- This topic has 14 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 12 years ago by
.
-
Topic
-
After turning the car off for a couple minutes to drop off a tv for repair, I came back to start my car only to find that it cranked a couple times and died while still holding the key. I then released the key and turned it back again; cranked twice and died. Turned it again, then nothing. Not even a crank, just a faint click when the key is turned. I then cycled the gear shifter from P to D and back to P thinking maybe the neutral switch might’ve been causing any issues. Turned the key again, and nothing but the click. A bystander approached and had told me that he saw sparks coming from under the car when it was cranking. The rest of the car gets power and tested the battery, so I know it’s not a battery issue. Any input? Thanks.
-
Replies
-
Sounds like you probably have a loose cable going to your starter. Be careful not to tighten them too much because alot of times there are ceramic insulators that can crack and then you gotta buy a whole new starter. Next time you post something try to remember to put the year,make,model,and mileage of your vehicle. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
Sorry, its a 2000 lincoln ls v6 with 125777 miles. I’ll try to have the cables tightened. I hope nothing else fried in the process.
If it is a loose power cable going to the starter it most likely would have blown a fuse before it fried anything. Let us know what you find out.
eric has some great videos about checking battery cables and starters. check um out. let me know if you need a link to them.
does sound like a cable or the starter. a visual inspection
is needed here.maybe someone could crank the car while you
inspect.Not too sure where to go to turn the engine by hand on this car. But I do have a question, can the starter emit sparks due to internal failure of the starter itself?
[quote=”LS2000″ post=39719]Not too sure where to go to turn the engine by hand on this car. But I do have a question, can the starter emit sparks due to internal failure of the starter itself?[/quote]
anything is possible with an electrical device. The sparks
could be the starter solenoid or cable or a broken starter
post.alot of possibilities. need to find the cables and check.The description of sparks certainly points toward a bad connection somewhere. But, for clarity, how did you test the battery? Remember that all testing of connections and the battery should be dynamic, ie under load with current flowing.
You could just get under the vehicle grab the wires and shake them. If they don’t seem to be holding solid on the starter or you get sparks, disconnect the negative terminal from the battery then the positive. tighten the connection to the starter, hook the battery back up and try shaking the wires again. Note:If you have an anti-theft stereo you need to make sure you have the security code. If you disconnect the battery and don’t have the security code (unless you have an alternate power source for the stereo while the battery is disconnected) the stereo will not work after you are done.
You can also do a voltage drop test on the starting circuit if you suspect a wiring issue. That will quickly show you where your issues lay if your battery is in good health.
Thanks for all your help fellas. I replaced the starter and all is well now 😆 The car also seems to start up a lot quicker opposed to when I bought it. I really appreciate all of your help!
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.