problems starting..

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Aug 5, 2005 | 02:32 AM

NikonDrgn

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From: Saint Peters, MO

problems starting..

ok.. this happened once about a month ago, and now it's done it 3 times in the last 2 days.. get in, clock's reset to 1, stereo's off.. put the key in, as soon as I turn the key, the "key in ignition while the door's open" chime (usually have the door open so I can get out and take the t-tops off when I get the windows down..) gets real quiet and starts going REALLY fast, trip and odometer readouts shut off, all the guages drop to nothing (if you turn the stereo on before you turn the key, it works fine untill you turn it, then it goes off..) if you hold the key for a second, you can hear a real fast clicking from under the hood that sounds like the starter trying to go but just bouncing off the compression in the engine.. let off the key and/or take it out, all the lights come back on (if you had the stereo on, it comes back on) and if you take your foot off the clutch/break or try using either of the power windows, all the guages jump to max and back to where they're supposed to be.. seems to randomly do this, and it can take anywhere from firing up after taking the key out 2-3 times to trying it for the better part of an hour before it decides to start.. once it gets started, there's no problems at all.. the first time this happened I figured the battery was dead, tried jumper cables, no effect at all..

there's some corrosion on the positive terminal on the battery.. suppose I just need to clean the terminal and get a new battery or do you guys think it's something else?

Aug 5, 2005 | 02:57 AM

Hoss Ghoul

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I had something similar to this happening when I had corroded/dirty positive battery terminal. It wouldn't start and the gauges would bounce all over the place while a ugly "electric" sputtering(very fast) occured. It went away once I charged the battery. I then cleaned the battery terminals and replaced the battery(which was on its way out) and have not had the problem since. For me it was the bad connection cuased by the corrosion not allowing the battery to be properly charged...so not enough juice to turn the engine over.

Hope that helps.

Aug 5, 2005 | 03:04 AM

NikonDrgn

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From: Saint Peters, MO

for me I think it's getting charged just fine, just a problem getting the charge to the rest of the stuff when it starts.. reguardless, the battery's on it's way out the door when I get some money.. just cleaned the teriminals off less than a week ago and it's already corroded as hell.. I'd be happy if for once it was something cheap like a battery

Aug 5, 2005 | 12:33 PM

scifone

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From: Lawrence, Ks

get an optima battery and never have to worry about corrosion.

Aug 6, 2005 | 12:36 AM

NikonDrgn

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From: Saint Peters, MO

yup, definately the battery.. car wouldn't start this morning.. no lights, no noises, no power locks.. hell, even the alarm LED was off.. went to pull the old battery out so I could put the new battery in..

positive was so corroded that when I tried to unbolt the cable, the whole positive mount snapped off.. guess we know why she wouldn't start..

cleaned off the positive and put a new battery in, fired right up and runs just fine now..

Aug 6, 2005 | 01:14 AM

Hoss Ghoul

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Are you having any "whine" coming from the engine bay that varies with throttle position/revs? About the time my battery started crapping out I got a load of this...dealer said it was because my battery cables weren't tight enough and I was getting feedback through the AC and Alternator.

Well, I've got that whine again, and with the AC on my alternator is only at the \l/ middle mark.

My cables on the battery still look like crap too, so maybe they are shot and need to be completely replaced...I used baking soda to clean them up real good when I put the new battery in and I'm still seeing the "blue gunk".

So, any whine?

Aug 6, 2005 | 01:53 AM

NikonDrgn

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From: Saint Peters, MO

nope, no whine that I could hear.. matter of fact, aside from ocasionally not starting at all, she never so much as hesitated to fire right up first try, and as soon as she got started, no problems/noises what so ever (if there were, they were quiet enough that they were drown out by the engine or stereo..)