1997 SC2 Completely Dead, No Power, Not Dead Battery

Check your battery cables. Should be clean and tight. Clean them with a wire brush. Check your battery voltage using a voltmeter. Should be 13.8V or so without load. Then jump start since it sounds like you have either a dead battery, or a bad aternator, or possibly both.

Good luck.

Bob

Are there any other possibilities, as it seems as if the battery is fine, as the power was ok as I turned the key to the first position, but when I tried to start it is when everything blacked out. Thanks for your help, all suggestions are appreciated!

-Jeremy

Bob Shuman wrote:

Just because your dome light lit and the ignition went on does not mean "the battery is fine". The starter draws hundreds of instantaneous amps. The dome light is just a miniscule fraction of that. Again, check the battery with a voltmeter both at rest and while attempting to start. Post your results here. Also, remove and clean the battery cables with a wire brush and re-tighten them.

If you no longer have a dome light, lights do not work, etc, then I'd bet it is the cable connections or possibly a completely open cell or internal connection to the battery post. This is the first and easiest place to start.

Bob

Fuses?

hth,

tom @

Most likely battery or alternator. If you have a stick you can just push it to start it otherwise you'll need a jump.

Last I knew you can push a car all day with a dead battery and alternator system and it won't start.

Last I knew you can push a car all day with alternator system and a dead battery and it won't start.

As for push starting, IMHO, I would not recommeding it with today's cars. A serious backfire could damage the exhaust system or it's sensors.

So, since the OP has time, I would elminate why the car is dead first.

later,

tom @

As long as the alt is good you can....Did it for 2 weeks on my 94 until I got around to getting a battery. Always made sure I parked on a hill though just because I didn't feel like pushing a car in a tie, none the less getting harassed by coworkers as I run by the office window with my car :)

Just make sure you'll be rolling in the right direction or you could do some damage....(eg. rolling forward, pop clutch in 1st gear, rolling backward pop clutch in reverse.)

Living that far out of town though, I would invest in a battery charger. Even doing something silly and leave the map/interior lights on overnight will leave you stranded with no other vehicle or people to help ya out....

Just a thought...

Scott

The engine has no way of knowing if it's being spun by a starter or via the clutch. BUT, they absolutely will NOT start IF the battery is stone dead. The alternator will not excite unless there is some voltage there to do it.

If the computer doesn't have some juice, it won't start even if you push start it.