Another Starting Problem Fixed

[mistahsinclair]

Seems like today is the day to post about fixing starting problems.

Here's the story:

I bought the car about a month ago from a dealer...spent 3 weeks getting it through emissions, then another week squaring everything away with the DMV to get it registered and fixing an alternator problem.

Finally yesterday I had the tags on it, new cone air filter installed, everything tweaked and tuned...and took it out for a drive (first time out). Went for about 10 mins...cruising the neighborhood...decided to head home, wash up then take it for a proper drive.

After washing up I got in the car turned the key and NOTHING happened!
Well, the gauges twitched, but that was about it.

Let the troubleshooting commence.

1. Tested the battery voltage - 12.8v
2. Tested the voltage at the big post on the starter - 12.8v
3. Shorted a screwdriver from the big post to the solenoid - nothing happened

Ok, solenoid is dead...so I pulled the starter and took off for the local parts supply places.

Got the starter tested at Advance Auto Parts. It tested just fine. Maybe drawing a little bit too much current, but otherwise ok. I went by several other stores looking for a starter or solenoid but none had one (funnily enough).

So I came home and did some thinking through the electrical systems and looking around the useful online resources. Seemed like the iginition switch was a prime suspect along with the solenoid (but that had checked out).

After sleeping on it overnight I decided to go and turn the key into the run position...nothing happened! You would think something would happen if everything was well apart from the starter...

I then used a jump starter to test the solenoid...worked just fine (with a 300amp jump starter).

In looking at the starter I noticed that the face that mounts up against the engine was pretty mucky. Same was true with the engine side face...time to clean up the faces (since that's the ground path for the starter).

Faces cleaned and starter reinstalled I tested the voltage at the starter...still the same as the battery. Turned the key...nothing.

Disconnected the iginition wire to the solenoid, hooked up the voltmeter to that, turned the key...1.9v.

Ok, that's a problem. Still, shorting a screwdriver across with a clean ground connection should work...nope, nothing that way.

Next step...see if the +ve cable to the battery might be a problem.

Took a set of jumper cables and jumped from the + terminal to the solenoid. CLICK - we have life. Ok, battery cable issue.

In looking at the terminal it had clearly seen better days. While I was there I noted down the battery part number to look up.

Turns out the battery is only good for 550 CCA. From what I understand the 944 needs a little more than this!

Off to Autozone...picked up a new battery, Duralast 48-DL good for 700 CCA, and a new terminal.

Got home, chopped off the end of the main battery lead and cleaned up the end...new terminal, new battery...instant success! Everything worked perfectly.

Anyway, long winded story but it's been a long winded weekend.

[John_AZ]

Nice detective work.

Napa? may have the mil-spec battery cable connector for the positive end. $5?


John_AZ

[mistahsinclair]

Sounds like something well worth looking for! Thanks for that.

For the moment everything is running with a cheap and cheerful one, but it's an upgrade I should do.

Pete

[HondaDustR]

Originally Posted by mistahsinclair

Sounds like something well worth looking for! Thanks for that.

For the moment everything is running with a cheap and cheerful one, but it's an upgrade I should do.

Pete

You should get brass battery clamps and solder them with a propane torch. That's what I did and it works great. The military style one looks good, too but then you'll have to (preferably) solder ring terminals anyway. Soldering will significantly reduce voltage drops under high current draw compared to the clamp on terminals. Without solder to fill the spaces and physically bond the wire to the terminal, there's room for new corrosion to ruin your day again down the road.

[JivenJim]

Great work. Just did the same thing on my race car. Engines so clean you could eat off it, but just a little rust on the inside of the Pos term main cable and it was not getting quite enough juice.

Nice job.

[Eldorado]

personally, i would have checked the batt cables first.. lol
but good work finding it!

[mistahsinclair]

This is a learning experience...some aspects of cars I've just never had the need to deal with...this is one of them.