"Bandit" (2bandit)
05/13/2014 at 19:11 • Filed to: Emma
3
27|
"Bandit" (2bandit)
05/13/2014 at 19:11 • Filed to: Emma | 3
| 27 |
Resistance between the ignition wire (on starter) and switch (key) goes to zero when the key turned like it should. Still can't figure out why my car turns into a brick when I turn the key and why it was running well a few days ago. Problem description after jump.
Okay so. I drove my car Saturday. Yesterday I decided to start tuning the engine (1973 Pontiac 400 in my 1981 Trans Am). It was running and cranking fine for a bit and then all of a sudden I went to turn the key, the starter made one click, and the car lost all power. The electric gauge was dead, the dome lights, ignition, everything was zapped of power. I felt like "Oh, my battery must be dead" so I charged it. It had no effect. The car was a brick. Every now and then I can plug the battery cables back in and get power throughout the car but the minute I turn the key to ignition the starter makes one click and the car bricks again. Went to autozone to have my starter checked, works well. The battery is good and only a couple months old. The alternator is relatively new and works. The ignition switch is working according to my multi-meter. Also the battery cables were getting kind of hot around the battery post area but that may have just been because I was cranking the engine a lot because I was tuning.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
jkm7680
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:12 |
|
Ouch, I would have hoped it would be the battery.
Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:12 |
|
Your life seems like an episode of ROADKILL.
camaroboy68ss
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:13 |
|
are you getting power to the starter? Could not be getting a full 12 volts to crank the motor or does the motor turn over?
davedave1111
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:14 |
|
It's the earth connection.
(I actually have a flukily good record with remote Oppo diags. I've usually had more info to go on, but I'm not convinced it made much difference. Check the earth connections, see if my luck's holding up.)
|
Bandit
> camaroboy68ss
05/13/2014 at 19:18 |
|
The wire from battery to starter is in good shape. I checked it with a meter.
Jeff-God-of-Biscuits
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:18 |
|
I had a similar issue with my Fiat long ago. For me it was that the ground wire had broken inside the insulation from the starter, so it would run just fine if you bumped it, but the starter wouldn't work, and it took me forever to figure that one out.
Brian Silvestro
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:19 |
|
|
Bandit
> davedave1111
05/13/2014 at 19:23 |
|
Okay so. I drove my car Saturday. Yesterday I decided to start tuning the engine (1973 Pontiac 400 in my 1981 Trans Am). It was running and cranking fine for a bit and then all of a sudden I went to turn the key, the starter made one click, and the car lost all power. The electric gauge was dead, the dome lights, ignition, everything was zapped of power. I felt like "Oh, my battery must be dead" so I charged it. It had no effect. The car was a brick. Every now and then I can plug the battery cables back in and get power throughout the car but the minute I turn the key to ignition the starter makes one click and the car bricks again. Went to autozone to have my starter checked, works well. The battery is good and only a couple months old. The alternator is relatively new and works. The ignition switch is working according to my multi-meter. Also the battery cables were getting kind of hot around the battery post area but that may have just been because I was cranking the engine a lot because I was tuning.
|
camaroboy68ss
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:25 |
|
just because it looks good doesn't mean it working right, learned that on my 68, did you check to see if 12 volts were at the starter with the key on crank? You might have a bad coil or something internally wrong in the wire
|
Bandit
> camaroboy68ss
05/13/2014 at 19:29 |
|
I'm running an HEI distributor and got rid of the original coil.
|
davedave1111
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:30 |
|
That does sound odd. Don't put too much weight on this, but it sounds to me like it must be a physical loose connection somewhere. That's the most likely thing that would account for the intermittency, because if something burnt out, it would almost always stay burnt-out. I'm not sure what you could expect from a wobbly relay, but maybe this is it.
Are you able to trace how far through the system power is getting, after it cuts out?
|
camaroboy68ss
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:36 |
|
Hmmm, I have no useful knowledge on HEI I toss then when ever I get a motor with one. I either run points or pertronix conversion
|
Bandit
> davedave1111
05/13/2014 at 19:44 |
|
That's what I was thinking but I can't find any loose connectors. No, I'm assuming it is stopping somewhere just after the battery since the main parts of the car aren't getting any power.
Nibbles
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 19:57 |
|
When connecting your grounds - did you grind the paint off the sheetmetal? Your chassis grounds may not be getting a secure connection...
|
davedave1111
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 20:05 |
|
I don't know how much difference it makes, but I said connections rather than connectors. Could be a wire or something. I've never had it on a car, but with other stuff I've had wires that broke inside the insulation and would make intermittent connection.
Can you use a circuit tester to isolate where the break is?
|
Bandit
> Brian Silvestro
05/13/2014 at 20:18 |
|
I feel like the car should crash at the end of this gif...
|
Brian Silvestro
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 20:19 |
|
It probably does. I didn't watch the video after I found this part.
crowmolly
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 21:35 |
|
Fusable link in your wiring. Or at least worth looking at. If you pull on one and it comes apart, there you go.
Averyrm - GTI YUP
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 21:36 |
|
I know the battery is only a few months old, but did you check the voltage while cranking? It sounds a lot like a dead cell. Charging won't fix that. You can bring it to Autozone and they can load test it if you need. I've had a brand new battery go out on me before, it's worth looking at. As previously mentioned, the bad ground can be a culprit too.
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 21:58 |
|
Do a voltage drop test on the main power write to the starter from the battery, and from the starter housing to the battery ground, shouldn't drop more than .5 volts when cranking. Also grab a breaker bar and try to turn the engine over by hand, hate to suggest it but seized engines often manifest this way.
|
Bandit
> AMGtech - now with more recalls!
05/13/2014 at 22:00 |
|
It would be nice if the car would crank. I know the engine isn't seized, I rebuilt it a couple months ago and just drove it this weekend.
desertdog5051
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 22:02 |
|
Check the solenoid. On those vintage GM cars, it is the main path for voltage.
|
Bandit
> desertdog5051
05/13/2014 at 22:04 |
|
Just pulled the starter and tested it. Twas in tip top shape.
|
desertdog5051
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 22:06 |
|
Do you have a separate solenoid?
|
Bandit
> desertdog5051
05/13/2014 at 22:07 |
|
|
desertdog5051
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 22:19 |
|
Got nothing there, Bandit. Will email a friend who knows more than I an let you know if If he has any suggestions.
|
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> Bandit
05/13/2014 at 23:11 |
|
You know it probably is fine, but it only takes a few minutes to check. Engine problems will usually manifest in the first couple thousand miles after a rebuild. I had a customer a while back who had a new car, less than 100 miles, the guy let it idle for a while, shut it off, then came and tried to start it half an hour later but it did exactly what you are describing. Turned out there was an improper assembly issue from the factory. Engines don't always fail in spectacular fashion. Hopefully that's not your problem though. Honestly I think you've got bad cables. What did they do to test the starter? Did you have it out of the car?