Just Won't Start

[CheekyGurl]

Well I have a 96 Lumina 3.1. It has been running fine up to now. I went out and it started fine, when I got to my destination I turned it off and when I went back 1/2 hr. later the car was dead. It just made a clicking sound when i tried to start it. It would boost at this point. When I got my car home I turned it off and then tried to restart but now there was nothing, not even the clicking.

So we had the alternator tested, and it tested fine, and then we replaced the starter. After the starter was in we boosted it and again it started. I ran it for quite a while and even drove it thinking the battery needed to be charged. When I stopped the car, and tried to restart it was back to clicking again.

I need help to know what the problem is...all the connections were tested and they are fine. I am just a girl, so maybe it is something simple...but I would just like some help. All suggestions would be greatly appreciated. i have all my interior lights, radio, dash lights, headlights....etc....everything works....what is causing it not to start????

[jeffcoslacker]

Um.. did anybody check the battery connections? (#1 cause of this problem on side posts?)

[SpitAndDirt]

Definitely clean those terminal ends! The positive cable is notorious for forming corrosion because the factory ACDelco batteries are really bad about leaking acid through the battery post area. Any corrosion can cause serious starting issues. If the cable ends are immaculate, then read on.
I need to know some things before I can really be of any help, when you try to crank the motor does everything dim in the car. Or does everything stay the same. If you have a battery gauge in the car, does is drop down past 10 volts when you try to crank or not? Two other things: first is where did you purchase the starter from and what kind of warrenty did it have. 1yr starters are not worth the trouble, replace with lifetime warrenty or ACDelco remanufactured starter. Second is who replaced it. Those motors have problems of oil leaks that tend to run down to the starter area and cause dirt and corrosion to build up. This causes a bad connection. If the starter was just "slapped" in without cleaning around it you may be experiencing bad connections down at the starter, not just the battery cable terminal ends. It's very hard to diagnose starting problems without seeing, hearing, touching, etc. Hope this guides you in the right direction -Chris

[jeffcoslacker]

Good stuff spit. Yeah, the cable ends are so hard to access on the Lumina, they don't get checked much. And they can look fine, and be corroded as hell under the rubber. A 5/16 or 8mm wrench is what fits them, if that helps. Give 'em a twist, bet theyr'e loose or cruddy.

[jeffcoslacker]

I'm guessing when you jump it, you are using the remote jump terminals provided? That effectively bypasses the car's battery from the circuit, so it sounds like the problem is at your battery or cables.

[tblake]

sounds to me like the battery. When it completly died, no clicking, and you drove it, and it clicked, the battery was getting charged, but not holding the charge. My guess. I would check the cables, and if bad, replace, but if not, replace the battery. Good luck

[Kooterskkar]

If its been doin that for a while you may end up having to replace the battery. Once they go dead they dont hold a charge quite like they should. Itll keep dying and eventually wont charge at all. Check the battery connections first, like eeryone else has said to do, and check the connections on the alternator as well. After you clean the connectons on the battery splooge some di-electric grease all over the place under that rubber cover, that'll prevent it from corroding.