Plug change, now no crank
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 38
Plug change, now no crank
i have 2000 and I changed the plugs wires about a month or so. It’s been having a rough start ever since, starts and dies, sometimes I have to really crank it.
Yesterday it it just stopped cranking. I get in, everything lights up, and I turn the key and nothing. I thought it was maybe some feature to prevent too much cranking, but that was yesterday and it still is same. No crank at all.
Ideas?
Yesterday it it just stopped cranking. I get in, everything lights up, and I turn the key and nothing. I thought it was maybe some feature to prevent too much cranking, but that was yesterday and it still is same. No crank at all.
Ideas?
If you had to jump the battery to crank the engine to get it to start, that means the battery was discharged/dead. You have to figure out why. While the battery may be fairly new, that is not any guarantee that it is good. Get your voltmeter and check the voltage before you try to start the car. It should be 12.5 volts.
It is suspicious that the problem started after a spark plug change. There is nothing that should cause the battery to discharge when changing spark plugs - if done properly. If you were to accidentally do something, the sky is the limit as to what it might have been.
Get the battery fully charged and then have it load tested. Start the engine and use your voltmeter to check the voltage. The voltage should be 14.2 volts. If it is below 13.8, you have an alternator problem.
If all voltage readings re good, you will have to start checking for something that is draining the battery. Start by checking if the brake lights are on all the time.
It is suspicious that the problem started after a spark plug change. There is nothing that should cause the battery to discharge when changing spark plugs - if done properly. If you were to accidentally do something, the sky is the limit as to what it might have been.
Get the battery fully charged and then have it load tested. Start the engine and use your voltmeter to check the voltage. The voltage should be 14.2 volts. If it is below 13.8, you have an alternator problem.
If all voltage readings re good, you will have to start checking for something that is draining the battery. Start by checking if the brake lights are on all the time.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 38
I did have to replace that brake pedal switch when I got the car, and that’s when I replaced the battery. When I put on the spark plug boots the front three didn’t fully lock into place. I thought maybe that could be issue.
I put the three originals back on and it still rough starts. Turning over slowly sometimes and also cranking away. I’m about to go pick up my starter relay and am gonna take the battery to have it tested.
I put the three originals back on and it still rough starts. Turning over slowly sometimes and also cranking away. I’m about to go pick up my starter relay and am gonna take the battery to have it tested.
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 34
From: northeast
Some suggestions:
1. Connect voltmeter to battery terminals. Turn on headlights, wipers, blower motor, heated seats if you have them, rr defog and anything else electrical you can think of. Look at the voltmeter, it should read at least 11.6V or above - if not, charge battery and repeat test. If still not holding above 11.6 replace battery.
2. Connect voltmeter, crank engine. If the engine cranks, you should have at least 9-10V or more on the meter. If it doesn't crank, but voltage is less than 10V, charge/replace battery. If it doesn't crank but voltage is 12V or above then there is an open circuit between the battery and the starter which leads us to....
3. Make sure all connections are clean, tight and corrosion free (battery terminals, where the battery cable connects to the starter, where the ground cable connects to the frame).
4. Connect the positive end of the voltmeter to the solenoid wire (small wire, not the battery cable) going into the starter. Ground the negative end of the meter. Turn ignition key, do you see battery voltage on the meter? If yes, replace solenoid/starter solenoid assembly. If no....
4. Take off the fuse panel cover on the interior by the driver's knee. Behind that panel is the starter relay. Gently tap the top of that relay with the handle of a screwdriver several times. Try to start the car. If it starts, replace that relay. Otherwise, your problem probably lies in a loose ignition switch or some other intermittent connection on the low current side of the starter circuit.
I agree with the above poster(s) who said changing plugs should have no effect on starter circuit - they are totally unrelated.
1. Connect voltmeter to battery terminals. Turn on headlights, wipers, blower motor, heated seats if you have them, rr defog and anything else electrical you can think of. Look at the voltmeter, it should read at least 11.6V or above - if not, charge battery and repeat test. If still not holding above 11.6 replace battery.
2. Connect voltmeter, crank engine. If the engine cranks, you should have at least 9-10V or more on the meter. If it doesn't crank, but voltage is less than 10V, charge/replace battery. If it doesn't crank but voltage is 12V or above then there is an open circuit between the battery and the starter which leads us to....
3. Make sure all connections are clean, tight and corrosion free (battery terminals, where the battery cable connects to the starter, where the ground cable connects to the frame).
4. Connect the positive end of the voltmeter to the solenoid wire (small wire, not the battery cable) going into the starter. Ground the negative end of the meter. Turn ignition key, do you see battery voltage on the meter? If yes, replace solenoid/starter solenoid assembly. If no....
4. Take off the fuse panel cover on the interior by the driver's knee. Behind that panel is the starter relay. Gently tap the top of that relay with the handle of a screwdriver several times. Try to start the car. If it starts, replace that relay. Otherwise, your problem probably lies in a loose ignition switch or some other intermittent connection on the low current side of the starter circuit.
I agree with the above poster(s) who said changing plugs should have no effect on starter circuit - they are totally unrelated.
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