Car won't start.

[ion] C2 · 03-24-2009, 02:31 PM

On Sunday I tuned. After tuning I shut my car off. When I went to turn it back on, all vehicle power cut off as soon as I started to turn the key. Nothing I did with the key would change anything about that. All lights, gauges, all power gone.

About a minute later, all of my gauges maxed out and interior lights were all on. (Car door was open and the key was in ON) Power came back and I started the car. The car runs perfectly fine.

Today I got in the car, started it up no problem, logging with HPTuners, everything looks absolutely perfect. Car runs spectacularly. Got to CVS, when I came back out and went to start the car, as soon as I started to turn the key through ACC->ON-> the lights on the dash went out and all vehicle power once again shut off.

So I looked around the engine bay, played with wires in my fuse panel and under my dash where my gauges/meth/interior lighting/alarm are wired in, nothing. Soon thereafter I noticed power was back when I put the key in and turned it. Started the car, ran flawlessly, drove back to the dorm. Which is where I am right now, sitting in the car, trying to figure this out.

It's like the battery keeps getting disconnected. Only seems to occur when I put my key in and start to cycle it to START. And it didn't happen when I went to drive it for the first time today. WTF?

NickAlero2000 · 03-24-2009, 02:33 PM

Need a battery?

CactusWill · 03-24-2009, 02:33 PM

When you tuned on sunday, are you meaning you just tuned on your computer, or did you do anything mechanically?

First thing I would do is disconnect the battery terminals and check them for corrosion.

[ion] C2 · 03-24-2009, 02:37 PM

@Nick: It has been cranking slow lately at times...

@CactusWill: I just tuned the computer, the calibration write didn't fail, and the tune is on the car. All I changed was fueling. I don't think that is related. The day before, though, I hooked up my methanol kit which involved wiring ignition power to the pump. I pulled my radio fuse (in which my gauges and pump and such are wired into) and it still didn't change anything. I have poor wiring that powers my alarm and interior floor lighting running to the cigarette lighter though.

On Sunday Cliff suggested it may be a grounding issue.

I'm in the car right now and it doesn't seem to want to get power back this time lol. I know at Speed Industry my battery was sitting around for a week on the ground. Maybe the amount of disuse weakened its charge. Or maybe it is because of writing the new calibration to the PCM. Considering it happened immediately after writing it.

CactusWill · 03-24-2009, 02:50 PM

Well, I'll tell you my recent experience.

I would go out to the car after sitting overnight, turn the key and nothing. Take the key out, turn it again, nothing. 2-3 more times then it would catch, crank slowly then start. Once it started, it would be fine for the rest of that day.

Take the car to autozone. They check both the battery and the alternator, both are o-k.

So a couple days later, I decide to replace the battery anyways. So I take it out, take to the store and replace it. When I replace it, I look at the inside of the battery terminals. They are caked with corrosion. So I clean the terminals, put new battery in, been fine ever since.

kwhauck · 03-24-2009, 02:48 PM

sounds like a ground issue to me......

leoalero · 03-24-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwhauck

sounds like a ground issue to me......

x2 or the battery not connected properly,but you said you checked it,last time it happened to me my starter motor was badly connected!

[ion] C2 · 03-24-2009, 02:52 PM

My battery is dead. My friend with his 500whp Cobra showed up and we jumped my car. As soon as the leads were connected my interior had power again. Started up fine.

Figures. 3 year warranty full replacement on the battery. Had the battery for about 3 years and 3 months.

cherrington17 · 03-24-2009, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [ion] C2

My battery is dead. My friend with his 500whp Cobra showed up and we jumped my car. As soon as the leads were connected my interior had power again. Started up fine.

Figures. 3 year warranty full replacement on the battery. Had the battery for about 3 years and 3 months.

why did the type of car matter.... you could have powered it off a scooter for all we care...

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowdygls

Does the speed shop have a cement floor? I've heard a cement floor will kill a battery if left on it for to long. Cardboard between batt and floor will prevent this.

why is that? batteries have plastic shielding... why does concrete floors make a difference?

cherrington17 · 03-24-2009, 02:58 PM

good job. next time don't leave your headlights on for 3 weeks.

rowdygls · 03-24-2009, 03:05 PM

Does the speed shop have a cement floor? I've heard a cement floor will kill a battery if left on it for to long. Cardboard between batt and floor will prevent this.

CactusWill · 03-24-2009, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowdygls

Does the speed shop have a cement floor? I've heard a cement floor will kill a battery if left on it for to long. Cardboard between batt and floor will prevent this.

This used to be the case with the old style of batteries that cars originally used back in the day. Its not the case anymore with modern auto batteries tho.

clutch1 · 07-06-2009, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowdygls

Does the speed shop have a cement floor? I've heard a cement floor will kill a battery if left on it for to long. Cardboard between batt and floor will prevent this.

Truth. We discussed it in auto-electrical class. The reason escapes me as well, but indeed if you leave it on that floor too long it'll die.

Cliff8928 · 07-07-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clutch1

Truth. We discussed it in auto-electrical class. The reason escapes me as well, but indeed if you leave it on that floor too long it'll die.

Concrete is alkaline.

circeansleeper · 03-24-2009, 03:14 PM

ION! I got your facebook message and you didn't wait for me to call you a loser!

But really, that blows. And I can't help ya. Sorry. But here's a creepy guy with a feather in his hat -->

heineck · 03-24-2009, 03:14 PM

the story woulda been cooler if it was a scooter

rowdygls · 03-24-2009, 03:16 PM

Chris...I have no idea. I might be wrong, but I thought I heard that somewhere. Also something similar happened to my battery when it was getting repainted or header installation. Battery sat to long on the cement floor at the body shop and I needed it to be jumped.

cherrington17 · 03-24-2009, 03:17 PM

i've definitely heard it before too. I've just never heard a good explanation as to why it may be true...

[ion] C2 · 03-24-2009, 03:40 PM

The problem wasn't that the floor would ruin the battery, it's that the battery can ruin the floor. The old batteries with sloppy acid all over the place.

The problem nowadays is just because the cold earth. A colder battery will lose its charge faster than a room temperature battery. It was on a cement floor.

The type of car matters because it's an awesome car lol.

cherrington17 · 03-24-2009, 03:43 PM

batteries being cold doesn't cause them to lose charge... it slows the chemical reaction, resulting in less Amps. If you had a battery really REALLY cold.. then warmed it up.. there isn't less chemical in it now... it returns to its fully functional self.

learn chemistry, ya putz!