So I'm at the gas station filling up and the car wouldn't start! The car still had power (i.e. lights, radio, etc all function) but the engine wouldnt turn over or even crank! And no clicking!

The AAA guy came out and he had me crank it while he struck the starter with a pole and the car started to turn over but never turned on.

I spent a few hours today replacing the starter and the car still has power but the motor doesnt crank and the tell-tale clicking sound I remember from the past when the battery has gone out is absent!

I don't think it's the battery because I swapped batteries with a buddy and my battery started his car perfectly fine. But his battery didnt start my car and again the clicking sound was absent.

Please help!!

 

Complete guess from a non mechanical guy but could it have anything to do with your clutch if you are 5/6MT? Another thought would be your ignition?

I know there is a ridiculously long thread around here regarding bad ignition coils.
Again this is coming from someone who rates himself a 4 out 10 on the mechanics scale...

I'm just thinking of items associated with starting the car that could be causing the problemo.

 

well 1. maybe u installed it wrong doublecheck the connections on it ?,.. 2. potential that maybe ur 'new' starter was bad before you put it in?,.. where did u get it from.. but before that 3. go wack the **** out of it and see if u can get the starter to click if it does this its prob another bad starter


i doubt it would have anything to do with the coils,....i would guess maybe some kind of security thing ,.. but usually for this it will crank but wont turn over so im guessing u got another bad starter but who knows.. good luck

how about try and pop start it,.. assuming ur a MT,.. maybe then u can rule out everything but the starter?

 

It could be the shifter P or N lockout switch if it's an Auto or the clutch switch but I suspect the relay. The relay is in the relay box in front of the battery. The relay is labelled INHIBIT (back row, second from pass. side location). Try giving it a sharp tap/whack at the same time the ignition is turned to Start. If it's the same relay type as the cooling fan relay next to it, try swapping them.

 

Check the fuse under your hood on the right side closest to the battery. I had a blown fuse there and it was giving me the same problem. The car would turn over and over but wouldn't start. Had all the power etc. I put my fuse tester on the fuses to see if any were blown and that was it. It's just something to check off your list. Let me know if it works.

 

Thank you for all of your input thus far fellas... but the car is still not operational! I'm going to buy a new battery today, it's time for that anyway. But I've fiddled with the relays a little bit but was not able to pull them out. How the heck does that work? I don't have another set of hands to be able to try the hitting it while turning the ignition trick but I'll try that later today as well!

 

It could be the Nuetral Safety Switch, which I think Orgullo ment by "lockout" switch. It happened in my Sentra, the car thought it was in Drive when rly, it was in park. Shift the car to nuetral and try to start it, just a thought. My mechanic sprayed some WD40 on somethin in the tranny, and it was fixed until i got rid of it.

 

relays are tough to fry.. i don't think that'd be the problem unless you have a short, which will fry another relay
i just changed my starter two weeks ago and it went fine? that rear bolt was a bltch to get to though
make sure the power wire to the starter isn't corroded or anything..