silylanjie

here's the problem... about almost 1 and half months ago.. I was about to leave work but my car didn't start.. it cranks but seem like there is no electricity.. so I had it roll started ... I thought it was the battery and brought it to autozone to check and found out the battery was dead .. so I got a new one.. but now it happen again... it wont start .. the car click when I try to start it but seem tho there isn't any electricity.. I'm thinking the alternator has gone bad.. let me know what you guys think...

RE Suzuki

sounds like the alternator is bad since you can start up the car fine with a new battery. Check the + and - connection and see if they are clean. My car did the same exact thing when the - connector was loose.

silylanjie

well its not loose ... its pretty tight .. but the terminal had some minor white foomy growing on it...

jeffrored92

Could be a starter motor problem. Does it click once or multiple times when you turn the key? Hmmm I don't even know where the starter motor is on an FD, but it has to have one to get the car started.

I had a similar problem with my previous car (not an FD, an old Toyota hatchback). Would click once when I turned the key but wouldnt start. It was frustrating because it was an intermittent problem, but I could always roll start it, or tap the starter motor with something solid while turning the key. The problem was a stuck solenoid so I was told. I don't have any information regarding how to test for that though.

Maybe you could leave your lights on, take out a voltmeter and let your battery get down to say 11.5V. Start the car (roll start if you have to) drive it for 30 minutes, turn the car off, and check the battery voltage. If it's higher than 11.5V your alternator is probably working OK. Probably. Just throwing out some ideas.

I eventually got quite good at tapping the starter motor with a plank of wood while turning the ignition through the open drivers window

jeffrored92

Hmmmm wait a sec did you say the car cranks, as in the engine turns over, but doesnt fire?

Or does it not turn over at all and just click? If the engine turns over then disregard my previous post.

silylanjie

sorry.. I just meant it clicks but it doesn't start...

its click once when I try to start it not multi times..

btw the weather has been very cold.. could that effect it and anyway?

jeffrored92

Dunno mate could do I suppose, although I never noticed any correlation between cold weather and the starter motor conking out. Then again, it doesnt get that cold down here.

See if you can locate the starter motor in the engine bay and give it a couple of gentle taps with something hard while a friend turns the ignition key for you. Make sure the car is in neutral, you don't want to be run over if it works. If it's a stuck solenoid, the tapping should free it up. If that doesn't work, and nobody else has any suggestions you can try yourself, roll start it and drive to an auto electrician. They should be able to pinpoint the problem real quick.

A friends car had his starter motor die completely the other week. It still clicked once when turning the ignition key, but nothing worked. Called a mobile mechanic dude (the sort where you pay an annual membership, ring them when you break down) and it took the guy all of 2 minutes to find that the starter motor was dead. I'm sorry if I had paid more attention to how he tested it, then I could tell you, but I didnt

Anybody else on here got a good test for a starter motor?

Don't get fast responses this time of day, guessing you're all asleep over there i the US

jeffrored92

Actually there seems to be a bit of information on this sort of thing on the forum already.

Just do a search for starter motor and have a read.

silylanjie

but would the starter motor will cause the battery to die?...

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

If you have a dead battery, it's either 2 things - the alternator is going south, or there's a current drain somewhere.

Check the voltage at the battery with the car running, then turn everything on in the car (AC/Heat, radio, headlights, defroster, etc.) and check the voltage. You want around 14v at the battery - if you're seeing 12ish volts, that's a definite alternator problem.

If you're seeing good voltage, then there's likely a current draw. They can be tricky to track down, though.

Dale

rousu

The click suggests either not enough charge, or a bad starter.
How long did it set after the new battery until it again would just click? Will is start right after the battery is recharged?
If you have an overhead light staying on, it will run down the battery over time. Ghetto wiring could be doing it too if they bypassed the ignition.
If the car will start after a new battery, but poorly or not at all after driving a while, then it is likely not the starter; it is likely the charging system and that usually means the belts or the alternator. If it only fails after sitting around, there is probably a current drain to look for.

silylanjie

well the new battery last for a month and an half... but wont the car wouldn't jump start if starter has gone bad...? but let me check that method for checking the volts first

gambit023

Bring it in to get the altenator checked. most auto parts stores will do this for free. Some stores can even check the altenator while it's on the car.

jeffrored92

Not to argue, but I was leaning more towards the starter motor because of the clicking noise, and the fact he could roll start it.

With a dead flat battery and a faulty alternator, I wouldn't expect a roll start to work. Then again, it really depends on how flat the battery is and how faulty the alternator is, so it's a bit subjective

jeffrored92

Mmm I should read more closely what you guys posted.

If you're able to jump start it then it's not the starter. Maybe do what gambit023 suggested and get the alternator checked out

silylanjie

its pretty funny... my car started today... it has a slow start.. starting like it has low electricity... but do you guys think it was cold that why the car didn't start before... because that day I warmed up the car and drove it from about 5 mins going to church and after church my car couldn't start.. but now it start... any ideas?

jeffrored92

So one day it wouldnt start, then a few days later it started without you touching it?

Sounds SO much like my starter motor but I won't go down that path again.

Have you tried some of the things the guys have suggested yet? What voltage do you get across the battery terminals with the engine off, and with the engine running?

You can easily work out if it's the cold influencing this problem. If you can start the car, warm it up, then once the engine is nice and warm, turn it off and start the car a few times. Then let it cool down overnight or something and try to start it the next morning.

rousu

Have you done the obvious and cleaned the white corrosion off your battery terminals?
That corrosion can serve as a dielectric and keep the current from flowing like it should.
Remove cables; remove corrosion, perhaps use soda water and then dry them well, wire brush the posts and cable openings. Re-assemble. Simple stuff first.

Too cold in DR? Come on.

silylanjie

yea I think I should clean the terminals.. but use soda water??
also I need to get one of those things to check my volts...

mad_7tist

/\ baking soda mixed with water. it's an acid/base thing. coke works in a pinch

edv

1) Buy a trickle charger...you'll use it for the rest of your life anyways.
2) Get out your dremel with the fine wire brush thingy and disassemble and clean ALL the contacts and connectors at your alternator and battery.
3) If the problem doesn't go away, go get the alternator checked.
4) Your starter is probably OK...FDs come equipped with a pretty decent starter.

edit
5) Cross your fingers that it is not a slow draw.

rousu

Mix baking soda with water. Mixed with the acid corrosion on your terminals and cables, it will foam and neuralize the acid. Possibly brush with an old-to-be-disposed toothbrush (not your girlfriend's), rinse, dry, and then dress with a wire brush to get to fresh metal.

(The soda and gunk mixture itself can become a dielectric if you do not get it cleaned off well.)

An intermittant bad connection here could explain the battery sometimes not charging, and sometimes not giving enough current to start.

A good voltage checker is the ignition key. If it starts, there are enough volts....