**Car Problem's** Need help troubleshooting

[Axis]

1990 Audi Audi90

Yesterday morning, wake up..drive my car to my parents house, go in for 15 minutes, go back in my car and BAM, Nothing.. it doeint start. No whine, no nothing. Batterie is perfect.

So, Put the keys in, turn it, and nothing.. like the car doesint hesitate to start at all. There no noise what so ever accept for like a lil click. But its not the click click click noise when a car is trying to start..

anywyayz.. best way i can possibly explain it..

anyone?
weather maybe?
starter?
not sure?
Thanks in advance

Sounds like the starter motor to me. The click you hear is likely the starter solenoid trying to engage - but that doesn't mean it is engaging correctly. Test that power is making it to the starter, and that the key signal is as well.

Jim

[Mafpia]

is it automatic... u might need to push it more to park...
it happened on my sentra before... battery is ok but no crank....

[Axis]

Sounds like the starter motor to me. The click you hear is likely the starter solenoid trying to engage - but that doesn't mean it is engaging correctly. Test that power is making it to the starter, and that the key signal is as well.

Jim

Wow... I really hope not.. that would suck and parts are impossible for my car.
How can I test the power to the starter? hope i dont sound like a retard right now..lol

[Axis]

is it automatic... u might need to push it more to park...
it happened on my sentra before... battery is ok but no crank....


It is an auto!

Sounds like the starter motor to me. The click you hear is likely the starter solenoid trying to engage - but that doesn't mean it is engaging correctly. Test that power is making it to the starter, and that the key signal is as well.

Jim

Wow... I really hope not.. that would suck and parts are impossible for my car.
How can I test the power to the starter? hope i dont sound like a retard right now..lol

Not at all - I mean it's easy for me to say check for power and all that, but it would take anyone a bit of work to track down the problem.

Do you have a voltmeter or one of those 12 volt testers that looks like a screw-driver with a little light in the handle (to check for 12 v) ?

[Axis]

[quote="J.R.Freeman":142dpnqg]Sounds like the starter motor to me. The click you hear is likely the starter solenoid trying to engage - but that doesn't mean it is engaging correctly. Test that power is making it to the starter, and that the key signal is as well.

Jim

Wow... I really hope not.. that would suck and parts are impossible for my car.
How can I test the power to the starter? hope i dont sound like a retard right now..lol

Not at all - I mean it's easy for me to say check for power and all that, but it would take anyone a bit of work to track down the problem.

Do you have a voltmeter or one of those 12 volt testers that looks like a screw-driver with a little light in the handle (to check for 12 v) ?[/quote:142dpnqg]

Yepperz! Thats how I made sure my Batterie wasint the problem!

[-=M=-]

Just to add to what he already said, I checked the voltage on the battery, it was reading 12.5volts, also you can here the starter clicking away when he turns the ignition so im not sure it has to do with the stick not being in park properly.

Oh, add the year make/model of the car so I can throw this up on my VW forum.

[Axis]

Just to add to what he already said, I checked the voltage on the battery, it was reading 12.5volts, also you can here the starter clicking away when he turns the ignition so im not sure it has to do with the stick not being in park properly.

Oh, add the year make/model of the car so I can throw this up on my VW forum.

Bin la la... Its on the top there!
but here it is again

1990 Audi Audi90
non quatro

[-=M=-]

Not at all - I mean it's easy for me to say check for power and all that, but it would take anyone a bit of work to track down the problem.

Do you have a voltmeter or one of those 12 volt testers that looks like a screw-driver with a little light in the handle (to check for 12 v) ?

Yepperz! Thats how I made sure my Batterie wasint the problem!





And no we didn't check to see if power was going thru the starter, I don't have one of those screwdrive volt testers. I'm not sure where the starter is on his audi. I'm assuming rear of the engine bay. I guess I can use my voltmeter, it would just be easier with the tester.

[DVS Talon]

Sounds like the starter

[Axis]

Sounds like the starter
I think so to.. but im hoping it has something to do with the weather and when it gets normal outside! BAM.. fixed...lol.. damn it.. its so not going to go down like that.

Marc and Axis,

It really sounds like the starter to me. That's a good battery reading Marc as I'm sure you know.

I'd say the next step is finding the starter and making sure the high current line directly from the battery is making it all the way there. As an older car, there is a chance the high current line has rotted through, but it is more likely a fault with the starter itself.

Assuming the starter is the kind with the integral solenoid, there should be 2 connections made to it. 1 is a smaller wire that carries the low current signal from the key, which engages the solenoid. The solenoid works as a large switch to turn on the high current (carried by the second large cable) to start turning the starter motor. That you can hear clicking leads me to believe the key signal is making it there. Verify the large cable is ok, then all you have left is to pull the starter.

Even if the starter has failed you might be lucky - there are a couple of ways it can fail to create that symptom: the solenoid jams with corrosion or fails internally and refuses to fully engage, or the brushes on the armature of the starter wear to the point of losing contact and thus stopping the flow of electricity. Either of those common failures are resolved with a starter rebuild kit. Check to see if one is available for your car (once you are sure it's the starter) as they are not too hard to install, and can save you lots. Ask Mike at No Limits - if a kit is available he'll be able to get it.

Jim

[-=M=-]

Thanks for all the info Jim, im assuming his starter is located under the car, and since it wont start i cant get it up on my ramps and its outside, gonna make for an interesting job. Im also assuming that the key makes ignition contact based on the fact that all the guages and warning lights come on. I'll take a peak at it today, but shitty weather and work make it hard to take some time and look.

[Axis]

Lets hope for the best here...lol
Thing is my car is at my parents house.. so its all on your brooooooooo
fawk.. its going to be a headache.. hopefully it has something to do with a wire or something

No problem Marc, good luck guys. At least it's warm out, but yeah it's no fun in the wet. Careful putting up on the ramps - are you going to push it with another car?

[blu88notch]

Before you do anything, check your battery connections.
Remove, clean, and connect.

[-=M=-]

Were not gonna put it on the ramps, that car is way to heavy, it took me, Axis and my gf just to push it up the incline in my laneway. its gonna on some jacks probably.

Before you do anything, check your battery connections.
Remove, clean, and connect.

Woops! I forgot about that - good point Blu Notch, that could do it for sure.

The jacks sound like a good idea. I used a car once to push another dead one up some ramps, and it almost went over the other side :S

[-=M=-]

His headlights all his electrical stuff works so I don't think the terminals are the issue.

[whiplash]

Yup, I had a problem like this that would happen every once in a while, then progressively got worse and worse. If you just sit there and try turning the key a couple of times, chances are it'll start up. Ended up cleaning both battery terminals, and replacing my chassis and block ground wires. Havent had the problem since. My problem was that I could hear the solenoid try and engage, but there wasn't enough current to fully engage it, therefore the starter wouldn't crank over.

Take a look at both battery terminals and your ground wires, and failing that take a look at the starter solenoid wire. Generally a thin-gauge wire running from an ignition relay, but the solenoid should be attached to the side of the starter. The wire could be frayed or if it's original, possible brittle and cracked and they can sometimes be in exposed areas under the car.

Hope that helps,

Allan

[blu88notch]

His headlights all his electrical stuff works so I don't think the terminals are the issue.

Dirty or loose terminals will still power radio, lights, chimes, etc, but will not provide enough amperage to turn a starter. I have seen it many times.

[Axis]

His headlights all his electrical stuff works so I don't think the terminals are the issue.

Dirty or loose terminals will still power radio, lights, chimes, etc, but will not provide enough amperage to turn a starter. I have seen it many times.


Really heh... wow.. definitely trying that one!

If I was an electron, I'd stay away from dirty terminals. Wait, that's a lie!

[-=M=-]

ok, so we will be checkng those tonight

[Axis]

Actualy... thinking about it.. I dont think its the batterie or the terminals.. we tried boosting the car! and nothing.. would that matter?

If you're sure you had a good solid connection with the booster cables, check the heavy guage cable running to the starter to make sure it's intact. It sounds like it's time to pull the starter, however.

Jim

[Jdc]

This doesn't sound like it would be hard to figure this out. Just get under the damn car, check everything out carefully, and tap that fuckin' starter!