Car won't start

[Flynlow]

Help,

My Marauder won't start. When I go to crank it over it does not even click or anything. The battery is fine, ran a screwdriver across the connections on the starter and it engages. Could it still be the solenoid? I swapped the main fuse in engine bay and it did not help either. Any ideas or other things to check? Should I pull starter and go get it tested?

[Curless]

Use a test light and see if the little (trigger) wire on the starter is getting power...this will tell you if everything under the dash is working correctly

[Odinson]

Try a second key. Just freaked myself out the other day with a deprogrammed pats key.

[Guittard22]

Starter I would think if your not getting a click sound . Make sure bat. Is good as well .

[Flynlow]

Pulled starter out and that tested out good. Auto parts store suggested checking ignition coils. And to make sure starter trigger is getting power.

[Mebot]

Have you jiggled the shifter?

sent from a Samsung Galaxy far far away...

[Curless]

Pulled starter out and that tested out good. Auto parts store suggested checking ignition coils. And to make sure starter trigger is getting power.


WTF??? Coils??? How can the coils affect an engine that does not turn over? NEVER go back there again...I can guess the name of that store!

[justbob]

Use a test light and see if the little (trigger) wire on the starter is getting power...this will tell you if everything under the dash is working correctly

This is what you should have done.

+1 on trying a different key, my key disabled itself with no warning years ago. No more PATS on this car...


Self proclaimed Builder Of Badassery.

Buy it, Break it, Build it BETTER.
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[RF Overlord]

Auto parts store suggested checking ignition coils. I hope you misinterpreted what he said, or he misunderstood your problem... otherwise that's about the dumbest advice I've heard in a long time.

[Flynlow]

I mis typed, he suggested the ignition fuses, my bad. I have no voltage at the starter trigger. When I turn key to crank trigger I hear a real faint click from what sounds like under the dash. That is it tho. There is no electrical draw on battery when I key the ignition. What to check now ? I did try another key too.

[Flynlow]

I did take the car out of park and back into park, and that didn't help either.

[EMAS]

Here is the wiring diagram. Start with checking the indicated fuses.

http://repairguide.autozone.com/znetrgs/repair_guide_content/en_us/images/0996b43f/80/24/65/2e/large/0996b43f8024652e.gif

[Curless]

If you checked it for power AT THE STARTER, and you have none, then you back up to the neutral safety switch at the transmission.

[EMAS]

If you checked it for power AT THE STARTER, and you have none, then you back up to the neutral safety switch at the transmission.


After verifying that the fuses are good I would check for power at the fuse marked 2.9 while cranking. That will tell you if power is getting to the DTR sensor.

From there I'd check for power when cranking at the wire that goes to terminal 85 of the starter relay and ground at pin 86. Power at 85 means the power is making it through the DTR sensor and ground at 85 lets you know that the computer isn't preventing starting due to the PATS system.

[BigM460]

Put it neutral and see if it will start. I have to push/nock my shifter forward to get it to crank.

[fastblackmerc]

Pulled starter out and that tested out good. Auto parts store suggested checking ignition coils. And to make sure starter trigger is getting power.

Ignition coils have nothing to do with the starter motor. :shake::shake:

[Richy04]

Forget all of that, look at the back of the motor on top, you will see a ground strap, give it a mild tug and you will find its not connected to the firewall, there is also one on the passenger side of the motor near the junction box that is also disconnected, replace them and happy motoring.. Been there done that..

Richy!!

[Flynlow]

I am still trying to figure it out. Haven't had much time to mess with it until today. I can "jump start" the car by the key being in the run position and using a jump wire across the 30 and 87 pins at the starter relay. Does that little bit of info help point to what the cause might be ?

[EMAS]

It cranking (and starting) when you jump those terminals indicates that the wiring to the starter from the relay, from the power source to that side of the relay and the starter is good.

So then next thing to check is if you get power to the 85 terminal when you turn the key to the crank position and see if the relay itself is good. To test the relay you can swap it with one of the other relays, the air suspension compressor one would be a good choice.

[Flynlow]

I have swapped the relays and still nothing. I checked and I am getting no power at the 85 contact. I thought I did once, but I think I mis read the screen as I can not get it to repeat it again...

[Comin' in Hot]

The main harness wraps around the front of the car, it tends to chafe on the bracket that runs from the bottom of the fender up to the core support. I would bet it on it.

[EMAS]

Do not use a meter to test this it doesn't load the circuit so it will lead to false diagnosis. The only tool for the job is an incandescent test light.

If you aren't getting power between a good ground and the terminal that goes to the 85 pin the next place to check is to see if you get power at both sides of the 5a fuse when the key is in the crank position.

The results there will tell you if where to go with the testing next. No power there and it is the ignition switch or the wring between the ign sw and the fuse. If you have power there then the problem lies in the wiring between the fuse and DTR or between the DTR and the relay.