New Battery, car won't start?

[gmaster3384]

Hello all,

This is my first time posting in the forum after a long time searching, so bear with me, haha.

I went out to my 99 Grand Am this morning and my battery was totally dead. Tried jumping it, but no luck. I knew it was time for a new battery anyways, so I went out and bought one. I installed it, and as soon as I hooked it up, the car alarm started going off. I put the key in the ignition, and when I turned it to "on," the radio played, lights came on, and the dashboard lit up. However, I was unable to actually start the car. I turned the key to "start," and the lights inside the car dimmed, but I heard nothing but silence.

The Security light in the dashboard is lit constantly, but there's a small, rapidly-blinking red light on the left side of my dashboard near the fog light switch.

Any ideas on how to fix it? Please help!

[xeroinfinity]

Welcome to AF !

Sounds like your starter might be the problem here. I'd check the fuses & relays for the starting system first.

Here is a wire diagram if you would like to test your starting system is getting power.
Charging and Starting system - wire diagram

Also if you can get the starter off most part stores can test it for you.

[gmaster3384]

Thanks for the reply!

So you don't think it has anything to do with the car's alarm system? And just something to do with the starter?

[thephantom1492]

if you have a third party alarm system, it could be it.

[gmaster3384]

As far as I know, it's the original alarm system. Which is weird because I never use it; I only lock and unlock the car with the key in the door handle.

I have never had any problems like this before my battery died and got this new one.

[gmtech1]

A scan for BCM codes may be in order. Sometimes the BCM does weird things when it's had a low voltage condition.

[gmaster3384]

Originally Posted by xeroinfinity

Welcome to AF !

Sounds like your starter might be the problem here. I'd check the fuses & relays for the starting system first.

Here is a wire diagram if you would like to test your starting system is getting power.
Charging and Starting system - wire diagram

Also if you can get the starter off most part stores can test it for you.

So if you think it's the starter, how would I go about testing and/or replacing it? Sorry, I'm not really good with cars, haha.

[thephantom1492]

based on xeroinfinity's diagram, if you turn the key and nothing happend, not even a click, then you have a blown up fuse OR a third party alarm or something...

A faulty starter normally click but do not crank.

You can verify it by locating the starter. You will see on the back of it a round thing with a big wire that come straight from the battery (that might also have a wire going to the alternator), a smaller wire, and optionally another wire going to the starter itself.

That thing is the starter solenoid. Think of it as a kind of switch. when you start, 12V is sent to the small wire, which activate the solenoid. internally a "switch" will get triggered, which power the starter.

When you try to start, 12V should be at the small wire. A test light or a multimeter can help see if something is there.

If you have 12V there, the solenoid is shot and a starter replacement would be needed. Note that there is some way to rebuild it, but usually you just replace.

If you do NOT get 12V there, then something is preventing the power from going there.

What can cause power to not go there, based on his diagram: battery -> wire -> fuse -> wire -> ignition key -> wire -> transmission shift switch -> wire -> solenoid.

There is no factory anti-starting thing. If there is one, it's third party stuff.

Beside, unless I'm wrong, factory alarm do not have a siren, but use the horn.

[rezz]

Could also be the ignition switch?

[thephantom1492]

Originally Posted by rezz

Could also be the ignition switch?

Sure it could be, but usually ignition switch start progressivelly, not suddently.

Since he mentionned the siren, it make me beleive that there is a third party alarm with anti-starting capability.

[Tech II]

"The Security light in the dashboard is lit constantly, but there's a small, rapidly-blinking red light on the left side of my dashboard near the fog light switch."

That does not sound like anything OEM.....as suggested, some kind of aftermarket device.......look for something like a toggle switch under the dash(may have to turn it off and then on again, to de-activate)......can also drop the hush panel and look for an "extra" module hanging somewhere, with a lot of wires coming out of it, attached to the cars wiring harness with quick connects or "tape"......GM does not use these in their wiring, and verifies that it is aftermarket..

Before condemning the starter/starter solenoid, there is a small purple wire going to the "S" terminal of the solenoid......attach a test light to it.....when you turn the key to the "crank" position, the light should be as bright as when you put the test light across the battery.....if it doesn't light, it is not the starter....if you found an aftermarket module under the dash, that could be your problem.....