Questionhi i have a 1990 olds regency brougham 98 and my car wont start.... when i turn the key it makes no noise but all the dash lights and radio work... never had a problem starting before and my battery is 1 day old so i know thats not the problem. I looked under my hood and didnt see a starter anywhere... a friend told me ta tap the starter but i dont see it and also dont think thats very safe.... i dont have any tester light so what should i do to troubleshoot my problem? i am working with a limited amount of money or i would just have it towed to a mechanic somewhere.
Thanks in advance for you help.
AnswerHi Steven,
With what seems to be your limited experience, you need to either take it to a mechanic, or have a mechanically inclined friend help you.
Believe me, unless someone removed it, there is a starter there.
Tapping on the starter has for years been a step in troubleshooting a no crank condition.
It may not be in the tech manual as a proceedure, but poor connections in the electric wiring are sometimes jared loose by a tap, and occasionally don't reappear.
The alternative is to use a test light, or volt meter, correctly positioned to see if the proper voltage is arriving at the proper place...in this case, the starter.
There are several things that can prevent the proper voltage from arriving.
One is a bad battery.
You have apparently taken care of that possibility with a new battery...but then, there are the cable connections. They need to be CLEAN, and tight. That means BOTH ends...of each. Where the ground cable connects to the engine block is every bit as important as the positive cable at the battery.
The connection at the starter solenoid is important also.
Assuming all the connections are clean and tight, we need to get the power to the starter.
Battery voltage goes to the ignition switch, then when the switch is in start, and assuming the switch itself is good, on toward the starter, through the connections at the firewall. They need to be clean and tight also.
Between the switch and the firewall bulkhead connector, is the neutral safety switch. It must know the shifter is in neutral, and close accordingly.
OK...so you have power through all that, and on the way to the starter. it gets to the solenoid, which is mounted on the starter, and closes a connection...assuming the solenoid is good.
Once that connection is complete, the starter drive engages, mechanically by the solenoid, and battery voltage is sent to the starter brushes.
Assuming the brushes are making good contact, and the starter is good, it will turn the engine.
Sounds by your discription, that it is never getting past the solenoid, and actually, not even getting to it, or there should be a "Click".
First thing I would do, is move the shift lever, before, during, and after the start attempt, to see if the switches are bad.
Then, I would probably tap on the starter while someone else tried to start it.
If all that didn't work, I would get out a test light, and see where I was, and wasn't getting battery voltage.
Somewhere in there I would do some jumping across terminals at the solenoid to see if the starter, solenoid, or something else was the problem.
A volt meter to actually check voltage drop might also come into play.
If this sounds like more than you want to tackle, see what some of your friends know, and get some help.
But try the shift lever first. Turn the key to run, step on the brake pedal, and move it around...and don't baby it. You are trying to jar something loose.
Good luck,
Van
