So out of nowhere, my car stopped turning over. No lights, no radio, no power anything. I thought it must be the common ps fluid on alternator problem, and when I checked, sure enough my power steering pump had dumped its contents onto my alternator. So I replaced my alternator and rebuilt my pump, then went to jump my car. Lights came on, but no crank, only a single "pop". Battery voltage perfectly fine and charged. Tried the neutral start trick. Reset the anti-theft system. Replaced the starter relay and main fuse. Nothing except that pop. I was hesitant to address the starter because its a big job, and I didn't think a starter would fail completely out of nowhere (usually its a gradual thing). I currently have my intake off and have clear view of the starter, and was wondering if there is a way to bench test it while the unit is still mounted in the car. Also, are there any other things I might be missing that would cause the car to not even attempt to crank? I'm 99% sure it must be starter contacts or the motor itself, but don't want to be disappointed yet again when I replace it and the car still doesn't start.

 

How old is your battery?

What brand is it?

You do not mention whether or not your alternator trouble light illuminated before the incident.

Have you tried using a different battery?

If replacing, have had good success with Interstae brand.

 

I know it is not my battery because I've tested the voltage with a multimeter and it is perfectly fine, and also the car does not attempt to start even when hooked up with jumper cables to another car. I would not know if my alternator light came on, because as stated in the original listing my car completely died. No lights, no dash, no anything.

 

I replaced a ten year old MTP-24 in my 96 just as preventive maintenance. It was an excellent battery. I don’t know if they are as good as they used to be but they were the best

 

+1.

 

i suspect the anti theft is causing the starter to not engage - immobilizer. what did you do to reset it?

 

The immobilizer does not prevent to run the starter, you know. It only disables the firing.

 

I saw on a different thread a tutorial on it, basically just got out of the car and locked, unlocked it 4 times.

 

How did you test that? Static voltage is 100% different than loaded voltage? Where did you take the voltage drop? Across the battery? On the terminal post or terminal or wire? Did you check the voltage drop on the cables?

If you just checked your battery not loaded then you could easily have 12+ volts not loaded, and not have any ability to carry current. You can have a battery that is 12 volts and won't light a glove box light.

I would really suggest that you have not actually tested your battery. To test the voltage , cranking voltage, you must substitute a load. how many amps does a starter pull? the easy answer is a lot. If you didn't load it with 100+ amps you didn't do a test.

Here is a pro explaining what you need to do.

 

I'm not exactly sure, my dad did a few tests with his multimeter and told me that the battery seemed fine and there was no reason for it to be the problem. However, the car did not start even when hooked up to another running car with jumper cables. Wouldn't that mean the battery could not be the cause of the problem?

 

It depends on how he tested it.
Think of the electricity like water. If you the connects are not tight it will leak out. So think about the connection from the batter to the post, the post to the cable, the cable integrity. The same on the starter and the alternator. Are you all 100% sure you even have the battery cables tight? Follow the power!
You have power at the battery, maybe. Follow that to the starter. do you have power there? You will have to check it via cranking, or loaded! You cannot check voltage without loading the circuit. If you do not then you have a problem somewhere in there. Is the starter getting the signal from the key switch to turn on? Follow what your worked on. Easiest first path I would check.

Watch that video! It should give you a basic understanding on what you are looking at. If its beyond your abilities, take it somewhere and have it fixed. No shame in that at all. And if you want to learn ask the folks what they found and how they found it. Most local shops I use are excited to explain things to me. Just make sure you're not a "know it all there" Not suggesting you are just make sure you recognize they are the experts and you are there to learn and understand.

 

I would start with simple thing first, check the ground.

 

good to know! thanks for the correction.

 

It depend how much power left in your battery. I cannot jump start my 92 LS400 with weak battery. I have to charge battery to 90+% full, than I start my car.
Use automotive load battery tester to check your battery health after full charge.

 

Do you hear any click sound? First search the forum how starter relay makes a clicking noise and solenoid making a clicking noise and go from there. Starter replacement isnt very complex but so labor intensive.