car wont start at all

frankiexnj

New Member
Okay so just yesterday I was driving and pulling up too a stop sign and put the car in neutral it died completely but battery was still on lights dash lit up all of it I checked for loose battery connections they were good I replaced the starter, battery, connections and even the main relay in the passenger side glove box .. I go to turn the engine Oeover And all I get is a simple click or multiple clicks sometimes I ran a meter from the battery to starter 12v+ I ran it to the ignition wire on the starter and had a friend crank the car I only get 4-5 volts it sounds like the starter isn't even expanding out to Catch the flywheel it's just a clicking noise .... if anyone can help I'd TRULY appreciate it
:(

Sorry it's a 97 ek hatch single cam d series motor no v Tecc manual trans
 

Kali Hissle

SICKSPEED
Registered VIP
Your starter is bad it should spin loud and fast
 


aneidiaztorres

New Member
Check for a variety of components:
-starter
-battery and terminals
-alternator

Good luck!

It's funny. I just went outside earlier and tried to start my hatch, but nothing. I heard a winding slow sound. I'm pretty sure it's the battery..... But my 36 months free replacement warranty expired this past June 2012 on my Optima battery. I do have limited lifetime replacement on the starter tho....:D:D:D:D
 

emerican

New Member
Registered VIP
^ check all of those if all those fail
check coil
 


aneidiaztorres

New Member
Yes ignition coil. One time my Nissan Maxima wouldn't start for nothing... And it was just that. The ignition coil..:confused::confused::confused::banghead::p
 

frankiexnj

New Member
Check for a variety of components:
-starter
-battery and terminals
-alternator

Good luck!

It's funny. I just went outside earlier and tried to start my hatch, but nothing. I heard a winding slow sound. I'm pretty sure it's the battery..... But my 36 months free replacement warranty expired this past June 2012 on my Optima battery. I do have limited lifetime replacement on the starter tho....:D:D:D:D
Alternator ? Even tho it won't even attempt to turn over I figured if the car would atheist attempt to start maybe it would be an alternator but it don't turn over at all just a simple click
 

aneidiaztorres

New Member
When it's the alternator, the car won't do anything. A small reserve of charge will be left enough to turn on the dash lights. Also another way to check alternator, remove positive terminal from battery and if the alternator is bad, the engine will slowly die down. If it's good it'll stay on good for a few minutes before dying.

If you think the starter is bad, have someone turn the key in the ignition slowly, while you tap the starters solenoid with a small hammer. Tap it gently. If the starter is bad, nothing will turn on not even the dash. That means it's completely locked. Think of the starter as a fan that spins. When you turn the key, that fan spins and conducts electric Sparks to cause engine to start. When it's locked, it won't do anything.

Sounds like it might be the starter or alternator.

Also, get a volt reader and test your battery. It has to be well over 12V for it to be good. Let us know how everything turns out bro!
 

frankiexnj

New Member
When it's the alternator, the car won't do anything. A small reserve of charge will be left enough to turn on the dash lights. Also another way to check alternator, remove positive terminal from battery and if the alternator is bad, the engine will slowly die down. If it's good it'll stay on good for a few minutes before dying.

If you think the starter is bad, have someone turn the key in the ignition slowly, while you tap the starters solenoid with a small hammer. Tap it gently. If the starter is bad, nothing will turn on not even the dash. That means it's completely locked. Think of the starter as a fan that spins. When you turn the key, that fan spins and conducts electric Sparks to cause engine to start. When it's locked, it won't do anything.

Sounds like it might be the starter or alternator.

Also, get a volt reader and test your battery. It has to be well over 12V for it to be good. Let us know how everything turns out bro!
Even if the car won't turn over it could still be the alternator? Like the starter makes some noise like it is engaging (its brand new ) but as soon as I try to tune the car over it drains the battery down and just clicks
 

lethal6

Your Mom's Moderator
Staff member
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5+ Year Member
10+ Year Member
When it's the alternator, the car won't do anything. A small reserve of charge will be left enough to turn on the dash lights. Also another way to check alternator, remove positive terminal from battery and if the alternator is bad, the engine will slowly die down. If it's good it'll stay on good for a few minutes before dying.

If you think the starter is bad, have someone turn the key in the ignition slowly, while you tap the starters solenoid with a small hammer. Tap it gently. If the starter is bad, nothing will turn on not even the dash. That means it's completely locked. Think of the starter as a fan that spins. When you turn the key, that fan spins and conducts electric Sparks to cause engine to start. When it's locked, it won't do anything.

Sounds like it might be the starter or alternator.

Also, get a volt reader and test your battery. It has to be well over 12V for it to be good. Let us know how everything turns out bro!
Wrong, wrong, wrong.

If the alternator is bad the vehicle will start as long as the battery is still good. If you start the vehicle and unplug the alternator it WILL RUN until the battery loses it's juice. I had an alternator go out on me (pulley seized) and it took out the belt. Luckily on that vehicle it had it's own belt just for the alternator. I made it over 70 miles home to my house, put the car on the charger and it made it another 20 miles to work the next day where I purchased another alternator. Not an every person scenario as most of the time when the alternator is going the battery is constantly discharging and it ends up takes the battery with it. A bad battery can also take out an alternator as it is struggling to keep a dead battery charged.

Also, the alternator has nothing to do with the dash lights coming on or not when the car is off.

Finally a starter sends out a gear that turns the flywheel not electrical sparks. I think you are completely confused on what it actually does. The flywheel is attached to the crank which moves the pistons and in turn moves the distributor gear. The distributor causes spark through the plug wires, fires the plugs, which ignites the fuel/air mixture in the cylinders and gets the engine rolling.

Even if the car won't turn over it could still be the alternator? Like the starter makes some noise like it is engaging (its brand new ) but as soon as I try to tune the car over it drains the battery down and just clicks
Don't listen to him. If it is cranking and then dies out it sounds to me like a bad battery or better yet a bad ground. Check all your main grounds and make sure the connections are clean and rust free.

Now if you have 12v from the battery but are getting 5v when trying to crank, the starter is bad or the ground to the starter is bad.
 
Last edited:

THEDARKONE

New Member
Registered VIP
Wrong, wrong, wrong.

If the alternator is bad the vehicle will start as long as the battery is still good. If you start the vehicle and unplug the alternator it WILL RUN until the battery loses it's juice. I had an alternator go out on me (pulley seized) and it took out the belt. Luckily on that vehicle it had it's own belt just for the alternator. I made it over 70 miles home to my house, put the car on the charger and it made it another 20 miles to work the next day where I purchased another alternator. Not an every person scenario as most of the time when the alternator is going the battery is constantly discharging and it ends up takes the battery with it. A bad battery can also take out an alternator as it is struggling to keep a dead battery charged.

Also, the alternator has nothing to do with the dash lights coming on or not when the car is off.

Finally a starter sends out a gear that turns the flywheel not electrical sparks. I think you are completely confused on what it actually does. The flywheel is attached to the crank which moves the pistons and in turn moves the distributor gear. The distributor causes spark through the plug wires, fires the plugs, which ignites the fuel/air mixture in the cylinders and gets the engine rolling.



Don't listen to him. If it is cranking and then dies out it sounds to me like a bad battery or better yet a bad ground. Check all your main grounds and make sure the connections are clean and rust free.

Now if you have 12v from the battery but are getting 5v when trying to crank, the starter is bad or the ground to the starter is bad.
i agree i thinkl its time for a new battery
 

aneidiaztorres

New Member
It's funny the same day this thread was made, my battery died out. Same problem with me. I just tried to share what I thought was the problem. But hey, I hope everything works out for you bro.
 

Honda4ever

Banned
Okay so just yesterday I was driving and pulling up too a stop sign and put the car in neutral it died completely but battery was still on lights dash lit up all of it I checked for loose battery connections they were good I replaced the starter, battery, connections and even the main relay in the passenger side glove box .. I go to turn the engine Oeover And all I get is a simple click or multiple clicks sometimes I ran a meter from the battery to starter 12v+ I ran it to the ignition wire on the starter and had a friend crank the car I only get 4-5 volts it sounds like the starter isn't even expanding out to Catch the flywheel it's just a clicking noise .... if anyone can help I'd TRULY appreciate it
:(

Sorry it's a 97 ek hatch single cam d series motor no v Tecc manual trans
Im to lazy to read your descripion but maybe check your ignition or do a tuneup.:alcoholic
 

aneidiaztorres

New Member
Since my Optima just gave out last night after use since June '09 I'm thinking about switching over to the Die Hard gel top batteries that look identical to the Optima battery. I think it comes with a lifetime replacement. If it does ima switch over. If it doesn't I'm getting a new Optima on payday.
 

frankiexnj

New Member
Thank u all for inputs turns out the motor seized ran out of oil Idk how it had a full oil change last month I guess it all burned off f**k my life right
 

emerican

New Member
Registered VIP
sorry to hear that man
who did the oil change?
is it possible that they didn't fully tighten or over tightened the drain plug, didn't put enough oil in it, etc
there are actually a good bit of things that a shop can do on a simple oil change to mess some things up.
 

aneidiaztorres

New Member
Damn. Idk bro. How do you not notice your engine sound dryer and dryer lol? You hear something evidently sounding terribly wrong under the hood. I drove a car to the junkyard one time with no oil on purpose and Mannnnn oh Mannnnn I noticed a bad noise. That's crazy my dude.
 


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