YACT: Something weird is wrong with my sister's car.

[Shawn]

It seems like the battery is dead because it refuses to turn over so I tried to jump it and I couldn't get it started at all. It kept making a rrrrrrr sound like it was trying to turn over but couldn't.

I tried to start the car a few times and then it started making this super fast clicking sound (almost like a machine gun) and all the lights in the car were pulsating. It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen. All of the electronics went berserk. I'm going to try to replace the battery but I have a feeling that something else is wrong. I've never seen anything like it. I checked the battery with a multimeter and it said it was 12.79v.

 

[minendo]

Did you check the alternator? What about the starter?

 

[AmphibSailor]

Sounds like the starter solenoid (the clicking sound). What kind of car and what year?

 

[iamwiz82]

Clicking means a bad battery.

The rrr sound, was it a high pitched whining, or more of a rrr-rrr-rrrr-rrrrr-rrrr?

 

[Shawn]

Not yet. I'm going to look at it tomorrow when it's light out. I can't see anything right now.

BTW, is there anyway to roll an automatic? I can't get it out of park while the car is off. :|

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: AmphibSailor
Sounds like the starter solenoid (the clicking sound). What kind of car and what year?

Its a 2001 Honda Civic EX.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Clicking means a bad battery.

The rrr sound, was it a high pitched whining, or more of a rrr-rrr-rrrr-rrrrr-rrrr?

rrr-rrr-rrrr-rrrrr-rrrr

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: Shawn
Not yet. I'm going to look at it tomorrow when it's light out. I can't see anything right now.

BTW, is there anyway to roll an automatic? I can't get it out of park while the car is off. :|

Turn the key, step on the brake, shift into N

 

[Nutdotnet]

Battery.

The battery that's currently in probably isn't able to hold a charge.

Go get a new battery, I bet it'll fire right up.

Edit- The "rrr-rrr-rrr" sounds means the battery has "juice" but not enough to allow the engine to start. It probably went from "rrr-rrr-rrr" to the fast clicking right?

 

[speed01]

BTW, is there anyway to roll an automatic? I can't get it out of park while the car is off. :|

Turn the key on and shift it into neutral.

The symptoms sound like a bad battery that is too low to even take a jump. Regardless of voltage, if it doesn't have the amps to crank the engine it won't work.

Speed

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Shawn
Not yet. I'm going to look at it tomorrow when it's light out. I can't see anything right now.

BTW, is there anyway to roll an automatic? I can't get it out of park while the car is off. :|

Turn the key, step on the brake, shift into N

I tried that. It won't let me push in the button on the shifter unless the engine is running.

 

[PowerEngineer]

If the battery hasn't been replaced yet (and is therefore about six years old), then you might as well replace the battery as a first step. It needs to be replaced anyway. I agree, however, that it sounds like either the starter or the starter solenoid (which is probably built inot the starter) may be the real problem.

Good luck!

Edit: Even if the battery is weak, you should still be able to jump start the car after leaving the cables connected to it for a minute or two before trying the ignition (especially if the battery voltage is reading over 12 volts...)

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Shawn
Not yet. I'm going to look at it tomorrow when it's light out. I can't see anything right now.

BTW, is there anyway to roll an automatic? I can't get it out of park while the car is off. :|

Turn the key, step on the brake, shift into N

I tried that. It won't let me push in the button on the shifter unless the engine is running.

I've never ever ever ever seen that. That would make moving the vehicle when it stalls impossible.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: Whoozyerdaddy

Originally posted by: Shawn
Not yet. I'm going to look at it tomorrow when it's light out. I can't see anything right now.

BTW, is there anyway to roll an automatic? I can't get it out of park while the car is off. :|

Turn the key, step on the brake, shift into N

I tried that. It won't let me push in the button on the shifter unless the engine is running.

Sounds like you need to get the engine running then.

Replace the battery...you'll be golden!

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Nutdotnet
Edit- The "rrr-rrr-rrr" sounds means the battery has "juice" but not enough to allow the engine to start. It probably went from "rrr-rrr-rrr" to the fast clicking right?

yep.

 

[MisterJackson]

:camera:'s of sis.....

 

[funboy6942]

Battery is shot, can show good volts but no amps when being drawn on it. Machine gun sound is solenoid clicking in and out from lack of proper power, and lights and stuff freaking due to lack of proper power.

On most cars with the child locks on the shifter when the batts dead there isnt enough juice to pop the mech to make the shifter move. LOOK all over where the shifter area is at. There is sometimes a opening to stick a key in or a small object to pop the child lock to get the shifter to move, or if the manual is in the glove box it should tell you where it is at.

Most people don't know about this or the inertia switch in the trunk for the fuel pump. If you get slightly popped in the rear of some cars (mostly newer 90's on) there is a like breaker switch for the fuel pump in the trunk. If you get whacked it pops killing the fuel pump.

Bought many cars cheap off people thinking their pumps were bad when all I did was push the car down the street, pop the trunk, reset the switch, start the car, drive it home and put a for sale sign back in it with asking $800-$1500 more then I paid

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer

If the battery hasn't been replaced yet (and is therefore about six years old), then you might as well replace the battery as a first step. It needs to be replaced anyway. I agree, however, that it sounds like either the starter or the starter solenoid (which is probably built inot the starter) may be the real problem.

Good luck!

No offense but, huh?

This is classic "bad battery". It doesn't have the cranking amps to start the engine. Hence the, "rrr-rrr-rrr" sound. Then, after a number of attempts to get the car started the battery ends up completley dying...charging doesn't help because the battery is shot.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: Shawn
It seems like the battery is dead because it refuses to turn over so I tried to jump it and I couldn't get it started at all. It kept making a rrrrrrr sound like it was trying to turn over but couldn't. Your battery may be too low, or have a short in it. In that case a jump won't help

I tried to start the car a few times and then it started making this super fast clicking sound (almost like a machine gun) and all the lights in the car were pulsating. It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen. All of the electronics went berserk. I'm going to try to replace the battery but I have a feeling that something else is wrong. I've never seen anything like it. I checked the battery with a multimeter and it said it was 12.79v.

I have seen the weird lectronics stuff occur because the battery was way to low

See stuff above in bold.

Eons ago I worked in an automotive shop specializing in starters and alternators. First thing you gotta do is eliminate the battery as problem.

Fern

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Nutdotnet

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer

If the battery hasn't been replaced yet (and is therefore about six years old), then you might as well replace the battery as a first step. It needs to be replaced anyway. I agree, however, that it sounds like either the starter or the starter solenoid (which is probably built inot the starter) may be the real problem.

Good luck!

No offense but, huh?

This is classic "bad battery". It doesn't have the cranking amps to start the engine. Hence the, "rrr-rrr-rrr" sound. Then, after a number of attempts to get the car started the battery ends up completley dying...charging doesn't help because the battery is shot.

I agree, other than not starting, there is no symptom of a bad starter described.

 

[Shawn]

Yeah, it's probably just the battery. I'll replace that first.

 

[Zenmervolt]

If it has 12.79 volts, the battery is fine. Automotive batteries are 12.6 volts nominal, so your battery is actually doing better than it is supposed to be doing.

Chances are that you have a bad connection somewhere in the starter's wiring that is causing a voltage drop between the battery and the starter. Check both the positive and the grounds, all the grounds.

ZV

 

[PowerEngineer]

Originally posted by: Nutdotnet

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer

If the battery hasn't been replaced yet (and is therefore about six years old), then you might as well replace the battery as a first step. It needs to be replaced anyway. I agree, however, that it sounds like either the starter or the starter solenoid (which is probably built inot the starter) may be the real problem.

Good luck!

No offense but, huh?

This is classic "bad battery". It doesn't have the cranking amps to start the engine. Hence the, "rrr-rrr-rrr" sound. Then, after a number of attempts to get the car started the battery ends up completley dying...charging doesn't help because the battery is shot.

Well, no offense taken

The bit about not being able to jump start the car has me thinking it might be something else. If the battery was just weak, it should jump start and run fine. If any of the battery cells had completely failed, then I wouldn't expect the 12+ voltage reading. I'd still replace the battery first, but would not be surprsied to find another problem. But I have been wrong before...

 

[funboy6942]

Not often but I have come into some batteries that show volts but have no amps due to an internal short and no ammount of jumping would work. Swap out the battery for a new one and it starts right up. Batteries and wierd when they get internal shorts. Some will work and last weeks then one day total deadness making you swear up and down you got a electrical short because it would jump, take a charge and go another week or two maybe a month, then one day again, dead.

Bought my wifes Jeep Cherokee from a dealership that swore it had a electrical problem and was shorting out her battery. They told me what it was doing and looked at my wife and said battery. Bought the car dirt cheap (98 Jeep Cherokee for $3500), took it home and it went 4 months before the battery went dead, charged it and it did it a few more times, bought a new battery and its gone almost a year without one dead day.

But back to my point, battery shorts are wierd, you have one with volts thats shorting out but no amps on the back end to make the stuff turn over. I would bet anything you get that volt meter on that battery as someone hits the key it dips down right away under 6 volts or less

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer

Originally posted by: Nutdotnet

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer

If the battery hasn't been replaced yet (and is therefore about six years old), then you might as well replace the battery as a first step. It needs to be replaced anyway. I agree, however, that it sounds like either the starter or the starter solenoid (which is probably built inot the starter) may be the real problem.

Good luck!

No offense but, huh?

This is classic "bad battery". It doesn't have the cranking amps to start the engine. Hence the, "rrr-rrr-rrr" sound. Then, after a number of attempts to get the car started the battery ends up completley dying...charging doesn't help because the battery is shot.

Well, no offense taken

The bit about not being able to jump start the car has me thinking it might be something else. If the battery was just weak, it should jump start and run fine. If any of the battery cells had completely failed, then I wouldn't expect the 12+ voltage reading. I'd still replace the battery first, but would not be surprsied to find another problem. But I have been wrong before...

Makes sense! Thanks for not taking offense!