QuestionThanks for your timely answers, suggestions and advice. Your "pictues" of the jumping technique were illustrative...earlier today I did connect postitive to positive, negative to negatve. I also attempted the jump by attaching the negative clamp on my car to the engine block.
Between the time I asked my initial question and received your answer today, the following occurred.
I was able to start the car without the help of jumper cables this morning. I drove it to an auto electric service specialist. He began by cleaning the battery terminal posts, which were very dirty, and applied battery post compound. He then performed another battery test and reported the voltage to be at 12.2, which he thought was a little lower than the desired 12.8 volts. I'm not too sure if he measured the "large current" rating. We attempted to start the car, it would not start. He then hooked up a battery charger. When we attempted to start the car with the battery charger, it worked. He then disconnected the charger and subsequently shut off and started the car without the charger approx. 5-6 times. Due to the corrosive battery terminal and posts that existed before the mechanic replaced them, he suggested the battery was not receiving recharge current. He recommended I either charge the battery (preferred) or drive for about an hour on the freeway. Finally, he recommended I visit the Chrysler dealer to determine if a problem exists with the auto alarm or transmission safety function. With this advice, I started the car and drove home.
Approximately two hours later I again started the car without jumper assistance and jumped onto the freeway for my presumed charge-up. After about 1/2 I stopped to get gas. Bad move. At the gas station the car would not start. I attempted to start the car with jumper cables, but again, no spark, nothing. I also have diligently moved the shift lever in and out of park to make sure it is not in between gears when attempting to start. I'm thinking something is deeply wrong with the electrical system.
Thanks for your insights, Roland, I look forward to another round of them.
-John
Followup To
Question -
1995 Chrysler Cirrus LX
Yesterday my Cirrus - approx 105,000 mi - unexpectedly would not start. I had a new battery installed approx. 3 months ago. Interior lights, radio worked fine. When I turned the ignition key, I got absolutely no engine response, it didn't make a chugging turnover sound. Nothing. Approx. 5 hours later I attempted to re-start the car, the identical scenario occurred. Here's the curious thing...I was able to successfully jump start the car with jumper cables. I had the battery tested - it checked out fine. The service attendent recommended I seek advice from an auto electric service facility. Any insights are greatly appreciated, thanks very much for any light you can shed on this...I'm confused.
-John
Answer -
Hi John,
That is very unusual. If the successful jump start was done by attaching the cable clamps to the clamps on your battery as they were found at the time when you couldn't start it, then either the battery is not "good" (did the test actually measure the ability of the battery to put out large currents, or just measure the voltage at rest?) or the battery clamp to battery post interfaces are not conducting current between the two surfaces. I would try removing the clamps and polishing the clamps and posts with emory cloth or a battery post brush, and then applying some battery post compound to both, and then reattaching the clamps to see if that is the cause of the problem.
The only other possibility IF the successful jump was made by attaching the jumper's positive clamp to your battery's positive clamp while the negative clamp of the jumper was attached to some other metal part of your car (such as the frame or the engine block), then it is possible that your ground (negative) cable is not tightly attached to your engine. So trace that negative cable to see where it is grounded to the engine (usually at the rear of the cylinder head), remove the nut or bolt that is holding it in place, and clean up the metal interfaces and then reattach and see if that solves the problem.
If you verify those two sets of interfaces, then you pretty much have to conclude that there is something wrong with the battery.
When you work at the battery, always disconnect the negative post first and similarlly when assembling replace it last. That way you will avoid accidentally grounding the positive post with your wrench and getting a serious burn.
So let me know if my "pictures" of the jump technique were not how it might have been done. But because jump was successful I can't think of anyother explanations other than that the battery connections are faulty. You might also do this: open the power distribution center box (near the battery, containing fuses and relays) and listen to hear one of the relays click when a helper tries the starter with the key. If you don't get a click, then try jiggling the shift lever to make sure that you have it truly in neutral or park safety position, otherwise that too can prevent the relay from clicking. If you don't get a click, then there is something wrong with the ignition switch or the relay or the safety switch, again assuming that the battery can at least put out enough current to operate this part of the circuit. The real demand on the battery is when the voltage from the relay is sent to the starter motor and the solenoid switch there applies the heavy current from the + post of the battery to the starter motor. So let me know about that, if the connection effort doesn't prove successful.
Roland
AnswerHi John,
You didn't say where the car is now so my suggestion may not apply. But one thing you can do without a meter is to check to see if the starter relay in the power distribution center (rectangular box next to the battery) is or is not clicking when a helper tries the starter. If it does, then that would verify the ignition switch and safety switch and the circuit up to the relay. The switch points inside the relay could be bad but that would require a 12V neon glow light to see whether that were true (check the brown wire at the relay if you can access it) or at the starter motor solenoid (also maybe a bit of a challenge to get to). Alternatively you could take a piece of wire and jump across the terminals in the relay socket which will effectively eliminate the relay since you have to remove it to do that. Jump from 87 to 79, if the sockets are numbered. Just touch them momentarily to see if the starter motor cranks. Be sure the ignition switch is off. If that doesn't work, then there is something wrong with fuse 8 (exmaine it for contact and for whether the wire inside might be cracked if it is transparent) in that box, or the wires from it to the relay or from the relay to the starter solenoid. If the starter solenoid does click but the motor doesn't crank then either the solenoid has bad switch contacts, the motor is bad, or the battery is too weak.
So check for the sound of the relay and get back to me, if the car is easily accessible to you.
I generlly agree about charging up the battery, but I'm not sure that is whole issue.
Roland
