Car troubles. 01 Chevy Jimmy, wont start

[MikeMike]

It just started getting cold here, my gf's 01 Blazer wont start, i was over her place last night and she woke up to go to class and it wouldnt start.

What i could tell:

Battery is not dead, all guages etc turn on.

noises made:
Clicking sound, no turn over attempt, but clicking almost like the distributor is working.

i cant hear a fuel pump turn on or not, i know on some cars you can sometimes hear it click.
NO, i mean NO attempt to turn the car over.

this is the 4.3l V6 model.

I leave for home tomorrow because its thanksgiving break. any suggestions?

the tools i have:
ONE craftsman tool set, 196? pieces

from what i know:
serviced about 4 months ago
has fuel
just started to get cold here (40 right now, 20's over the weekend)

please help i had 5 minutes to diagnos this earlier

 

[meltdown75]

my car needed a new ignition switch when this was happening.

click click click

it was an '89 Beretta at the time though. good luck with the problem.

 

[Analog]

Clicking? Sounds like the starter soleniod is working, but not enough amps to turn the starter. Causes: low battery - you said you had power, can you turn your headlights on with good brightness?

If the battery cable is frayed or corroded, then you won't have enough amps either. Check the battery post for corrosion, and check the cable for damage or wear.

Other cause could be a bad or locked starter - you can use a hammer to tap the starter to get it to jarr and possibly start it. Then you'll have to eventually deal with it.

 

[iamwiz82]

That sounds like a bad battery. Just because it has enough power to light up the dash doesn't mean it has the power to turn over the engine.

 

[sonoma1993]

the battery still can be bad and still have enough jucie to make the gagues light up. it could be a bad starter or battery doesnt have enough jucie to make the starter work.

 

[tfinch2]

Pull the starter and battery off and have them tested.

 

[The Stigenator]

battery/// jump it.

 

[nakedfrog]

Did you honestly post this before you even tried to jump-start it?

 

[teddyv]

I just went through this, I'm willing to bet you have a bad cell in your battery.

TEST 1. Pull the service caps on top of your battery (the ones where you can add distilled water.) Check the level, if one or more cells (caps) is low compared to the rest you are almost definitely looking at a new battery.

TEST 2. Take battery to Autozone and have it tested.

REPAIR - get last Sunday's paper and get the 30% off Craftsman Gold car battery.
a. Go to Sears and buy battery. Loosen battery retention bolts (probably 2 nlyo-lock bolts) and remove hold down clamp. Loosen negative then positive battery leads. Remove and properly dispose of old batter, install is reverse of removal.
b. Get a jump start and drive to Sears - buy new battery and pay $12 to have the new one put in and the old recycled.

EDIT: You can get away for a while with a bad cell by adding water to the battery and jumping the car when necessary, it will get steadily worse however and will eventually not hold a start charge at all (as in jump it every time.) Replace it now, it's only like $75.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Battery.

The click is the starter solenoid. The solenoid is triggered with low voltage and there's enough voltage to trigger the solenoid but not to spin the starter.

You CANNOT guage battery charge from the guages, or the headlights. Both need only a tiny fraction of the amperage that the starter needs. Even "bright" headlights don't mean sh!t about the battery having power to crank the engine.

Jump start the car and go get a new battery.

ZV

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Did you honestly post this before you even tried to jump-start it?

yup.

here is how my day went.

woke up, gf went to print, car started up, drove a minute to computer lab, turned car off, printed out a paper.

went to start it back up, car wouldnt start.

comes back gets me (10:40)

i go down there, check it out real fast, check battery cables, they are on tight etc. try to start it up. notice the noises etc.

(10:50)

go take her to class,

come back here(11:15)

post this message.

(11:20)

go to class.

i had no time to check anything basically.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Battery.

The click is the starter solenoid. The solenoid is triggered with low voltage and there's enough voltage to trigger the solenoid but not to spin the starter.

You CANNOT guage battery charge from the guages, or the headlights. Both need only a tiny fraction of the amperage that the starter needs. Even "bright" headlights don't mean sh!t about the battery having power to crank the engine.

Jump start the car and go get a new battery.

ZV

with the NO attempt at turn over however, i never thought it could be the battery. ill go try this later.

my experiences with batteries has always been this:

it will atleast TRY to turn the car over, almost like a 1/2 turn and then it just cant do it any more.

the reason i didnt suspect the battery was because she had just started it and drove liek 1000' to print something out.

 

[RaiderJ]

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Clicking? Sounds like the starter soleniod is working, but not enough amps to turn the starter. Causes: low battery - you said you had power, can you turn your headlights on with good brightness?

If the battery cable is frayed or corroded, then you won't have enough amps either. Check the battery post for corrosion, and check the cable for damage or wear.

Other cause could be a bad or locked starter - you can use a hammer to tap the starter to get it to jarr and possibly start it. Then you'll have to eventually deal with it.

Those are my thoughts. Check the starter if the battery is fine. Do you notice any dimming when you turn the key?

If you just have that tool kit, you might want to take it in to get fixed. Newer vehicles, especially smaller ones, are a real PITA to work on.

 

[Ktulu]

same thing happened to my truck, turned out there was a loose connection to the fuse box

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Clicking? Sounds like the starter soleniod is working, but not enough amps to turn the starter. Causes: low battery - you said you had power, can you turn your headlights on with good brightness?

If the battery cable is frayed or corroded, then you won't have enough amps either. Check the battery post for corrosion, and check the cable for damage or wear.

Other cause could be a bad or locked starter - you can use a hammer to tap the starter to get it to jarr and possibly start it. Then you'll have to eventually deal with it.

Those are my thoughts. Check the starter if the battery is fine. Do you notice any dimming when you turn the key?

If you just have that tool kit, you might want to take it in to get fixed. Newer vehicles, especially smaller ones, are a real PITA to work on.

time is of the essence. i need to atleast try to diagnose this somehow.

she is supposed to leave for home tomorrow (3 hours away).

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1

Originally posted by: RaiderJ

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Clicking? Sounds like the starter soleniod is working, but not enough amps to turn the starter. Causes: low battery - you said you had power, can you turn your headlights on with good brightness?

If the battery cable is frayed or corroded, then you won't have enough amps either. Check the battery post for corrosion, and check the cable for damage or wear.

Other cause could be a bad or locked starter - you can use a hammer to tap the starter to get it to jarr and possibly start it. Then you'll have to eventually deal with it.

Those are my thoughts. Check the starter if the battery is fine. Do you notice any dimming when you turn the key?

If you just have that tool kit, you might want to take it in to get fixed. Newer vehicles, especially smaller ones, are a real PITA to work on.

time is of the essence. i need to atleast try to diagnose this somehow.

she is supposed to leave for home tomorrow (3 hours away).

We told you what to do, but you're still here whining that you have no time. What do you want us to do? Fix it?

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1

Originally posted by: RaiderJ

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
Clicking? Sounds like the starter soleniod is working, but not enough amps to turn the starter. Causes: low battery - you said you had power, can you turn your headlights on with good brightness?

If the battery cable is frayed or corroded, then you won't have enough amps either. Check the battery post for corrosion, and check the cable for damage or wear.

Other cause could be a bad or locked starter - you can use a hammer to tap the starter to get it to jarr and possibly start it. Then you'll have to eventually deal with it.

Those are my thoughts. Check the starter if the battery is fine. Do you notice any dimming when you turn the key?

If you just have that tool kit, you might want to take it in to get fixed. Newer vehicles, especially smaller ones, are a real PITA to work on.

time is of the essence. i need to atleast try to diagnose this somehow.

she is supposed to leave for home tomorrow (3 hours away).

We told you what to do, but you're still here whining that you have no time. What do you want us to do? Fix it?

no, taking it in is not in the picture is all.

i cant do anything right now she is at class.

i obtained jumper cables however.

 

[Ramma2]

Yep, seen this too, was a dead battery. Try to jump it first. If it dies again, then I'd switch the battery. If it dies again after that, have your alternator tested!

 

[Ausm]

Clicking sound sounds like your starter is going bad...crawl underneath the vehicle and smack it with a rubber hammer this might free up the armature. Also check the ditributer cap for a crack this could be the problem also and last but not least the coil could be shot also.


oh yeah the battery could be weak and/or dead especially being 4-5 years old cold will take it right out.

20's cold? LMAO that is balmy where I live

Ausm

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
It just started getting cold here, my gf's 01 Blazer wont start, i was over her place last night and she woke up to go to class and it wouldnt start.

What i could tell:

Battery is not dead, all guages etc turn on.

noises made:
Clicking sound, no turn over attempt, but clicking almost like the distributor is working.

i cant hear a fuel pump turn on or not, i know on some cars you can sometimes hear it click.
NO, i mean NO attempt to turn the car over.

this is the 4.3l V6 model.

I leave for home tomorrow because its thanksgiving break. any suggestions?

the tools i have:
ONE craftsman tool set, 196? pieces

from what i know:
serviced about 4 months ago
has fuel
just started to get cold here (40 right now, 20's over the weekend)

please help i had 5 minutes to diagnos this earlier

And you call yourself a man?


Sounds like battery or starter.


Tom

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Budmantom

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1
It just started getting cold here, my gf's 01 Blazer wont start, i was over her place last night and she woke up to go to class and it wouldnt start.

What i could tell:

Battery is not dead, all guages etc turn on.

noises made:
Clicking sound, no turn over attempt, but clicking almost like the distributor is working.

i cant hear a fuel pump turn on or not, i know on some cars you can sometimes hear it click.
NO, i mean NO attempt to turn the car over.

this is the 4.3l V6 model.

I leave for home tomorrow because its thanksgiving break. any suggestions?

the tools i have:
ONE craftsman tool set, 196? pieces

from what i know:
serviced about 4 months ago
has fuel
just started to get cold here (40 right now, 20's over the weekend)

please help i had 5 minutes to diagnos this earlier

And you call yourself a man?


Sounds like battery or starter.


Tom

given 2 minutes to diagnose the problem myself, i would rather get other opinions.

i had already formulated the starter being the issue.

i also had checked the battery cables in that 2 minutes.

now i just got confirmation on the 2 things is probably will be.

ive replaced an alternator on this model engine before (fun fun), batteries are easy.

however i had no clue where the starter was till i saw a picture of the engine.

 

[MikeMike]

ok im goin to figure this out now.

will report back