HELP! Car does not Crank

[500eguy]

Hmmm, kind of surprised, as i was driving home into my garage i pulled into my parking stall and my car died out on me. The car has never done that. I tried to start the car back up and it won't start, it won't crank. It sounds like it does'nt have enough power to start up. So i put a new optima battery in and it still won't start, i don;t think the car is getting enough power. I think it may be the postive cable because it looks old, but anyone have a similar situation happen to them?

[SELfor50]

Yeah mate.. i did.

When you turn the key - if you turn your headlights on, turn the key - do the lights dim at all?

If so then it's a power thing...

If they don't, there's a good chance your starter motor needs replacing.

Mine did the same as yours - I started it at the shops and it struggled but just got going.
Then when i pulled up in my driveway only 2kms up the road, i turned it off and tried to start it. It turned maybe once or twice really slowly then died.  After that, i turned the ignition and it just didn't do anything which made me think it was battery or alternator etc.
But then a mate tried to short out the starter motor (which should crank an engine instantly).  But that didn't work and we determined it was def the starter motor.  Once i changed it (with Torana 68 being the gracious donor) it started first time...well after i realised i forgot to reconnect the earth strap.

Roger, i'll have yours back to you very soon - hopefully swap them backout this saturday and have it for you on sunday..

I may be wrong, but i'm pretty sure you'll find it's your Starter motor!

[500eguy]

hmmm, i suspect it could be the starter motor. when i try to start it, i can see a little bit of smoke coming from the bottom passenger side of the engine bay. i guess i will have to get a refurbished starter.

[500eguy]

i wonder if it could be the postive battery cable that connects to the starter?

[SELfor50]

You could check the wires though - you will still need undo the unit from the transmission tunnel and then hold it up on the end to see the connection points.  Only easy way to check.   unless you got a hoist - a hoist would've save me about 3hours on that fukr.
It's a b!tch of a job hey...  Try shorting out the starter motor and seeing if it cranks.  If you get some arc welding goin on - then it means there's power to it and the wires are probably fine. 

[500eguy]

hmmm, so the in order to change the starter or check the starter is undoing it from the transmission tunnel? does this involve removing the transmission??

[SELfor50]

No, the bolt goes through the tranny tunnel... at least i'm pretty sure it's the transmission tunnel.

Though best to just try shorting it first to make sure there's power getting there and it's not your wires.

[500eguy]

right, i hope i can get this solved tomorrow.

[500eguy]

I just got some terrible news.... a huge blow.... i guess when my died out, the oil pump quit so the motor is siezed. It does'nt crank, the cams are dry, the wierd thing is the gauge never read anything odd. I guess i need to find a good used motor, or drop a 560 sel motor in the old girl. well any ideas on where i should go from here? i don't where to go, so any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Andrew280SEL]

Oh mate, sorry to hear that.
I think I'd cry if the engine I knew so well just kicked the bucket.

I'm afraid I don't know about a place for another engine, except maybe wreckers or something.

Someone'll be able to help with that though.

[500eguy]

On second thought, i did more tinkering and think that i will take the car to my MB mech. and have him look at it. The thing is, i was driving the entire day when it died out, it ran fine had great power, i just changed and checked the oil and it was full the day it died out. It still is clean and full. to be honest i take back what i said, the guy who was helping me look at the car thinks it seized, but i don't. It really seems like the starter siezed and is not able to start the car. The other reason why i don't think it seized is because when i changed the battery yesterday, the car cranked, but it seemed like it was the starter that was going out. When i try to crank the car now the speedo and the rpm tach go crazy, i also turned the lights on and the lights dimmed when i turn the key. So tomorrow i will go to someone who knows what they are looking at and hopefully with a little but of luck the car will be fine, when the car died out yesterday no strange sounds or no change in oil pressure occured. It just died out, no drama or anything.

[Andrew280SEL]

Well that'd be a real relief I imagine if it turns out fine.

Good luck 

[500eguy]

I just did a search and these are exactly the symptons that is occuring in my car, i read the thread and it turns out it was a electrical problem.



"hasn't been run for about 1.5 weeks, radio + lights work but starter will not engage. I can hear the starter solenoid but the motor does not fire.
Tried jumping but had no effect. Motor started fine previously. help!"

[Nutz]

Put a breaker bar and socket on the bolt on the center of the crank pulley and turn to see if engine is siezed. If it turns,replace the starter.

[500eguy]

the more i think about it, i don't think the motor seized. If you could hear the car and what its doing, it seems more electrical.... we'll see tomorrow when my MB guy looks at it. Plus when the car died out, there were no unusual sounds, metal to metal noises nothing.....