My sister in law has a 2000 neon that every once in a while desides that it doesn't want to start. It doesn't even turn over. She says that the radio dies then the car will not turn over. I have checked it for fuses, fusable links, the battery load test, battery voltage, alternator output, not even a service engine light and all checks out fine. It really hase me stumped. Any help would greatly be appreciate.

What do you have to do to get it started? Also,have you checked the ground side of the elect. system? If you can get to the car while its dead,using a voltage drop test may help you isolate the problem.

We have checked all grounds they are all clean and tight no green out on any of the terminals. We have to boost the car or put it on the battery charger to get it to start after this happens. Then it might not happen again for days or even weeks latter.

Had to run out of town-but you have a tough one.Back to your first post-radio dies and then the car won't start-is this while shes driving? Does she have a stock system or a bunch of amps? I ask this because I am trying to figure out the battery dead timeframe. I have a sister,several nieces and a lot more people and sometimes its hard to get a strait answer.

The car radio is stock no amps. The radio dies the car does not leave her hangin unless she shuts it off then it will not start

Does she lose other accessories?My thoughts are that there is a problem in the pos. side of the cable.This is hard to do on line-but the ECM/ignition should shut down before the radio. I'm thinking that the car is losing a battery feed ,and when the radio dies its running off the alternator.I don't have a wiring diagram here-I will try to find one-then maybe I'll be more help

Thanks for helping it has givin me some new ideas and questions to ask her. Well iIwas talking to her the other day and she has told me that the radio stays on even after the key is turned off. The lights in the radio ie the clock light is staying on. I am thinking that there is a faulty on off switch in the radio and that it is shorting out. This would deffinently kill the battery. I am going to get her to keep an eye on the radio clock. She has told me that if she disconnects the battery and reconnects it about 10 sec. later the clock light goes out and she says she does not think she has any problems starting the car after that. I am having her keep a log of what she is doing and seeing if any of this helps. The car is a 2001 sorry about that Bronco 2 my mistake. I am leaning towards the radio memory power feed is feeding the ignition power feed. Any thoughts? Greg

That would definetly kill it over time.Getting her a keep a log is a goog idea. I need to see a wiring diagram to see if the radio and other circuts are tied in, but I don't go back to work untill the 5th.

dude you need a new battery or your alternater "how ever you spell that" is about go to bad......

definately replace the batt. i don't think there is an alternator problem. these cars do have a capacitor for the dome light delay, but it shouldn't keep a stock radio on after ignition off, only some aftermarket models.

To dragon8master and danjih1-read all the posts and think before you reply.I do not want to sound like an a**h*** but y"all are not following the symptoms/problem.What does the radio staying on have to do with a bad battery? The radio in the car is stock,not aftermarket.Will the stock radio not shut off because the battery is bad? Will the radio not shut off because the alternator is bad? Doesn't a capacitor lose all its power after discharging?

i didn't mean that the radio and battery have anyhting to do with each other. if you have to jump a car to start it very often, then the battery needs replaced because it will not hold a charge. and, it was mentioned that the radio was staying on after the car was turned off...that's why i mentioned the capacitor. and, yes, a capacitor loses it's power after discharging...that's why the dome light only "delays" and doesen't stay on forever. but, if the alternator goes bad, the car only draws on the battery and the radio will start to turn itself on and off while the car is running. then it will lose spark and the car will just die. So,...............just start by replacing the battery and go from there.

Hello,

I'm jumping in here, because I have a '97 Plymouth Neon with what sounds like the same problem:

It started several months ago and has been too intermittent for my mechanic to figure out (of course it won't do it when it's at the shop). I'll go to start it and it won't turn over--it just clicks. There's enough juice for the radio and lights to work, but it will not turn over. The first time it did it, I got it started with a jump and then had the battery replaced, but that didn't fix it. It'll start like a champ day after day and then, whamo, for no apparent reason, it won't start. Let it "rest" over night and it starts again (sometimes). Or...jiggle the key, step on the gas, and try 7 or 8 times and it might finally turn over and start. Once started, it runs fine. Then it works great for *weeks* and, suddenly--bam!--I'm stranded again. :( There appears to be no pattern--I thought it might be a short, so I stopped charging my cell phone in it; then I thought it could be when it's been left for a couple of days or used for lots of short trips (starting and stopping), but that hasn't always been true. If something were going out, you'd think it would do it consistently, but the problem stopped for weeks and then just started again. Jiggling the key sometimes seems to work, so maybe it's loose wiring? Gremlins? Demonic possession? I've taken it in 3 times and they can't locate the problem. Your suggestions are appreciated. Thanks. :)

One other thought: something in your above messages was familiar to me. My car stereo/cd player was installed by a friend (several years ago, now) and it has always continued to run for a few seconds after I shut the car off. I've always wondered about this, but never thought it was a problem. The stereo was installed several years ago, now, and this problem with not starting is recent (did it the first time several months ago).

look......if you think that then your stupid...... your battery.... if it going bad.... it will make shit turn on and then shut them off ....... like they said check your grounds..... "check your the main fuses" the best thank you can do.. is take it to a machin... and let him find the problem before it F***s up..

1 more thing to add..... if the cables on your battery are not on right..... the car will not start.... but there will be power....

'vegasneon', if you get a clicking sound...your starter is going bad.

also, don't worry about your stereo, it's fine

Thanks, dragon8master. I'll take this new info back to the mechanic (for the 4th visit).

Danijh1, your message was rude, unintelligible and no help whatsoever. (Oh, and, btw, that's "...you're stupid".)

~vegasneon