Strange starting problem

[Chris Andrews]

Its intermittent.

And goes something like this:

I put the key in, turn the key to start, but nothing.  No engine turning, no sound, no lights, like a dead battery.   When key is turned, voltmeter across the battery terminals reads zero.  So, I give up, and a few minutes later I have dash lights, etc. again.

So I put the charger on the battery, but it doesn't charge, why?  because the battery IS fully charged.   Besides, this battery was recently load tested, and was fine. Plus I have another brand new battery that I swap in and eventually, the same thing happens.  So not the battery.

Not the starter, because I swapped in a spare unit I had, then it still happened, so I bought a new starter, and still happens.  So not the starter.

What makes my car start?  Disconnecting the battery for 5 seconds.  I reconnect, and the car starts like a champ.

I tested my starter relay, and it seems fine.  So what is it?  Another relay somewhere? Something else?

[Zak Mach]

do you have an alarm or immobilzer on the car?? you may have a bad starterkill relay

[Chris Andrews]

no alarms, no immobilizer.....

[Fraser Cassells]

Check over all your clutch wire connections, I am sure you have modified the stock wiring for the stutterbox yes?

[Jovan Ceklaj]

It's funny you should have this problem because I figured this was only something I had going, back when I still had a DSM.  I noticed that my battery ground terminal was in pretty rough shape.  Logically, people would think that getting a new terminal and cleaning everything would be the right solution.  I'm too damn good for that nonsense so when it happened the first time and I realised it was the ground terminal, I just hit it with a hammer and it worked.  Crappy ghetto fix?  Damn rights it was but it worked.

My car had the EXACT same symptoms.  I would suggest looking there.  And hey, if a new battery terminal doesn't work, just carry a hammer around with you. :laugh:

[Martin Raska]

Same symptoms for me, but it was the battery, and it showed when load tested at CDN Tire.  Could be both batteries on their way out?  I guess less likely, but it happens.  How often is intermittent?  How is the other battery in terms of age, storage, etc?  Even then it could be still bad.  Can you try a third easily?  Though if you get it tested at CDN tire or something again it should show up eventually I would think.  Check Jovan's type of problems with the high current connections being clean and tight.

[Robin Toor]

I had the exact same symptoms last week in my truck, like Jovan, my positive battery terminal was loose from the batter. When I first got into the truck, all the lights turned on, but when I went to start it, everything turned off. Wait a couple of minutes... it would turn back on again. Eventually I went under the hood and screwed in the positive side terminal in harder, and it has been running perfect since then. I would definately check the connections, they might appear to be ok but I would re-tighten them to be sure.

[Kimyee Lai]

It sounds like loose connection somewhere, but zero across the terminal is really odd.  The only thing I could think of to cause that is some kind of internal problem with the battery...plates intermittently touching?

[Rishad Udwadia]

I had that problem once as well. Everything was ok in the acc position, went to crank the car, and everything went dead. Turned out to be a loose battery terminal.

[Chris Andrews]

Thanks for replies.

Loose terminal.    I am a noob.  :laugh:

Too many things on my mind right now, like fishing, and going to Japan....

[Andrew Steele]

It's funny you should have this problem because I figured this was only something I had going, back when I still had a DSM.  I noticed that my battery ground terminal was in pretty rough shape.  Logically, people would think that getting a new terminal and cleaning everything would be the right solution.  I'm too damn good for that nonsense so when it happened the first time and I realised it was the ground terminal, I just hit it with a hammer and it worked.  Crappy ghetto fix?  Damn rights it was but it worked.

My car had the EXACT same symptoms.  I would suggest looking there.  And hey, if a new battery terminal doesn't work, just carry a hammer around with you. :laugh:

Although Chris has already diagnosed the problem - I gotta say Jovan's fix worked for me as well.  it reared it's ugly head again once recently, grabbed a socket - put it over the terminal and gave 'er one good whack w/ a hammer, not a problem since.