QuestionQUESTION: Car won't start. Lights, radio and horn works just fine. Even put in a new starter and still get nothing. Ran a wire from the battery to the starter and got a little kick. Please help!
ANSWER: Hi Peggy,
What is the 'year' of the mini-van?
By "got a little kick" do you perceive this as then the starter will work with the wire jump from the battery, or is it still not making it operate as you would expect?
If the jump seemed to work, then the question is why isn't the starter motor relay itself causing the power to activate the solenoid switch on the starter, which is what you did via the jump wire?
Let me know the year and whether you believe the jump wire works or not, and we can go from there.
Roland
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QUESTION: It's a 2004 Chrysler Town and Country 3.8
The Wire Made It Sound As If It Was Cranking Up To start.
ANSWER: Hi Peggy,
Then we have to find out why the starter is not being activated. Open the lid of the power box in the left front corner of the engine compartment and locate the starter motor relay in the front inboard corner of that box. Directly behind the relay is fuse #9 (40 amp) which is what sends current to the starter motor's solenoid switch (that makes a loud click in response and that activates the motor). When a helper tries the 'start' there should be a soft click heard/felt coming from that starter motor relay. If so then check to be sure fuse 9 is not blown. If there is no click then either the ignition switch is not making good contact internally in the 'start' position or the Park/Neutral safety switch is a bit out of adjustment. Try moving the gear shift a bit 'off center' from the P or N detent position and try again to see if that is the case.
Let me know what you learn.
Roland
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QUESTION: Yes the fuse clicks. It was clicking before I replaced the starter and after
AnswerHi Peggy,
I assume that by the "fuse clicks" you mean that the starter motor relay clicks (fuses don't click, they are either patent or blown), but that you don't get a louder click from the starter motor itself where the solenoid switch has to close for the starter to be activated, correct? That still doesn't tell me if fuse #9 is patent or blown so remove that fuse and look at that fuse. If the fuse is blown then even though the relay closes and clicks it doesn't have the ability to send current 'on' to the starter motor.
Roland
