QuestionQUESTION: 1999 Sebring Convertible Limited (2.5L V6) will not start. When turning the key in the ignition, nothing, not even a whirring noise. Pulled out starter and tested at autozone and it was determined to be fine. Then pulled out battery and got a new one. When I put in the new battery and cleaned off and replaced starter, the car started. Then over the course of 5 days, the starter seemed to have a harder time starting with each subsequent start. Then today the car wouldn't start at all. I tried jumping it and still got nothing. I pulled out the battery and had it tested and autozone told me it was at 100%. All I can think of now is to check the wiring from battery to starter, but have not been able to find the schematics for the vehicle anywhere (not even my haynes manual has the schematics i need). What would you suggest?
ANSWER: Hi Dwayne,
The circuit is not that complicated. The starter motor itself gets the major current on the red fat wire from the + post of the battery. The battery - post clamp has to be well grounded by a cable to the left strut tower nearby, and the motor grounded from a cable on the transmission to the same strut tower. If those check out, then the issue is with the circuit that turns on the battery current at the motor, e.g. the solenoid switch on the motor. That solenoid is activated by a 12v current delivered from fuse 8 of the pdc to the starter relay ((pin B) and from the starter relay on a brown wire that comes from the starter relay (pin D) to the solenoid. The starter relay is located in the rear of the power distribution box under the hood (down a level from the other relays and fuses (front/outboard of the four relays).
So you can test to see both that the starter relay clicks and that 12v reaches the solenoid when a helper tries the key. If the relay doesn't click then fuse 8 (which also powers the ignition switch 'start' section) in the pdc may be blown or poorly contacting in its socket. Its current arrives on Pin A of the relay. Or the relay could be weak, so you could switch it out with another relay of the same part number to test that. Or the relay actuation circuit could be faulty because the tan wire from pin 31 of the pcm to the relay (pin C) which activates the relay, or the pcm itself, or the park/neutral safety switch may be flakey and not telling the pcm it is safe to activate the relay. So see if the relay is clicking and go from there would be my advice.
Roland
PS Please 'rate' my answer and where you see the question about a nomination for 'volunteer of the month' consider giving me a 'yes'. Thank you.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for your response. I followed most of what you said (I kinda got lost with the relay actuation circuit stuff) and checked the relays and fuses and found them to be fine. I am by myself in a mcdonalds parking lot so I had to use a really long cord with a light attached and connected the end of the wires to the battery - post and to the wire from the solenoid to the starter and when I turned the key, the light bulb shone bright. I'm thinking that the starter is the culprit, now. The starter was tested multiple times at autozone and passed. When I removed the starter, because of the confined space underneath, I had to separate the solenoid from the starter to remove it, and had to put the solenoid back on after the starter was already in place. I also have a major amount of oil that drips on the solenoid from a leak somewhere. I'm gonna try to take the starter out and get it tested again. Any ideas on why the starter would work after removal, testing and replacing? Then why it would "gradually" lose its power over the course of 5 days? Thank you again for your help.
ANSWER: Hi Dwayne,
The only thing I can think of is that the major oil leak may be coating the internal contacts of the solenoid switch so that they don't conduct the current from the battery to the starter motor winding efficiently. You might try spraying the solenoid with electical contact/circuit board cleaner as a test of that theory. The leak is probably due to a loose valve cover.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I finally got back to my car and removed the starter, then the solenoid, I sprayed everything with JB-80 and put it all back in and the car started. I don't believe it is the oil leak (I've had the leaking problem for over 3 years) If the started starts to fail again, do you believe it's just time for a new starter?
AnswerHi Dwayne,
I don't have the impression that contact cleaners are the usual 'fix' for a worn out starter. So I would wonder again if the oil might not be the issue rather than the brushes/armature which is what usually fail. But you could call a local rebuilder and see what he says on this situattion.
Roland
