low voltage, no start
 

I have 13-14 volts before I try to crank the car. Once I clutch in and turn the key it drops to 7-9 volts. Is there ANYTHING you guys can think of that I can try? I have been through all the systems(spark, fuel, wiring) but I am not ruling out any of them. Could it be starter related, eg. a bad ground? Or maybe a bad ground somewhere else? Any ideas, I am open to all suggestions. THANKS.

you need a new battery. or charge that one and find the drain that is killing it when you leave it off for awhile.

okay I know the battery is dead, and am trying to save a little cash for a new one. But with another vehicle jumping it, I have the same problems. Are there any voltage regulators in our car? Anything in the system that controls the amount of voltage? The alternator is new, and like I said the drain doesn't come until you turn the key for start-up. Thanks for the idea. ANY MORE?

The drain is always when you go to start. A battery could have a good float voltage reading but be a pos when put under load.

Sometimes even with a jump if your battery is dead the car will not start. It pulls down the voltage from the car that is trying to jump you. Dont touch the voltage regulator. You could take a good battery from another car and swap out your battery to get your car started to see if this is the problem.

I just had a similar problem 2 weeks ago. I was out and used the car all day (stoping and starting multiple times). The last time I tried to start car put in key, push down clutch , turn key and nothing. Tried everything I could think of on the scene but could not get it to start or barely click the starter. Tried to jump with another car, still the same. Called a tow truck and he came and tried to tighten all connections still the same, then tried to jump with big ass battery from truck and it started. Tow truck guy tested alt. and said it was fine at 14.5 amps and said the battery was bad. I drove it home and removed the 1 year old DieHard Gold battery and returned it to Sears. They put it on a tester and said it was fine, but had bad corrosion on the terminals and they cleaned them up. I have seen many bateries with 100 times worse corrosion and they have been fine. So i went home and put the battery back in and it started right up, and has been fine for two weeks. So try cleaning up your terminals with a wire brush and give it a try.
Good luck, hope it helps

Brian

I appreciate all the Ideas. I just bought a brand new battery, and am going to install it today. Thanks for the ideas guys, I had come close to pulling all my hair out. It's just weird to NOT be able to jump a vehicle bc of the battery being shitty. I guess we'll see. Thanks again, I'll keep you posted.

Let's discuss WHY you can not start with a jumper from an other battery.

Actually, you should be able to start through a jumper cable ONLY IF you use a jumper cable the size of a heavy duty welding cable. Those are expensive and heavy. But, they are the ones that are able to carry the, up to, 400 AMPS of current needed to start an engine. Most of the lesser, cheap, jumper cables that you buy at your discount auto store will not be able to carry that much current, thus, no start.

What those cheap cables are good for is:

To make a parallel connection between a good, charged battery and your good, discharged battery. Once you connect, start the donor car and run it for about 15 minutes, allowing some charge to build up in your battery through the cheap cables. Then, you should be able to start.

If your battery has shorted cells than the above method will not work either because the charge simply will not build in your discharged battery.

Albert

My uncle had a 93 rx-7 had a wiring problem so he was going to crush it I ask him to let me buy it off from him. So I got to go pick it up I was wondering if anyone could help me out figuring out the problem, It is completly dead no power he said at all won't do anything. What is some things I could look for? Please help!!

N8