if there is NO electrical power whatsoever in the car even when there are jumper cables attached to the battery, could the problem be a dead alternator?

 

a blown fuse...... the alternator only works when the car is running...other than that, its run off of the battery

 

which fuse would that be? I checked the main fuse and looked over the rest of the ones in the main fuse box and the one by the driver's feet.

 

id say pull the engine fuse under the kick panal first....that one will do what your symptoms are....... just replace it and see what happens

 

alright, i'll replace it but it looked good when i looked at it.

 

NO electrical power meaning NO/NOT/NONE/ZIP? No headlights? No nothing?????

If NO means NONE, then get a 10mm socket and remove the Main fuse and see with a meter if it is good/bad.

Fuse good? Really checked it out? Then check your battery cables and or the battery. Jumper cables should have eliminated the bad battery idea though.

If the Main fuse is good, then you should have lights. The igniton key is a seperate issue though. If you have lights, but no key action, then the black feed wire from the engine bay fuse box is interrupted ....somewhere. A favorite place is a single black connector below the engine fuse box. About six to twelve inches below the fuse box.

So...how much of NO electrical is really NO? Some but not all? Or all NO?

 

no/not/none/zip. nothing. no means no. i've replaced the main fuse and it didn't fix the problem. i've done jumper cables so that rules out the battery. i still don't have lights though. so what can the problem be.

 

Do you have a test light? You might just have to follow wires untill you find where the power stops and then you found your problem.

 

try undo-ing the battery terminals and cleaning them.....thats another thing that'll do that

 

melted wire...thanks everyone.

 

one last thing...if the alternator isn't installed on the motor, will that keep the car from starting if there are jumper cables attached to the battery?

 

Nothing.

Define *starting*.

Starting as in just the starter motor turning over and the engine not firing up.

Or...the starter motor does not turn over?

 

i crank and crank and crank and the motor doesn't turn over. the starter is working though. however, it did start the first time i tried it...i saw a lot of smoke(assuming the oil i had put in there before) and then it died. so?

 

There's a chance the ENGINE fuse got blown. Look at the interior fuse box. See the FAQ on this site for a picture of the fuse box cover is you have lost yours.

 

i have the cover and i've changed that fuse. I've gotten all power back, but i am waiting on my new alternator and i was just going to try to start it and i was wondering if the reason that it won't start is because there's no alternator on it. it could very well be that it's just flooded but i don't know.

 

Does the tach bump up and down just a tiny bit when your trying to start the engine?

Check the EGI COMP and the EGI INJECTOR in the engine compartment is the tach does not bump up/down just a hair when trying to start the engine.

Take the engine out of the other car and put it in the RX so it will turn over faster.

Don't expect the engine to run long on a battery. The ECU and the fuel pump eat up volts like crazy.

 

Does the tach bump up and down just a tiny bit when your trying to start the engine?

yes

Take the engine out of the other car and put it in the RX so it will turn over faster.

huh?

Don't expect the engine to run long on a battery. The ECU and the fuel pump eat up volts like crazy.

i just want to see if it will start.

 

I meant BATTERY, not engine. I watch television when on the web. It makes for....mistakes.

I'd put the battery from the other car in the RX to make the engine spin a bit faster which will help it start.

It should start since the tach bumps a bit. There are several reasons it might not start though. Forget those for now.

 

well, i figured if it's hooked to the other car with jumper cables, that's as good as putting the other battery in. it spins pretty fast. i'm guessing it's just flooded...maybe i'll go out there and try to unflood it.

 

ok, i went out there and did the following:

1. took the spark plugs out, sprayed w/ wd40, wiped with towel, blew off with compressed air

2. did poor man's comp test and all is well.

3. performed all aspects of the unflood procedure several times.

this is what it did:

1. when i first try to start it it actually turns over a few times

2. when i wait a while and do it again, it actually turns over a few times

if anyone can help, it's appreciated. i'll be looking around the forum meanwhile.

 

it's doing the same thing now with a new alternator in it. any help? i've thoroughly checked for spark, i have good compression, and i'm definitely getting fuel. I've unflooded over and over and tried to push start it twice to no avail.

 

Is the water thermo sensor connected on the back of the water pump HOUSING? Green plug.

 

i'll check, but will the broken coolant level sensor on the top of the radiator keep it from running?

 

i went to check and i looked all over and didn't see a green plug...do i have to take anything off (i.e. alternator)?

 

can anyone help?