So I drove my car to school and had no problems. I come out during lunch to go out to eat, and I got to turn the car on and I hear like a draggin clicking.....and then boom no power at all!!! I look at my digital dash and its very very dim! I go and mess with the fuse by the battery and wiggle the cables and it acted like it was gonna turn on but still that draggin clickin noise as I turned the key, then I got no power at all!!! I was sooo mad....I cam back at about 6 PM and my car still wouldn't turn on, I check the fuses, cables,connections coils, I even tried to jump start it...nothing!!! I then came back at 8 PM to give it one last shot...and I turn the ignition over and the car is on!!! ITS ALIVE!!! but my digital dash is soooooo dim and it makes a ding ding ding ding noise constantly when I have my lights on.....whats the deal, why did my car and why is it doing this?!?!?! FRUSTRATED...AARON

 

i don't know much about cars but it sounds like either your alternator died or you need a new battery.

 

Actually.. I have a similar problem with my ranger right now. It wont start.. and you just hear a click when you turn the key.

The click is the solenoid. This will mean chances are.. your battery is still good. On mine.. I replaced the alternator.. still wouldnt start..

My battery gauge bounces sometimes when i put it into gear.. and when i start it.. I have to tap the starter. Chances are.. of two things....

The starter is goin or else the connections to it are loose.

or

The wires on the back of the gauge on your dash are getting bad connection.

I'll keep you posted on how I fix mine.. but as for now.. I have to tap the starter each time I turn the key...


PM me and lemme know if you have any luck or need more help


~Cory

 

you need to check the voltage at the battery. don't go by what the guage says.. and also check the voltage from the positive terminal and the body and engine block. u might have a bad +\- cable connection somewhere...

 

You definately want to check your battery terminals/cables. If there's any buildup, clean it.

A few months ago, my brother's car was having the same problem (minus the digital dash): you could turn the key, you could hear the solenoid on the starter, but it wouldn't crank. We figured that it was a bad starter, so we bought a new one, put it back in, tried to start it, and the exact same thing happened. It would click but not crank. We tried jumpstarting it, thinking that it might be the battery, and it still didn't start. So we finally went in and cleaned around where the cable and the screw meet, and it finally started. Still starts fine to this day, and we had to waste a whole evening and a good starter just to figure out that there was a little bit of buildup on the terminals.

Just because you can turn your lights/dash on and hear the solenoid engage doesn't mean that you have enough current getting through to actually crank the starter.

Just something to think about...

 

Vicious,

Check ALL the connections. 10-20 years of oxidation and corrosion are starting to take a toll on our cars. Once you find the problem, don't stop there because the next connection is probably on the verge of the same failure. Main power is distributed from the battery, starter positive terminal, fusible links near the battery and starter, several ground locations, and the fuse panel bussing.

I mention the fuse panel because some of the earlier ThirdGens are starting to get to the age where this can be a problem. Years of heavy loads and heating can anneal the bussing and fuse clips, reducing the reliability of the connection even further. The process is a cascade effect, where more heat = more resistance, and more resistance = more heat, thus, more resistance, and so on. Adding loads from digital displays, high-power audio, and heavier fuel pumps, electric fans, auxilliary lights, electric water pump drives, etc., only compounds the problem. If you remove fuses and notice tarnish, discoloration, or pitting on the fuse blades or fuse panel contacts, you might be seeing the effects of this. I have a feeling that we will be seeing more posts like this in the future, and some of our members may start getting experience in rebuilding/replacing fuse panels. I'm not looking forward to it at all. Some of you that have worked on police/taxi fleets have probably seen this kind of thing after only 4-5 years.

 

I work down at advance Id I see alot of cars that wont start or charge because of buildup on the terminals. If they look bad clean them really good and see what happens. If nothing still yet take your battery, alternator, and starter to a parts place and have them all checked. If all good your gonna have to dig deepers.

To me it sounds like the alternator is going quick. That would explain the dead battery and the dash being screwed up.

Alternators can go bad just like that...if a bushing wears through and grounds the alternator is toast.