feriocious

Yesterday I went to start the car like I normally do, but everything on the cluster went blank when I turned the key to 'ON' position (like the battery was disconnected). So I took the key out, tried it again... and now the cluster lights are dim (like the battery is weak), there is really fast clicking noise coming from behind the dash, maybe below the steering column. When I try to start the car, the engine doesn't crank... some ticking/clicking noises?

I thought it was my main relay, b/c the funny noises seemed to stop when I took it out. So I went and replaced it today. This did not fix the problem. I checked my grounds, battery connections, they look fine. Played with my power windows, locks, etc... all behaving like my battery is weak. If I turn on the hazard lights, it sounds like a duck is farting behind my dash for like a sec and then they come on.

I ripped out the cluster to see if I could find out where that duck was hiding, but didnt find any ducks, exposed/grounded wires, or anything like that.

This is on a daily driven 95 4dr LX. Stock D15b7 motor. It ran perfectly fine the day before. Anyone have any clue what's going on? Is it possible my battery just self-destructed overnight? Should I just roll this car off a cliff and get a new one? This lack of transportation is killing me...

superfast666

sounds like a starter

Memnoch

iTrader: (1)

Take the battery to autozone or pepboys and have them test it, sounds like your battery isn't holding a full charge anymore and it may not be providing enough charge to crank the starter. Or if you have another one or a friend with same size battery swap it and test it.

Weird electrical things can occur from lack of power from the battery, I'm gonna rule out starter as a possibility cause you would still get 12 volts of power with the key in the ON position the car just wouldn't start, so don't go wasting money on it yet.

Do you have a voltmeter? If so test your battery, should be 12 volts with vehicle off.


and yes, batteries can just stop holding charges all of a sudden, its generally how it happens.

feriocious

Changed my battery and it fired right up. I can't believe I didn't try the simplest solution first... all those weird electrical things made me think I had a short or something.

Thanks for the input.

itsmejto

Usually the main relay will click like that when the battery is low or loose/corroded terminals. Its a magnetic coil that puls in the contacts, designed to work on 12vdc, when you try to start the engine, what life is left in the battery will drain immediately to the higher current starter curcuits, casing the voltage to drop and make realys drop out/click because of the lower votage. Get yourself a little walmart multi meter and read the little manual, you may save youself a lot of future heartache if you do.

Memnoch

iTrader: (1)

/Thread son.. Told ya