"AFX" wrote: (1998 Chrysler Concorde 3.2l V6 155 k)
Here is all I know. I put in a new radiator and car started fine. Now it won't start. It gives me a single click then I try and turn it on. The click seems to come from the right (driver) side of the engine and sounds like the sound you get when a battery terminal is loose. The electrical inside the car seems to work fine, the lights come on and don't dim when I try to start the car.
None of the following things have helped: Replaced the battery and terminals. Turned the crankshaft 360 degrees manually. Changed the oil and checked thetransmission fluid. Checked most electrical wires. Got a multimeter but don't know how or where to use it.
I'm getting ready to tow this POS to Austin to roll down a hill if I don't get this thing running soon! ________________________________________________________
Don't throw it away yet. There is some great information here.
If you have the headlights and all the other lights on and you turn the key to the start position, the heavy starter current SHOULD dim the lights, even with a fully charged battery.
Your lights do not dim, so the starter is not getting any current. To find why, follow these checks:
Ignition key switch: The battery cable goes to a solenoid switch which clicks when you turn the ignition key to the start position. The ignition key switch is okay because it makes the solenoid click.
Solenoid switch. There is a heavy cable from the solenoid to the starter. The solenoid switch must connect the battery cable to the starter cable. Set the multimeter on a 12-VDC (minimum) scale, place its neg probe on a grounded spot and its pos probe on the solenoid battery terminal. If it reads 12 volts, the battery is connected. Move the pos probe to the solenoid starter terminal. It should read zero because the solenoid is not energized. Have someone turn the ignition key to the start position (keeping your arms away from anything that might move). The voltage reading should jump up to about 12 volts to energize the starter. If the voltage stays at zero, the solenoid is bad and must be replaced.
Starter. If the battery, the cables, the ignition switch, and the solenoid have been eliminated, the only thing left is the starter. If you don't find a loose cable at the starter, remove the starter and take it to a parts store for testing and replacement if needed.
Good luck.
Rodan.