Someone smarter than me needed, starter /electrical issue!
#1
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Someone smarter than me needed, starter /electrical issue!
Cant really narrow down what I need on search, so here goes. Hopefully someone with some electrical knowledge etc can really help me out.
02 Z28, battery is only few months old, but starter is original. I moved car last week, and next day went to move it back to garage and it wouldnt start.
No headlight dimming while attempting to start, nor guage issues (all moved normally), no interior light dimming. Tried to jump start once, no luck. Heard a single "click" coming from under car during key turn. Swapped IGN and Starter relays with fan relays (same size, etc) with no avail. Took starter to be tested and it tested fine (though Autozone said it may only be good cause its not under load).
Took home, put back on car...EXCEPT....I screwed up, I reconnected starter without disconnected battery cables, so.....of course I got the sparks a few times. Disconnected battery, reconnected starter (the right way) and now I get absolutely nothing. No gauge needle movement, no lights, no click, no nothing.
I was hoping that maybe it was the VATS system, since I had spare key to try where the chip in the key is much newer but I never got the chance due to my error in reinstalling starter so.......
Where do I go from here? Did I burn the starter up? or perhaps it was already shot. Disable VATS then try new starter? Definitely lost here. I appreciate any and all help since this is my only vehicle at the moment. Thank you.
02 Z28, battery is only few months old, but starter is original. I moved car last week, and next day went to move it back to garage and it wouldnt start.
No headlight dimming while attempting to start, nor guage issues (all moved normally), no interior light dimming. Tried to jump start once, no luck. Heard a single "click" coming from under car during key turn. Swapped IGN and Starter relays with fan relays (same size, etc) with no avail. Took starter to be tested and it tested fine (though Autozone said it may only be good cause its not under load).
Took home, put back on car...EXCEPT....I screwed up, I reconnected starter without disconnected battery cables, so.....of course I got the sparks a few times. Disconnected battery, reconnected starter (the right way) and now I get absolutely nothing. No gauge needle movement, no lights, no click, no nothing.
I was hoping that maybe it was the VATS system, since I had spare key to try where the chip in the key is much newer but I never got the chance due to my error in reinstalling starter so.......
Where do I go from here? Did I burn the starter up? or perhaps it was already shot. Disable VATS then try new starter? Definitely lost here. I appreciate any and all help since this is my only vehicle at the moment. Thank you.
#3
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Cant really narrow down what I need on search, so here goes. Hopefully someone with some electrical knowledge etc can really help me out.
02 Z28, battery is only few months old, but starter is original. I moved car last week, and next day went to move it back to garage and it wouldnt start.
No headlight dimming while attempting to start, nor guage issues (all moved normally), no interior light dimming. Tried to jump start once, no luck. Heard a single "click" coming from under car during key turn. Swapped IGN and Starter relays with fan relays (same size, etc) with no avail. Took starter to be tested and it tested fine (though Autozone said it may only be good cause its not under load).
Took home, put back on car...EXCEPT....I screwed up, I reconnected starter without disconnected battery cables, so.....of course I got the sparks a few times. Disconnected battery, reconnected starter (the right way) and now I get absolutely nothing. No gauge needle movement, no lights, no click, no nothing.
I was hoping that maybe it was the VATS system, since I had spare key to try where the chip in the key is much newer but I never got the chance due to my error in reinstalling starter so.......
Where do I go from here? Did I burn the starter up? or perhaps it was already shot. Disable VATS then try new starter? Definitely lost here. I appreciate any and all help since this is my only vehicle at the moment. Thank you.
02 Z28, battery is only few months old, but starter is original. I moved car last week, and next day went to move it back to garage and it wouldnt start.
No headlight dimming while attempting to start, nor guage issues (all moved normally), no interior light dimming. Tried to jump start once, no luck. Heard a single "click" coming from under car during key turn. Swapped IGN and Starter relays with fan relays (same size, etc) with no avail. Took starter to be tested and it tested fine (though Autozone said it may only be good cause its not under load).
Took home, put back on car...EXCEPT....I screwed up, I reconnected starter without disconnected battery cables, so.....of course I got the sparks a few times. Disconnected battery, reconnected starter (the right way) and now I get absolutely nothing. No gauge needle movement, no lights, no click, no nothing.
I was hoping that maybe it was the VATS system, since I had spare key to try where the chip in the key is much newer but I never got the chance due to my error in reinstalling starter so.......
Where do I go from here? Did I burn the starter up? or perhaps it was already shot. Disable VATS then try new starter? Definitely lost here. I appreciate any and all help since this is my only vehicle at the moment. Thank you.
#4
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You could have killed the battery by shorting it out when installing the starter, I know the starter is hooked directly to the battery and its possible you might have burned a connection to the battery, maybe try reconnecting the battery terminals and check the voltage coming out of the battery. hopefully you didn't sparks were not from the starter relay trigger wire otherwise you could have bigger problems but that could have just popped an ignition fuse or something.
#5
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Considering the chain of events, I'm surprised you haven't checked your fuses. When you sparked up things at the starter, you potentially blew one or more fuses.
Next you need to check the battery for proper voltage. Something else that wasn't mentioned is your alternator. Even if the battery is only a few months old, a bad alternator that's not charging it well enough can allow the battery voltage to drop to un-startable levels before too long. You will likely have more than enough power for lights and gauges but not nearly enough to engage the starter. As for it not starting on a jump, with a battery that low on power, I've had to let the jumper car sit for a good 5-10 minutes running before it got to the point that it would allow the dead car to crank.
Also, checking and cleaning connecters at the battery is a good idea.
So, check battery voltage. Check and clean battery cables. Check fuses. Have the alternator tested when you can, even if you get things up and running. The test is free at most auto parts stores and takes like 2 minutes.
If the battery does test very low, recharge it and get the alternator tested.
Next you need to check the battery for proper voltage. Something else that wasn't mentioned is your alternator. Even if the battery is only a few months old, a bad alternator that's not charging it well enough can allow the battery voltage to drop to un-startable levels before too long. You will likely have more than enough power for lights and gauges but not nearly enough to engage the starter. As for it not starting on a jump, with a battery that low on power, I've had to let the jumper car sit for a good 5-10 minutes running before it got to the point that it would allow the dead car to crank.
Also, checking and cleaning connecters at the battery is a good idea.
So, check battery voltage. Check and clean battery cables. Check fuses. Have the alternator tested when you can, even if you get things up and running. The test is free at most auto parts stores and takes like 2 minutes.
If the battery does test very low, recharge it and get the alternator tested.
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#8
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Thank you all for replies. I'll get started tomorrow morning. Definitely my error in not disconnecting battery first, I guess taking starter out to get tested I just got lucky not touching anything but putting back in.....no so much.
I'll post what I find.
I'll post what I find.
#9
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Follow up to suggestions. Checked battery and its good. Found a blown 50amp ignition fuse in the block under the hood. Replaced it and and the Starter relay, after which I heard clicking from underneath around starter...then that fuse blew. So back to square one. Any thoughts??
#10
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Follow up to suggestions. Checked battery and its good. Found a blown 50amp ignition fuse in the block under the hood. Replaced it and and the Starter relay, after which I heard clicking from underneath around starter...then that fuse blew. So back to square one. Any thoughts??