booted_wishes09

the car was driving fine. I stoped at a friends house about 20 mins later i go to start my car. when i turn the key the first 2 positions its fine the cel comes on and goes off when i go in to the 3rd position you can hear a sound. to me it sounds like the starter then all of the dash lights go out the engine does NOT turn over. so i jump the car off and it starts right up i get home and try to start it it does all of the above again. I try to jump it but it dosent work this time. my father in law says its the starter i take it off and get it tested they say its bad. i put the new one on and it does the same as above. i tested the ignition switch per the haynes manual it looks good. now im stuck ...... has anyone had a problem like this any help ???


also it is a 1994 lx auto

poorman212

Cables are clean and tight-both ends of both cables. When you tuen the key, what is the voltage at the small wire on the starter....what is the voltage on the large cable.

booted_wishes09

yeah every thing is clean and tight the battery is good so i would assume the starter is getting voltage but i will check it out

booted_wishes09

with the key in 3rd position it jumps up to 13 volts and im getting 15 on the big wire

gregp09

check your ground strap goin to the motor or trans. how do you know the battery is good?

booted_wishes09

im getting good voltage, the battery is only a few months old, and i it still dosent start when i try to jump it sooo..... i think its not the battery

kegobeer

Take the starter back and have it tested.

booted_wishes09

well i took the starter back off and got it tested and it is good i was hoping when i put it back it would start...... but no it still does the same thing. i guess ill test the ignition switch again. but im starting to think its some kind of relay problem

booted_wishes09

help!!!!!

poorman212

Ok, so you have 15 v at the big cable and 13 v at the small wire, and the starter does not work. AMP's are the next in line.......have the battery tested.

booted_wishes09

im sure its not the battery i put the battery out of my car into it and it did the same thing

poorman212

so you have voltage into the starter and it doesn't work........

booted_wishes09

yes

poorman212

It is late for me so I'll keep this to my simple terms/mind....If "Chicken" or others are on may they will go into the details.

If you have proper voltage into the starter, then AMP's are the next thing to check. An elect motor needs the proper volts/amps to "work" (I checked with my loacl mechanical engineer to confirm). So you have volts, is the battery putting out the correct amps? If so then the motor has to be bad.....go to a different store and have them test both

booted_wishes09

ok its late i am also not a noob.... like i said i put a GOOD BATTERY out of a WORKING car and got the same thing. why would i take the starter back off and take it to another store and get it tested when i wacthed him test it and see that it works? does anyone else have any input?

poorman212

Because of your posts. You had to jump start it once then. Battery is good. Cables are clean tight. You are getting volts/amps to both wires to the starter and it doesn't work. You get it tested and it works.....so something in your or the "parts store" tests is not correct, it is an electrical motor, not that complicated if you "give it" the proper inputs.

Never said anything about being a "noob".


Done! We'll see what anyone else has to offer to help you....good day.

holmesnmanny

For 3.99 you can buy a wire brush battery terminal cleaner. Scrub the terminals really good. Again this is $3.99. Scrub all terminals, both on the battery, and the connections in the car. Put the battery back in and see if that fixes it. I've had my own situations where the terminals were completely tight however over time it manages to develop corrosion that is undetectable to the eye.