YACT: My car won't start! Not even respond to a jump!

[beer]

My car is a 1998 Ford Contour, 4 cyl Zetec. I went to go start it tonight to go back home. I haven't driven it in about a week. The car won't start, period, as in, the motor won't even turn over. I tried to get two jumps from two different cars, and in both cases, the motor still wouldn't even begin to turn over. I had an alternator replaced this past summer as well as a new battery. Anyone got a clue?

EDIT: TO CLARIFY the word 'NOTHING.' There are no signs of headlights, tailgihts, anything. The power locks won't even lock. Furthermore, there is only a faint light on the dash - the ABS light, and it doesn't look even fully backlit.

 

[WTT0001]

Bad Ignition Switch???

 

[SuperSix]

No clicks or anything when the key was turned?

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: SuperSix
No clicks or anything when the key was turned?

nothing

 

[iamwiz82]

starter

 

[SuperSix]

Originally posted by: Elemental007

Originally posted by: SuperSix
No clicks or anything when the key was turned?

nothing

Do the headlights, dash lights work? Is there juice in the battery?

 

[Savarak]

*humor* push the clutch all the way down before turning key

 

[Gaard]

Is the battery good? Did you spark it to see? Lights and stuff come on ok? I just had my ignition switch replaced in my old Chevy a couple of weeks ago.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: SuperSix

Originally posted by: Elemental007

Originally posted by: SuperSix
No clicks or anything when the key was turned?

nothing

Do the headlights, dash lights work? Is there juice in the battery?

nothing but a beep, as in the usual beep when you insert your key. The pitch drops, so I don't know what that means.....then nothing.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Gaard
Is the battery good? Did you spark it to see? Lights and stuff come on ok? I just had my ignition switch replaced in my old Chevy a couple of weeks ago.

The battery SHOULD be fine, although I don't know for certain. How would I go about testing it?

 

[chiwawa626]

Hook the battery terminals to your ATX PSU

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Elemental007

Originally posted by: Gaard
Is the battery good? Did you spark it to see? Lights and stuff come on ok? I just had my ignition switch replaced in my old Chevy a couple of weeks ago.

The battery SHOULD be fine, although I don't know for certain. How would I go about testing it?

Do your headlights come on?

 

[Quixfire]

Sounds like you have a shorted battery or a bad connection at the battery post. See if you can wiggle the battery clamps at the posts.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Quixfire
Sounds like you have a shorted battery or a bad connection at the battery post. See if you can wiggle the battery clamps at the posts.

The batteries aren't corroded in any way. But even with a jump, there is still no response, and that's on the posts themselves

 

[SuperSix]

Originally posted by: Quixfire
Sounds like you have a shorted battery or a bad connection at the battery post. See if you can wiggle the battery clamps at the posts.

If the "tone" of the warning buzzer changes, that may mean there's some type of draw on the starter circuit - Quixfire ,ay have pegged it - dead short across your battery (It happens) pull it - bring it to autozone and get it tested.

If the battery is shorted - it won't start or turnover with a jump either.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Elemental007

Originally posted by: Gaard
Is the battery good? Did you spark it to see? Lights and stuff come on ok? I just had my ignition switch replaced in my old Chevy a couple of weeks ago.

The battery SHOULD be fine, although I don't know for certain. How would I go about testing it?

Do your headlights come on?

No. There is nothing.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Elemental007

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Elemental007

Originally posted by: Gaard
Is the battery good? Did you spark it to see? Lights and stuff come on ok? I just had my ignition switch replaced in my old Chevy a couple of weeks ago.

The battery SHOULD be fine, although I don't know for certain. How would I go about testing it?

Do your headlights come on?

No. There is nothing.

have you tried to swap the battery?

 

[Evadman]

Bad cables, bad starter or starter relay (you may bet a click from underhood if so).

But I am gonna bet it is the neutral safety switch. Move the gear selector to all the other gears and try in each one. if it is just not adjusted correctly, it may start somewhere else. Try neutral first. If it starts nowhere, it is bad altogether.

<edit>

Originally posted by: Eli
Do your headlights come on?

Originally posted by: Elemental007
No. There is nothing.

Ok, ignore my above diagnosis. Sounds like a real bad cable (as in broken or disconnected) or a internaly (or externaly) shorted bat as was mentioned. Check both positive and ground cables first. Also make sure the engine ground is intact. (usually a bare woven strap like thing. I can honestly say I am not sure what it looks like on your car.)

<edit #2> wow, that quote got all messed up. But you get the idea. Lemme see if I can fix it.

 

[Zugzwang152]

new car time!

 

[chiwawa626]

Do you have one of those saftey key things that you have to put in before u use ur regular key to turn on the ignition, that happen to my uncle and those were the same symptoms... Also you mite wanna disconnect your battery and hookup ur jumper cables directly to a batt of another car n see if that works...

 

[Gaard]

Well if you're sure the battery is good, and the lights don't come on (not to mention a jump does no good), I'd think it would be a poor connection (terminal). Mind you, I'm not a mechanic in any sense of the word, but it would seem that if the lights don't come on it wouldn't be the starter or ignition switch.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: chiwawa626
Do you have one of those saftey key things that you have to put in before u use ur regular key to turn on the ignition, that happen to my uncle and those were the same symptoms... Also you mite wanna disconnect your battery and hookup ur jumper cables directly to a batt of another car n see if that works...

Do not hook up a possable shorted battery to another in car or not. Test with a DVOM. If you hook it to another battery in a car, computers can be blown if the battery is internaly bad. computers > battery. battery = $35. computer = $600

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Gaard
Well if you're sure the battery is good, and the lights don't come on (not to mention a jump does no good), I'd think it would be a poor connection (terminal). Mind you, I'm not a mechanic in any sense of the word, but it would seem that if the lights don't come on it wouldn't be the starter or ignition switch.

Since you said that you had charging system work done in the past, I am going to assume that it is a charging system problem.

When you jump it, start the 2nd car after the jumpers are attached, and let it charge your battery for a while. It may just be super-drained.

Although on second thought, it shouldn't matter since all power is being drawn from the other car, and the other car should have enough juice to start it.

 

[radioouman]

Your battery is dead. Try using jumper cables and another car to charge the battery. You may have to let the battery charge for 30 minutes or so to charge it up.

Your battery might have an internal short, and it won't take much of a charge. Therefore, you will need to replace it.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: radioouman
Your battery is dead. Try using jumper cables and another car to charge the battery. You may have to let the battery charge for 30 minutes or so to charge it up.

Your battery might have an internal short, and it won't take much of a charge. Therefore, you will need to replace it.

So I was right? It seems like that was the right thing, but then I thought about it and it didn't make any sense.