OldsmoBeast Posted September 19, 2004 Report Share Posted September 19, 2004 UPDATE --> see my last post! Okay guys, heres the deal....this has happened twice in the past week... My car won't start after being warm for a while...its like the starter doesn't have enough power to turn the engine over...like, sometimes after its been running for a little while it'll crank slowly as if its not going to do it but then after the first or 2nd slow crank it'll pick up. Tonight, I went through the ultra-wash and then turned the car off and dried it off and when I came to start it again, it would TRY to crank, and then do the clicking thing like when the battery's dead....weird thing is, my battery is in PERFECT shape....I got a boost and it seemed like the extra juice was just enough to get it to barely get it over the first crank, then it started to pick up and cranked faster and then it started. Did the same thing on Thursday afternoon...What's going wrong?!! Thanks! YK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4spdz34 Posted September 19, 2004 Report Share Posted September 19, 2004 get a new starter. that ones on its way out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldsmoBeast Posted September 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2004 Shit...serious? is that a job that I can do myself on a 3100? or a pain in the ass? EDIT: If its not like extremely hard, I'm gonna go to my j/y and pull a starter off a 99 GP SE...100k KMS on the engine and its mint...i'll prolly get it cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldsmoBeast Posted September 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 UPDATE: I decided to try it out, since my car wouldn't start at all this morning.... So I got under it and within about 25 minutes I had the bastard off... my question to you guys now, is this: What the **** are 'shims'? I've seen them mentioned on here and my Haynes manual talks about em as if everyone knew what they are, but I'm Canadian and stupid dammit!!! someone let me know! Also, I'm probably going to pull the starter off that 99 3100, they'll be the same right? is there a better factory starter that'll bolt up? like a 3400 one or something? Thanks again! YK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted September 20, 2004 Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 Shims= spacers, usually in the thickness of thousandth's of an inch thick(like .010"). Basically, if the starter you put on sounds too loud, or just doesn't sound right, you may need to add a shim or two inbetween the starter and where it bolts up the the tranny housing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldsmoBeast Posted September 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 Shims= spacers, usually in the thickness of thousandth's of an inch thick(like .010"). Basically, if the starter you put on sounds too loud, or just doesn't sound right, you may need to add a shim or two inbetween the starter and where it bolts up the the tranny housing. ah....got it....makes sense now... yeah something about my starter doesn't look right....the little gear is like all the way inside, and you can barely see the teeth poking out...could that be part of my problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted September 20, 2004 Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 I think the starters should be the same on all 3.1s since 1991 I beleive (do a part number search on http://napaonline.com and you'll see if they are the same). I'm guessing they are the same on 1991-present 3.1s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldsmoBeast Posted September 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 yeah I think they are the same....davis says he'll sell me one from his TGP so we'll see how my $ situation works out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldsmoBeast Posted September 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 UPDATE: Okay.....seems like I might be even more fucked... The dude at the yard I go to said that he had my starter for $40 off a 99 Grand Prix...same car I always pull parts off...OR he could give me one off the shelf for the GEN 2 3.1 and that its the same shit....for $20....both included a 3 month warantee...so I went cheap...and I got it home and the solenoid on the older one is a little shorter...but same shit basically....i put it on, it fit and all...STILL...no start.....it made what sounded like the beginning of a turn for a SPLIT second but then continued to do the exact same shit the other one did.....so now I'm out $20 and still won't start. HELP!! I'm starting to get pissed! YK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoStudd Posted September 20, 2004 Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 Try putting the shift lever in Neutral and see if it starts then. I'm thinking your Park/Neutral safety switch could be on the way out. If it isn't that, then throw on a new set of battery cables. After that, I'd maybe suspect a faulty ignition switch. One last thing: Tighten down the nut on the remote postive terminal post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldsmoBeast Posted September 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2004 Try putting the shift lever in Neutral and see if it starts then. I'm thinking your Park/Neutral safety switch could be on the way out. If it isn't that, then throw on a new set of battery cables. After that, I'd maybe suspect a faulty ignition switch. One last thing: Tighten down the nut on the remote postive terminal post. Tried the neutral thing already, couldn't be the ignition swtich cuz the starter solenoid clicks.....I haven't messed with the battery cables too much yet...i did tighten the post...its just weird....I jumped it again from my mom's Lexus....and it started up fine...(it sounded kinda cool too because the new starter is like really old...probably from like an 88 or something.......sounds soo like old school truck or camaro cranking that thing...ahh memories.. ) so anyway...what I'm going to probably end up doing is finishing all the other shit I have going on with the car, put it all back together, jumpstart it, drive it on the highway for an hour or 2 (hopefully...maybe more like 30 minutes)... and then see how it goes from there...because its been sitting for a few days and i've done nothing but load the battery...so at this point I have no idea whats causing the problem...if I still have the no start issue, I'll play around with different wires and cables and ideas, switch around between the starters, hell maybe even go back to the yard and tell him his starter is defective and get another one to play with...I hope its just something simple...but keep the ideas coming!!! Thanks everyone YK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlsp Posted September 21, 2004 Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 if the start is clicking you have a relay draining your battery some where. Or how old is your battery? the start isn't getting enough power to turn the car over if it is clicking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveFromColorado Posted September 21, 2004 Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 it sounds like a faulty cable somewhere, eithe the power or ground, typically I see ground cables go bad much faster then pos. cables. that could also be why it was a hard start when it was warm. --Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manitcor Posted September 21, 2004 Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 might want to test your alternator, its possible its not producing enough power to run the car and charge the battery. Have you noticed things like a twitchy speedo or dashlights dimming more than usual when using your turn signals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoke1991 Posted September 21, 2004 Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 ok here is what you do, whip out a voltage meeter, some jumper cables, a battery charger and a friend to help you (unless you got LONG voltage wires that are able to reach from the drivers seat to the battery terminals.) what you need to do first it test out the simple stuff. Get a buddy to hold the voltage meeter prongs to the battery terms, then hop in the car, while the voltage meeter still reading, crank over your car (try n start it). ask your buddy what the battery was reading while it was cranking over. if its below 9 volts your battery is on its way out, if its 9.5-10 ehh your ok but during the winter you WILL need a new batter, unless you like to get stuck! If its 10.00 and up, your batt is fine, if it doesent move from 12+ volts, you got 1 of to things, 1 a kickass battery, or 2, a bad volt meter ignore the incorrect grammer and typoz if its reading out ok, then move on to the next thing. test your altinator( thats if you can get this thign started). voltage meeter again, somehow get your car started (jump it with a car and tell the other dude to rev the shit out of his car till you get yours going. disconnect the jump cables, let your car run for 5 min's and then attach the voltage meeter to the battery terms again, hop in your car, turn all the lights on, headlights, audio equipment, and the heater...etc watch the meter for about 5 min. it should be at least 12.25 volts and should be around 13 or higher if the voltage reading is lower than 12.25-12.00 volts, its one of 3 things, a you got a crappy altinator, or 2, you got a short or a relay eating your juice. OR, you got so much high powered audio equipment its drawing to much power. after you tested the voltage out, turn off all your equipment i told you to turn on and then wait a couple of min's then see what the voltage is at. if both things are in the green(both work according to what i told you, then check the starter, the wires, and make shure that any relays or fuses arent bad. Ive never had to deal with my starter because it starts my car with only 1 kickover (ba.boom... running ). or if your really lazy to do the battery test, then take it to a pepboys where they have the battery testing machine. but still you need to test the altinator anyway. i think thats it, if you find out anything interesting, let me know i just went though all of this shit on my sisters hyundia sonata, dam pos import shit had a bad battery! i think the others are on to somthing about the ignition switch or the park thing for the tranny. well goodluck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldsmoBeast Posted September 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 Okay awesome... you guys rule, I swear... I got my water pump gasket today (THANKS DAVIS!!!) so I can put everything back together and test it all out...and then take her out for a jog down the local highways...then I'll come home and test it all out... I know it'll start if I boost it off the Lexus...it did yesterday...so I'll try it all out, and let you guys know what it was! Thanks again!!! YK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoke1991 Posted September 21, 2004 Report Share Posted September 21, 2004 if we dont here from you within 12 hrs, then we know your car is running and are enjoying it to much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldsmoBeast Posted September 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2004 okay well i jumped it and ran it for a good hour or so....had some other cooling problems come up (see other thread) and i didn't really have much time to check out the battery and such....but one thing kinda hinted towards battery failure....or like a short somewhere....the battery made these like weird noises after I shut it down....my neighbor said it sounded like 'staticy-ish' but I think it sounded more like...some kind of acid shit...bubbling lightly or something frying LOL....does this mean anything? PLUS...my tranny is gayer than ever...someone told me that I might be having trouble turning over the engine if they didn't put enough oil or tranny fluid in there...is that possible? Thanks YK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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