Car(s) won't start

[hitbychance]

Alright yesterday guys i go outside get into my nissan sentra winter beater turn the key and low and behold the battery is shot and it wont start not to mention i had to get to class, so i jummped in the 280zx turned when u turn the key nothing happens but the sensor light flashes and u can hear a clicking around the glove box area. I have no idea how to fix this, sometimes it will start but after 400 tries. i got a ride to school with a friend and when i returned i tried the 280zx again and it started so i drove it to go get rinsed off and i had to push it out of the car wash and pop the clutch to turn the car one because it was doing the same thing :@ anyways enough ranting any ideas on how to fix it?, i have already replaced the starter battery is good.

[minnesotazcar]

hey check you battery cables it sounds to me like you have a corrosion issue where your not getting enough power down to the starter alot of times if you look at the ends where they connect to the battery post or the starter selonoid you will see the white corrosive powder sometimes it will work its way into the cable and the coating will seem bumpy or lumpy

ps if it makes you feel any better i broke down in downtown st paul last night had to wait for 2 hours for a buddy to come get me with his truck and trailer i was in the wifes winter beater piece of crap chevy celebrity.

[evildky]

he pretty much nailed it, sounds like you are getting either not enough power or just not connected well, check the cables, and check where they bolt to the block, firewall and starter, if the cables are good and connected well your battery isn't supplying enough current, could be a dead cell

[hitbychance]

i did get rid of the white powder but ill check the cables this weekend to see if thats the problem

[minnesotazcar]

white powder is usually a dead giveaway i would put money on the corrosion has gotten into the cables i would definatly start there

p.s anyone need a 86 chevy celebrity parts car only 86k on the odometer and worthless lol have to find something else to drive sinse its getting to cold to drive the z brrrr

[pooky]

that sucks man

[hitbychance]

checked the cables and jumped it right from the starter to the battery to make sure it wasnt the cable, put in a new batter still having an issue when the key is turned to start u can hear a click coming from the glove box area, could it be a relay?

[evildky]

is the signal wire still attached to the starter? how about the fusible links? getting voltage to the starter signal wire? tried jumping the trigger to the power lug? (be sure the car is neutral before you do this!)

[minnesotazcar]

I would also check your ground cable both from the motor to the battery and to the chassis. Ive seen it before where a car will not start because it is no longer pulling enough ground when you try and start, it do any of the cables get really warm. if so it usually a good indication something isnt right. if you have any spare battery cable lying around i would check that just run it from the negative post to the engine block. also with a test light when you turn it to the start posistion do you have power at your trigger wire on the solenoid. If you have a voltmeter telst the voltage drop across the main solonoid post vs the voltage drop at the battery when you turn the key you should'nt get more than a 1 volt difference.

[USMCgetsome]

ok to sum it up. Corrosion on the cables and the battery needs to be charged. The clicking in the relay is a dead give away that the battery is very low voltage. Enough power to give juice to lights but not enough to turn the motor over.

also when it gets cold the battery terminals get loose especially where you live. It happens quite often.