wont turn over

[jlaw68]

yesterday my girlfriend was driving the 91 transport and got to a stop light after driving for a while and it stalled, started it again and stalled. let it sit for a min now all it will do i make one loud click. tried to jump it with my truck but no luck. today i checked the battery cables, got a little corrosion off the terminals hooked everything up and still nothing. hooked up a jumper to check the codes and nothing. havent pulled the starter yet but that is next. looks like a pain in the a$$. anyone else have anything like this?

thanks in advance
johnny

[240zdogg]

Originally Posted by jlaw68

yesterday my girlfriend was driving the 91 transport and got to a stop light after driving for a while and it stalled, started it again and stalled. let it sit for a min now all it will do i make one loud click. tried to jump it with my truck but no luck. today i checked the battery cables, got a little corrosion off the terminals hooked everything up and still nothing. hooked up a jumper to check the codes and nothing. havent pulled the starter yet but that is next. looks like a pain in the a$$. anyone else have anything like this?

thanks in advance
johnny

try turning the crank pulley by hand or with a socket, if it doesn't turn then good possabilty your motor locked up(replace engine). if it turns by hand or socket then first change your starter and go from there.
Chris

[jlaw68]

how hard should it be to turn the crank over? i have 2 other vehicles both with V8s and they are not that hard. i was putting everything i had into trying to turn the crank with a breaker bar and a socket and it wouldnt budge. i got a bad feeling about this engine.

[jd-autotech]

if the engine locked up it wouldnot of restarted, you could have a problem with ignion switch? or tell me this when the key is on not cranking or running is the check engine light on? if not you lost power to ecm (broken wire)

[jlaw68]

how hard should it be to turn the crank over? i have 2 other vehicles both with V8s and they are not that hard. i was putting everything i had into trying to turn the crank with a breaker bar and a socket and it wouldnt budge. i got a bad feeling about this engine.

[jlaw68]

all of the gauges act normal, the check engine light comes on, everything seems normal until i turn the key to the start position then i get a loud click from the starter and nothing else. like i said in my last post i put a socket and breaker bar on the crank but couldnt get it to turn. if it locked up it wouldnt have started again i agree but something is strange with this whole ordeal. is it posible for the starter to lock into the flywheel, ive never seen this before but would it be posible?

[jd-autotech]

i suppose, i have never heard of that, but then again i am not the greatest authority in cars. i learn new stuff all the time. maybe removing the starter and having it bech tested at your local parts store is a good move.

[jlaw68]

the thing that confuses me is if i cant turn the crank with a breaker bar the how can the starter? im going to pull the three front plugs this afternoon and see if i still cant turn the crank by hand. may try and pull the starter too.

[LMP]

Well indeed in old cars...and I have one, see my avatar, it happens the starter gear locks in against the flywheel, blocking both ; rocking the car back and forth in gear normally releases it..but this does not apply to automatics; an old tractor at cottage exhibits that too, rather frequently; have to unbolt the starter, jerk it sideways then reinstall it. But I have not seen that in recent cars..like last 40 year vintage. GM starters though, even recent ones, have a long history of poor engagement and teeth grinding.....
Turning the engine by hand with a socket and long torque bar is easy.
...of course, all of this does not explain the sudden stalling of the car in your first post......
..when you try to start with the headlights on, after you hear the click and keep the key to start position, are the headlights still barely lighted or totally extinct?

[jlaw68]

your right none of this explains the stalling that happened. i have tried to turn the crank with a socket and breaker bar both ways and nothing. i think if the starter was engaged this should have disengaged it but nothing. alot of this doesnt make any sence. it stalled, restarted, stalled again, and then click thats it.

[knuckle ears]

Was reading in another forum about a person with the same problem. It wouldn't turn over to start after pulling into the drive way. Just stalled. He tried to use a socket and breaker bar to turn it manually but wouldn't go. A suggestion was to pull all plugs and try again. It may have a mainfold leak in to the intake and the pistons are hydro locked. Short of changing the motor , a manifold gasket would solve the problem.

[jlaw68]

didnt think of that, thanks much for the good idea. will try it in a little bit and post back what i find.

[jlaw68]

anyone have any easy advice on how to get to the rear plugs on one of these vans? looks like a nightmare just trying to reach them. it a 91 but i guess it should be the same as all the others.

[knuckle ears]

Originally Posted by jlaw68

anyone have any easy advice on how to get to the rear plugs on one of these vans? looks like a nightmare just trying to reach them. it a 91 but i guess it should be the same as all the others.

They aren't very easy but can be done. Get an old peice of carpet or blanket and throw it over the motor. Then crawl up on the motor and start feeling for the wires and plugs. Sometimes a small mirror helps to see where they are. Its a matter of touch and feel to get the wrench on and the plug out.

Do one at a time and then put its wire back on so you don't mix them up.
The 3.8 is even worse.