1990 mazda protoge starting problems

[giomocua]

Hi I'm having trouble getting our protoge to start. Nothing comes on at all (dome light, stereo, head lights etc) Every now and the dome light comes on and automatic seat belts re position but when i turn on the head lights or try to start the car everything goes back off. I've changed the negative battery cable i'm wanting to change the positive but i'm having trouble reaching the opposite end. Could it be a blown fuse? Any help from you guys wound be very helpful. Thanks

[Flash75]

Have you had the battery checked? I don't believe fuses are the problem.

Clifton

[giomocua]

Yeah i pulled the battery out and took it to auto zone and they said it was fine.

[growe58]

Sounds like a classic bad battery clamp problem. If you can't get to the positive cable at the starter end, just cut off the clamp and replace it.

You can probably start the car with a jump? Usually between the clamping action of the jumper cables and the extra juice coming from the jumping vehicle, it will overcome the resistance from the poor connection and allow the car to start. Of course, it may stall when you switch on any electrics, allow the rpms to drop or even remove the jumper cables...

[giomocua]

I tried to jump start but it did not work.

[Doug Tatham]

Take the battery to another autoparts place to have it checked. It sounds to me like you have a dead cell. If all they did was a hydrometer reading it won't catch it.

[Ice98]

are the cables/contacts corroded? this could account for a weak connection

get your alternater checked, and also do like everyone else said and try the battery testing somewhere else, this definatly sounds like an electrical problem

1990 isnt too old, i had a '79 BMW that had electrical problems, wiring gets old, corroded, brittle, breaks very easily

try harder to replace that cable, it could fix things too