1996 Pontiac firebird not starting

Hi, I have another problem with another car!!! When you turn the key in the ignition, the car won't start. It just makes a clicking noise and that's it. We think it might be the alternator. We have replaced the battery just a few weeks ago, and 2 years ago we replaced the spark plugs and some coils (I believe). Any help on this would be great!!!!!!! Thanks.

Reply to
puffball99
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Umm... have you measured the battery voltage? Have you tried charging the battery up and seeing what the battery voltage is with the vehicle running? Or do you just want to keep swapping parts out constantly until you wind up with a brand new car one piece at a time?

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

As of right now, the car will not run.

Reply to
puffball99

So? Scott already told you in a *polite* way to measure your battery voltage. Your distress isn't going to go away until you _move_ on this idea. Just thinking about it doesn't do anything. If it did, I would be a millionaire by now.

Lg

Reply to
Lawrence Glickman

*polite* way to measure your battery
Reply to
puffball99

If you charge the battery, WILL it run?

Of course, maybe the battery is already charged. If you don't measure the battery voltage, you don't know.

My ability to remain polite is starting to fray.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

If the battery will not hold a charge, the battery is bad.

Now, you're saying this is a brand new battery, right? How did a brand new battery get bad? Maybe you just got a bum battery. Maybe your alternator is overcharging it. The voltmeter will tell you the answer.

The voltmeter is your friend.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

You are describing a bad connection on one of the battery cables if the boost won't work or a 'really' dead battery with a short in a cell.

Most folks forget that battery cables have 2 ends. When one end is dirty, the other end is suspect too. The negative at the block is a sneaky one.

With a dirty battery cable connection, the battery won't get a good charge to 'hold'.

Even with a dead alternator a boost should work. If you think the alternator is shorted which usually makes smoke, you can unhook the alternator and try boosting again.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: N>
*polite* way to measure your battery
Reply to
Mike Romain

Could be, but until we read the voltage at the battery, we won't know.

A fully charged *normal* battery will read 12.6 volts DC with the engine OFF.

IF the alternator is good, with the engine running you should read something like 14.2 volts at the battery terminals.

If you can't get the vehicle started with a *jump,* that means there might be a different problem...it could be a starter issue.

But first, before anything else, please read the battery voltage with the engine Off, which is all you can do anyhow at the moment, and post the voltage reading to the newsgroup here.

Thank You.

Lg

Reply to
Lawrence Glickman

battery, we won't know.

Reply to
puffball99

Reply to
puffball99

Okay, now get a voltmeter and measure the voltage across the battery.

If you read 13V across the battery, BUT you only see 8V on the dashboard meter, there is a bad connection somewhere.

If you read 8V across the battery as well, then the battery is dead. Put the battery on a charger. Does it read properly after a few hours on the charger?

If it does not read properly after a few hours on the charger, the battery is bad and should be replaced. THEN you need to figure out why it went bad, since it's pretty new.

If it DOES read properly after a few hours on the charger, and the car starts with the battery charged, THEN you definitely have an alternator related issue.

Before doing ANYTHING you need to take the first step and read the battery voltage with a voltmeter. The voltmeter is the most fundamental piece of test equipment available. It's what cavemen used to debug fire with. The voltmeter is your friend.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Then...that says your battery doesn't have enough electrical energy to engage the starter motor and turn the flywheel ( which is connected to the crankshaft by a moving gear ). 8 volts indicates a discharged battery.

So...that means the vehicle will _never_ start unless you have a battery voltage of at least 12.2 volts. There just isn't enough power there to start the engine.

That could have been caused by a defective alternator not recharging the battery. BUT, you can try to charge it with a plug-in car battery charger or a Jump Start from another vehicle.

Once your engine is running from a Jump Start, if it starts, then your alternator is suspect.

IF your engine won't start with a Jump Vehicle and battery cables, then you probably have a defective starter motor.

So the problem is either the alternator, the starter motor, or both.

Right now...we need a fully charged battery on your car to see if it starts with that. If it doesn't...your starter motor/solenoid is suspect. That clicking noise is the throw-out solenoid of the starter motor -trying- to engage the flywheel, but there isn't enough voltage/amps/power to get it to do that.

2 ways to try to get this engine running: a) fully charge the battery in your car with a plug in battery charger b) try a jump from another car using jumper cables, with the other car reving its engine at about 1000 or more revolutions/minute ( fast idle ).

If both of the above fail to start the engine, the problem is definitely related to your starter motor.

If the engine starts, measure the voltage again at the battery terminals while the engine is running, and if you read ABOVE 14 volts with the engine running, after the jumper cables are pulled off and the car is *on its own,* then your alternator is GOOD. Below 14 volts and your alternator is not doing what it is supposed to do.

HTH

Lg

battery, we won't know.

Reply to
Lawrence Glickman

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