HELP! MY Car won't start...

[FoRn420]

So I got off work, went to my car...turned the key and it wouldn't start. Checked all my accessories - interior lights worked, stereo worked, but headlights and signal lights didn't work. So I assumed it was the battery. Got it boosted, could hear it was draining the hell out of the other car. Started up fine.
Let it run for about 5 minutes, then took the long way home, which is a highway type back road thingy, 80km/h ... figured the extra time running and the extra speed (opposed to 50 around town) would charge it completely. I got home, turned the car off, tried again, and it didn't start.
The battery and the alternator are both new - end of April for battery and middle of March for alternator. Could it be the starter? furthermore, do cars this new even have actual starters? Unfortunately I don't know much about newer cars, used to the carbeurators and generators lol
If there is a starter, where would it be located? It's an 89 corsica 2.8L multi port. some fast assistance would be nice. Thanks

[Weapon_R]

Your car has a starter. It really does sound like an alternator. The cheapest solution would be to have a parts store test your battery. If that checks out, you need to get a new alternator.

[FoRn420]

well at least if its bettery or alternator its free...both still under warranty :D
and i was thinking alternator, but it's so new...and it hasn't been put to excessive wear...
would it cost me anything to get the battery checked out by a parts store or mechanic?

[QuasarCav]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
Your car has a starter. It really does sound like an alternator. The cheapest solution would be to have a parts store test your battery. If that checks out, you need to get a new alternator.


Get the car started (boost it) while it's running disconnect the black battery cable. Car still runs=battery, Car doesn't=alternator.

The starter is located on the back of the block to the left of the oil filter. cant miss it.

Recheck your wiring, battery wires and battery to alt. wires.

try jumping the starter directly to see if it is the solenoid.

[Gonthro]

its likely the battery... once its starting it says running would point to the battery being hooped, like was previously mentioned, take the battery to auto value or something and have it tested

(if its not the battery it would probably be a bad connection somewhere..)

[Skylinelover]

Was the battery dead?

[Gonthro]

Originally posted by Skylinelover
Was the battery dead?

if it wouldn't start but then started with a boost then it is quite obvious that the battery was dead.

[FoRn420]

yeah, it was dead...while waiting for my dad to come boost me i turned on my stereo(it still worked) but it died after like 30 seconds.

Now I'm confused...so I ded as quasar recommended and disconnected the neg batt cable, and when i started to pull it away it started to die.
But then i turned it off for a couple minutes, and it fired right back up.
think it just needed a good charge? or what??????:confused:

[Gonthro]

could have been a bad connection and when you put the cable back on you got a better connection.

[FoRn420]

but i never got as far as taking it all the way off...loosened the bolt a bit (it was being a biatch and wouldnt come off) so i tried prying a bit and it came out a bit...and started dying...
well ill see what happens...it it doesnt start later i guess ill have to look more into it.

[QuasarCav]

If you can make it into calgary SE than drop me a PM. I have had to deal with quite a few 2.8/3.1's

I include my starter as part of the consumables, It needs to be changed yearly.

[Skylinelover]

think it just needed a good charge? or what??????

This happened to my dad'scar so he replaced the starter and raidiator and charged the battery now it starts fine.

So I would suggest checking the starter you might have to replace that.

[QuasarCav]

Originally posted by Skylinelover


This happened to my dad'scar so he replaced the starter and raidiator and charged the battery now it starts fine.

So I would suggest checking the starter you might have to replace that.


Do you know what you are talking about?

[FoRn420]

Originally posted by QuasarCav
I include my starter as part of the consumables, It needs to be changed yearly.

Good idea, I never thought of that...

[Gonthro]

Originally posted by QuasarCav



Do you know what you are talking about?

radiators dont cause starting problems ????



:dunno: :nut: :thumbsup: :devil: :angel:





BTW: with the symptoms described it is VERY unlikely that it'd be the starter in this situation.

[FoRn420]

K, so I left it alone for like 25 minutes, went back out there, tried starting it, the starter engaged and it was turning over but not firing up...then i tried again and it fired up..............
question: how do i go about jumping the starter directly?
and btw, it's not at the back of the block...its right at the bottom in front of my transmission... i know thats the starter...just not where described by quas ... just figured id mention that in case you are so detailed in your description of how to jump it...

[QuasarCav]

oh thats right, I was thinking cavalier.

Jump the power wire from your battery(red) to the power on your solenoid. You may need little cables to fit in there but that would rule out the starter.

I dont think it is your starter anyway. Do you come into calgary often?

I think it has the dreaded 60 degree V6 sloppy start.

[FoRn420]

occasionaly i come into calgary...not too often though...but perhaps we could arrange something sometime soon for me to come up there and let u do what u want...coz that'd be great to get it fixed without paying the ~70/hr labour to find out its something simple i could have done myself :dunno:
but for now i'm just going to wait and see what happens. everything seems to be fine for now, but it's hard to say.....
"dreaded 60 degree V6 sloppy start" ??? something common in gm v6 im assuming?

[QuasarCav]

Originally posted by FoRn420
occasionaly i come into calgary...not too often though...but perhaps we could arrange something sometime soon for me to come up there and let u do what u want...coz that'd be great to get it fixed without paying the ~70/hr labour to find out its something simple i could have done myself :dunno:
but for now i'm just going to wait and see what happens. everything seems to be fine for now, but it's hard to say.....
"dreaded 60 degree V6 sloppy start" ??? something common in gm v6 im assuming?


If i could see the car and hear the noises it would be alot easier.

GM 2.8/3.1/3.4 are based on the same design. They go through starters like mad.

The problem is when you change the starter the alt. blows. When you change the alt. the coil packs blow. when you change then the battery dies and so on. So it could be a combonation of the three or It could be just a low battery.

Log on to www.jspeed.ca Those guys all run cavaliers and would be able to help. Maybe one of them lives close.

[Gonthro]

there is also http://www.jbodyalberta.com

[FoRn420]

Well crap...was running just fine...then I went to talk to my boss, left, and it wouldn't start again!
after wiggling the wires it started, but my battery was not dead, power was still going to the car...I assume that it is the starter now, simply because it starts WHEN IT WANTS and I'm not having any issues with the battery, so I went and bought a new starter today. ha, i also splurged and got a K&N Oil Filter because I have to pull the old one out to get the starter out, so I'm gunna give 'er a nice oil change and filter change at the same time as doing the starter...hopefully the starter is actually the problem...if net, at least I have a new one :) doesn't look like its been replaced in quite a while anyways so whatever...hopefully this fixes it...if not, u gonna be around tomorrow afternoon/evening quasar? I'll (try) to get up there and maybe you can figure it out :P
WISH ME LUCK!!! Doing it tomorrow morning ......

[FoRn420]

got it in...only took me 5 hours to do a fucking starter and oil FILTER...
I got my friggin snipe in there and I COULD NOT get my drain plug for my oil pan off...guys that did that at the gm dealership tightened it way too much...
So i decided screw it, ill just do the filter, make sure i got the drain pan under it, and just pull it off and let some drain from there...well...due to STUPID GM designers, that damn oil filter alone took me 2 hours to get off of there. i went to the store 5 times, exchanging filter remover after filter remover...either they didnt fit (retarded store, not good brands, no sizes on packaging...might make sense) or they didn't work because of everything being in such close vicinity to it.
finally, getting so pissed off i grab the pipe wrench, cram it over the fucker, grab the strongarm, and pry that bastard off eventually. Now, I've removed the bolts from the starter...won't come out...will slide out about an inch and a half...thats it...decide the wires are too damn tight to give it ANY slack at all...so i work on them for like... an hour, and finally get the 2 nuts off to get the wires off...then splunk the starter falls out onto the side of the drainpan, covering me and my driveway in oil. lovely, im greasy, and im working in grease...fun..
so anyways, then i dink around with the new starter to get the wires connected again, and have NO success...wires are just so short and theres no room to work...
call a buddy, and it takes both of us in a group effort to get those 4 wires (3+, 1-) on there and the nuts on. then we get everything all put together, put my beautiful new k&n oil filter on, and fire her up...
well, im sure anyone who has or does own a 3.1 or 2.8 knows how they usually sound when they fire up...now, it is like a high pitched squealing...it starts right away and everything, but its so disgusting...
any ideas what i screwed up on? i'm positive it has to be me, musta done something wrong somewhere somehow...
so yeah, if anyone has a bit of advice, it's be nice :) :) :)

[FoRn420]

Anybody???