starting problem, doesn't turn over at all

[Bencher600]

I have searched a bit on here and have not found my starting problem. It has happened mostly in the morning, but when I try to start the car nothing happens when I turn the key. The lights in the dash come on but that is all. No turning over, no starter noise, just nothing. After turning the key a few times(sometimes more than a few) the engine will start right up. The battery is good. Where do I start looking? I thought maybe the starter but when it engages, it is strong. Anyone have this problem? Please help.


Thanks in advance,
Bill

['97ventureowner]

Have you tried to clean the battery connections? That would be the first place to start to diagnose the problem. If you have a lot of corrosion, that can cause problems with starting.

[Bencher600]

The problem happened this morning again when my son was going to use the car. He said he tried turning the ignition about 20 times and it would do nothing. He popped the hood, got out and shook the battery cables around a bit. When he got back in and turned the key, the engine fired right up. I just looked at the cables and the positive looks like a sealed end but it looks like a bit of the white material that forms during corrosion is coming out around the wires that run into the sealed end. It doesn't look like there is any way to clean out the inside of the cable end. The actual face of the cable that meets the battery is clean. Do I have to replace the wiring assy that connects to the whole system?

['97ventureowner]

You could try cleaning the white corrosion with a solution of baking soda and water. Just liberally pour the solution over the area that has the corrosion. I've run into that problem where the corrosion manages to get under the protective covering of the battery cable and starts to work it's way down inside the cable itself. In that situation i just find the best way to fix that is to replace the cable. If you end up replacing the cable, a good thing to do is apply some dielectric grease on the exposed connections once the new cable is installed. This helps minimize the buildup of future corrosion. Another thing you can use is those red and green felt washers. They are installed prior to installing the battery cable and also keep corrosion buildup to a minimum. They make those washers for both top mount and side mount batteries. Once the corrosion gets under the protective covering of the cable, it's hard to eradicate it and ends up causing resistance, so replacing the cable is usually warranted in that situation.

Edit: Although I can't say I've used it, I have seen a spray you can buy in an auto parts store that you spray the battery connections to protect them and keep corrosion from forming. This was a few years ago and I don't know if such a product is still sold or on the market. That might be an easy solution once you get rid of the buildup of corrosion that exists now. In the future, if you are still having problems related to an excess buildup of corrosion, I'd look to a problem with the battery. Overcharging can cause an excess buildup of corrosion, among other issues.