2001 Eclipse GS won't start, doesn't seem to be battery
#1
06-30-2009, 03:33 PM
2001 Eclipse GS won't start, doesn't seem to be battery
Hey everybody,
This is my first time at this forum and I'm excited to be here.
Last night after returning from a 60 mile drive I parked my car by my apartment complex's mailboxes to get the mail, and tried to start my 2001 Eclipse GS and it wouldn't work. Everything electrical would power on when I turned the key to the on position (stereo, warning lights, headlights, power locks worked, power windows worked). But when I turned the key to start the engine I would get one clicking sound and then nothing else (if I held the key there I'd get a couple more clicks, though). I tried jump starting it but that still gave me the same result (full power, one click, and no engine start). The battery is only a little over a year old and it seems to be working fine. I followed some instructions online to test whether or not it's the ignition switch (turn key to on position to see if warning lights come on, then turn key to see if warning lights/headlights turn off, which they all did). Now that I've tried to start it so many times the battery is less charged so the power windows and power locks won't work.
Any ideas as to what is wrong with the car? It worked fine before this except one weird, notable exception is that a couple days ago my cd player stopped reading cds, so I don't know if that is somehow connected or if that is just my cd player going bust (the radio still works on it). I don't think it's the alternator because I've had a bad alternator in the past and my car isn't behaving in a similar manner. Anyway, any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
-Adam
P.S. I'd be happy to take pictures of anything if you'd like. I'd also be happy to try out any suggestions (especially any easy ones) for testing the car.
This is my first time at this forum and I'm excited to be here.
Last night after returning from a 60 mile drive I parked my car by my apartment complex's mailboxes to get the mail, and tried to start my 2001 Eclipse GS and it wouldn't work. Everything electrical would power on when I turned the key to the on position (stereo, warning lights, headlights, power locks worked, power windows worked). But when I turned the key to start the engine I would get one clicking sound and then nothing else (if I held the key there I'd get a couple more clicks, though). I tried jump starting it but that still gave me the same result (full power, one click, and no engine start). The battery is only a little over a year old and it seems to be working fine. I followed some instructions online to test whether or not it's the ignition switch (turn key to on position to see if warning lights come on, then turn key to see if warning lights/headlights turn off, which they all did). Now that I've tried to start it so many times the battery is less charged so the power windows and power locks won't work.
Any ideas as to what is wrong with the car? It worked fine before this except one weird, notable exception is that a couple days ago my cd player stopped reading cds, so I don't know if that is somehow connected or if that is just my cd player going bust (the radio still works on it). I don't think it's the alternator because I've had a bad alternator in the past and my car isn't behaving in a similar manner. Anyway, any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
-Adam
P.S. I'd be happy to take pictures of anything if you'd like. I'd also be happy to try out any suggestions (especially any easy ones) for testing the car.
Last edited by kiwasabi; 06-30-2009 at 03:45 PM.
#3
06-30-2009, 04:14 PM
Check/tighten the wiring to the starter. If it's good then of course the starter has prolly gone out. In the old days we would rock the car while in gear and turning it to start to see if it was just a bound up starter motor and sometimes it would free it (of course we'd have to put it back in park or neutral to actually start it after doing that). Be careful though because if the starter does free up and turn the car it will lurch forward. I don't know if that would work on these new fangled horseless carriages though. Hitting the starter with a hammer a few times sometimes worked too.
-Adam
#5
06-30-2009, 09:00 PM
It actually ended up just being a ton of corrosion on the battery cable to the negative terminal. I cleaned a bunch of it off and it started right up. I guess I should've checked that first; but it looked clean until I pulled off the clamp that holds down the cable, at which point it was obvious that corrosion was the problem.
Thanks for the help, guys.
-Adam
Thanks for the help, guys.
-Adam
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