00 PM
#7
When replacing the ground, get under the car and look under the ac compressor for a bracket with a few thick wires. Find the black one with a thick grey stripe that matches the neg wire up by the batt terminal. Iirc, stock is 42", but I ran a 36" across the top of the battery, for fear that if I broke open the wire bundles under the battery tray id break something.
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12-15-11, 06:55 PM
#9
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I finally found a cable extender. I call it a cable stretcher.
Picked it up at O'Reily's Auto Parts for about $8, cut off the bad cable and stripped about 1/2" of covering. The copper looked nice so I twisted it to get a tighter bundle and slipped the barrel end of the extender over the strands and tightened the barrel clamp. I cleaned up the battery post, which didn't really need it after the past attempts at getting things going. The included clamp is the loop type ant tighted up easily enough with a socket.
The car started right up. I also noticed that the working interior lights are much brighter.
My wife has now driven without issue for 2 days.
The starter now takes off instantly whereas it seemed to tired when it did start. A good sigh.
Thanks the input.
Mark
Picked it up at O'Reily's Auto Parts for about $8, cut off the bad cable and stripped about 1/2" of covering. The copper looked nice so I twisted it to get a tighter bundle and slipped the barrel end of the extender over the strands and tightened the barrel clamp. I cleaned up the battery post, which didn't really need it after the past attempts at getting things going. The included clamp is the loop type ant tighted up easily enough with a socket.
The car started right up. I also noticed that the working interior lights are much brighter.
My wife has now driven without issue for 2 days.
The starter now takes off instantly whereas it seemed to tired when it did start. A good sigh.
Thanks the input.
Mark
12-16-11, 11:32 AM
#10
I finally found a cable extender. I call it a cable stretcher.
Picked it up at O'Reily's Auto Parts for about $8, cut off the bad cable and stripped about 1/2" of covering. The copper looked nice so I twisted it to get a tighter bundle and slipped the barrel end of the extender over the strands and tightened the barrel clamp. I cleaned up the battery post, which didn't really need it after the past attempts at getting things going. The included clamp is the loop type ant tighted up easily enough with a socket.
The car started right up. I also noticed that the working interior lights are much brighter.
My wife has now driven without issue for 2 days.
The starter now takes off instantly whereas it seemed to tired when it did start. A good sigh.
Thanks the input.
Mark
Picked it up at O'Reily's Auto Parts for about $8, cut off the bad cable and stripped about 1/2" of covering. The copper looked nice so I twisted it to get a tighter bundle and slipped the barrel end of the extender over the strands and tightened the barrel clamp. I cleaned up the battery post, which didn't really need it after the past attempts at getting things going. The included clamp is the loop type ant tighted up easily enough with a socket.
The car started right up. I also noticed that the working interior lights are much brighter.
My wife has now driven without issue for 2 days.
The starter now takes off instantly whereas it seemed to tired when it did start. A good sigh.
Thanks the input.
Mark
12-16-11, 11:52 PM
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Sorry, no pics.Thought aobout it, but my phone doesn't have a flash. I ended up working in the driveway after dusk.
I only removed a few inches to get to good cable and spiced there.
I only removed a few inches to get to good cable and spiced there.
12-17-11, 12:06 AM
#13
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NOW, I have a new thing. My wife mentioned that it started to "rumble" getting worse as she drove then suddenly sounded to her that it a plugged pipe had blown open (her description of the sound) and it ran fine.
Today, I took it out for some errands, all in town. When leaving the driveway, it seemed reticent to move, as if the brakes were hanging up. 3 stops, longest leg about 2 miles back to home. It's behaviour degraded to the poind that it felt like I had a flat tire complete with the tire flopping sound and the car was shuddering badtly. The last leg was about a mile on the hiway which I took slow, about 45, which was interesting.
I checked the wheels for heat - none, There was the smell of hot rubber...
No flat.
Where would you start?
Today, I took it out for some errands, all in town. When leaving the driveway, it seemed reticent to move, as if the brakes were hanging up. 3 stops, longest leg about 2 miles back to home. It's behaviour degraded to the poind that it felt like I had a flat tire complete with the tire flopping sound and the car was shuddering badtly. The last leg was about a mile on the hiway which I took slow, about 45, which was interesting.
I checked the wheels for heat - none, There was the smell of hot rubber...
No flat.
Where would you start?
Last edited by mehall; 12-17-11 at 12:10 AM.