" Fix it Angel [ DIY Auto Maintenance Care ]: Got NO START or NO CRANK?? expr:class='"loading" + data:blog.mobileClass'>

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Got NO START or NO CRANK??

Today, I got an employees car with a no start, no crank when the key is turned in 'ON' position. It's an '01 Saturn, SL2, 1.9, 4 banger. I was going to call a couple of my fellow co-workers to push it in my bay but decided to look at it in the Las Vegas hot sun first. Maybe I can diagnose it quick.

Well, here is what I did. I got my jump box( basically a small battery in a plastic box with cables) and connected it to the car battery and tried to start it. To see if the battery needed extra cranks for the engine to turn. But it didn't, it's obvious already because the wipers and light work just fine. But it didn't hurt to try. So the battery was good. Hint: If your car cranks slow, check the battery by turning your lights and wipers on. If the light looks dim or the wipers works slow. Your battery is dead. Ask someone to jump it.

So I got my test light and tested all the fuses in the car and in the engine bay. All fuses tested OK. Also I switched some relays to see what will happen. Then I went back into the car and played around with the key in the ignition to see if the ignition was a problem. While I was turning the key in the 'ON' position I can here the relays inand out of the car switching on/off. That gave me a hint that the key ignition was working right.

The next thing I did was I got my breaker bar(it's a long heavy rod looking tool) and went back to the car and started look for the starter. AAHHH!!, there you are in the bottom of the intake manifold and close to the firewall. So what I did next is I slid my breaker bar down on top of the starter and gave it one hard hit. It was funny because I was doing this in the employees parking lot. Some of the salesman looking at me as if I was a sweaty gorilla breaking the car.

After that I went back in the car, turned the ignition and it just started right up. To diagnose this took me about 30 minutes. Not bad...at least I did not have to ask some techs to push it in. Drove it in the shop and racked it up. Go the price for a new starter.

Told the service advisor it's the starter that's bad. He said are you sure and said "HELL YES!!" Do you think I don't know what I'm doing?? He smirked.
The employee is going shit in his pants because the starter is going to cost about $300 and labor is not included.
Now I'm just waiting fo approval.

1 comment:

  1. hey bro, cool blog. i even let jude read it. he said it was cool too, he gets to learn a few things.

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