When you turn the ignition key of your Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, there are a number of things that need to happen for the car to start. Should any one of them not happen, then your car is likely not going to start and the hunt to find the reason begins. In addition to the battery and starter motor there is another component called a starter solenoid. This is part of the electrical system that transfers the current from the battery to the starter motor. If it is defective, your Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme will not start. Troubleshooting the solenoid is a fairly straightforward task.
Remove the cable connections from your Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme battery and from the solenoid. Clean the contacts using a toothbrush and a solution made of water and baking soda. Mix the solution at a one-to-one ratio.
Clean the cable contacts with the water/baking soda solution. Once the posts on the battery and solenoid are dry and the cable contacts are clean reconnect them and try to start the car. If the car does not start, move to the next step.
Test the solenoid by connecting a battery jumper cable to the battery post on the solenoid. Touch the second battery jumper cable to the other large post. If you hear no noise at all, the solenoid needs to be replaced.
