Won't Start

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

well, I didn't go anywhere today, and I decided to go somewhere after dinner...but she won't start. I can hear the starter turn like hardly a quarter turn. It doesn't do much more than that. All the lights go out when I try, and they come back on when I let go of the key.

I think it's just too cold (it hasn't been warmer than 15F here for about 2-3 days), but my dad thinks that there might be something more (he says it could be anything from the solenoid, the starter being dead, or the battery doesn't have enough amps.)

What's you're opinion, guys? (2.4L engine, if it matters....)

odd thing: my mom's Caravan starts up with no problems at all. I was out driving yesterday, and she hasn't driven since Monday.

[SweetNLow]

ur battery is toast. u need a new one.

winters are extremely hard on batteries.

[bassboss]

yeah my buddies sunfire had the same problem. I was going to take the battery in for testing and as i took it out the + terminal just fell of.

but yeah his was doing the exact same thing. I'd take the battery in for testing before doing anything else. cause if you keep trying to crank it over you'll burn out the starter and/or the solenoid.

Good luck

[Oldsman]

starter and solenoid are fine. it's the battery.

try jumping it and if she starts up drive to the store and get new battery.

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

thanks for the help guys! I appreciate it!

[doubleN0alero]

move somplace warmer

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

^ good plan. Especially considering the lever to unlock the hood is frozen shut too. Man this month sucks.

[doubleN0alero]

LOL, we had a nice 2 hour delay this morning because of an "ice storm" LOL, what a joke...it was just raining.

[freeze12]

Originally posted by AlbinoMonkeyRat@Dec 15 2005, 09:50 AM
^ good plan. Especially considering the lever to unlock the hood is frozen shut too. Man this month sucks.
Quoted post

Wait till this afternoon and tomorrow! Glad I have Blizzaks!

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

^ thanks for reminding me. well, I have snow tires too, but the won't do me any good with my car stuck shut off. I gotta wait for my mom to come home so I can borrow her van to get a new battery. (Oh, I dumped a mop bucket of HOT water on the hood to at least free up the lever. Seems the cable was frozen in it's sheath/hose.)

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

all problems solved. back to normal. yaaaaay!

[doubleN0alero]

was it the battery then?

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

oh yes. definitely the battery.

funny thing is, when I first hooked it up, NOTHING worked. then I went to check the connections, accidentally touched my socket wrench handle to the negative terminal while I was tightening the positive terminal. It arched in my hand. it was pretty bright. I thought I would have blown a few fuses or something. Everything works just as it did before.

[freeze12]

Glad it was only the battery. Now spray some silicone on the door & trunk weatherstripping.

[Str33tRacer]

Yeah i thought it was the battery on my car as well. outside for 4 days... and all i got was half a turn, with a thump and then nothing.... all that lit up was the check engine light... so my moms car gave me a jump but get this.... my amp has 4 guage wire... we have an extented battery terminal for the GM vehicles if anyone has seen this from Tsunami... but the funny thing is is that when i went to get my battery checked they were like "you need to charge it and come in tomorrow" so we bought a battery in case it was indeed dead.... charged it for idk... and hour tops and then i went back there that day and they said "yep your batteries fine", returned the battery and was on my way.... so was the battery actually fine or was it just reading it because it just got charged?

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

Originally posted by freeze12@Dec 15 2005, 04:26 PM
Glad it was only the battery. Now spray some silicone on the door & trunk weatherstripping.
Quoted post

why bother with that? that's fine. the cable for the hood release was frozen somewhere under the hood....

but that's a good idea for someone that DOES have those problems

[misslindseysue]

My doors get frozen shut all the damn time. And with a couple you only have two chances to get in. I brought my ice scraper/snow brush into work with me today because I figured it was going to happen - we got a ton of snow during the day.

[Str33tRacer]

nobody with my problem???

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

Originally posted by Str33tRacer@Dec 17 2005, 11:20 AM
nobody with my problem???
Quoted post

I really don't know, but I think it was just charged which is why you got a good reading later. Sounds like the exact thing I had...except I knew my battery was roughly 3 years old. (It just doesn't seem like that long)