another problem...

my car is a 93 GA quad motor. i went out to start my car today and at first it acted like the battery was dead. i took it out and went to charge it but it was fully charged. i cleaned all of the corrosion off the terminals and hooked it back up and still the same...car dings with the key in but not recieving enough power to do anything else(radio wont even come on). my haynes book is not very much help in the troubleshooting dept. so any help and ideas are appreciated as always.

matt,
had to go back to first read your "other" problem, to figure out that THIS issue is probably directly related.
if you ran that 4-banger enough to heat up and mix the oil and water in the crankcase, that battery won't even TRY and spin your starter, until you drain that 'milkshake' sludge, as the oil filter and the oil press switch are clogged.

if this is not the case; you say the battery is charged, did you put a load tester on it, or just a voltage check?
if the battery had a cracked plate within it, it would still show 10-12V, but no amps... or possibly a fusible link.
...still, I think your potential head gasket dilemma may be the cause of your battery issue, as I have seen this at the dealer lots with AMPLE of the 2.0L Cavs and such.

if you haven't started the tear down yet, you could always, drain the oil, and disconnect the water hoses, refill with 4qts of generic oil, and a new filter to see. a few minutes (I SAY FEW MINUTES, do not overheat)of run time like an air-cooled Corvair would at least put a little lubricant back on the bearings. plus, if she cranks and runs, at least you know she's worthy of saving... otherwise, might start calling recycle yards;
a used 2.4L is around $500-650. USD. and might be easier swapping whole engine, than a tear down and rebuild, especially if waiting (and paying) for shop/machine work.

hope this helps,
chris
nrt racing

Try this: Pull your plugs out and then crank it over. You might be hydrolocking the engine, and by pulling the plugs out you provide a release for whatever is in the cylinder. Just make sure no one is standing over the motor when you crank it because if there is anything in the cylinder it will come out very rapidly.

i understand what you guys are saying but the car is not getting enough power to run the starter, the interior lights barely come on. it is definately a power problem...battery reads 100% and im almost positive that is accurate i will verify with another battery that i know for sure is good and see if i still have the same problem

battery was bad, thanks anyway.