1992 Ninety Eight won't start after hitting a box

[Johnny Alucard]

Here's a weird story for all of you Master Mechanic Detectives out there....

Last night, I was driving along and hit an empty cardboard box.
I dragged it along for a minute. Stopped the car to see where it was and it was jammed in the front.

I reversed.

Then drove forward.

That loosened the box and the car drove over the box and I saw it in the rear window.

About 5 seconds later, I lost all power to the car.

I pulled over. Tried to start the car.

Nothing.

The lights came on the dashboard, the starter "tried" to start the car but it just wouldn't start.

So we pushed the car home (fortunately, this happened about a block away.)

Right at my driveway, I hopped back in the driver's seat and tried to start the car.

It worked!

Weird...

Anyway, I drove it around the block a couple of times then wisely headed for my local mechanic's where I parked the car. (It was after hours.)
I stopped the car and tried to start it again....

Nothing. I tried many times...
Nothing.

(Thank God I had the wherewithall to drive to the mechanic.)

Anyway, I went straight to the mechanics first thing in the morning, tried to start the car and it worked! I told them the story, they hoisted it up and took a look underneath to see if there was anything loose. They couldn't find anything wrong.

They drove the car around the block a few times, stopped and started it numerous times, everything worked fine. We chalked it up to a weird, mysterious thing that somehow, magically corrected itself.....

I drove the car home. In the driveway, I stopped it and tried to start.....

NOTHING.

I waited half an hour....

Nothing.

Another hour....

Nothing.

Called the mechanic, he made a house call with his assistant. I took them out back where the car was parked and tried to start it.

It worked!

(By now, the mechanic's thinking I'm nuts.)

Anyway, they took the car with them just now....totally perplexed as to what the problem is.

So if any of you mechanical wizards have any solid ideas, please share them and I will pass them along to the mechanic. (Also, please keep in mind, I am absolutely mechanically challenged and know nothing about fixing cars.)

And please keep in mind, it's obviously something that the box triggered. It may not have knocked something loose entirely .... but it did SOMETHING as it travelled its merry way underneath my poor, old, ninety eight olds.

Cheers!

:- Stuart

[brcidd]

Bad battery cable connection- box may have jarred the lead to the starter- and made battery connection loose.

This is my opinion..

[Johnny Alucard]

Originally Posted by brcidd

Bad battery cable connection- box may have jarred the lead to the starter- and made battery connection loose.

This is my opinion..

They managed to find the culprit.......

It was the CRANK SENSOR (in the library with the candlestick!)

Thanks for replying!