[DeTomaso] Car suddenly not turning over......Any help appreciated

Tue Mar 17 10:25:31 EDT 2009

I don't know what kind of ignition system that you have but the machine gun
noise is indicative of a solenoid sound,, do you have one of those?

On my mustang I would jump the on the sloenoid circuit with a screw driver
from the 9 o'clock lug to the 7 o'clock lug ( noon being the firewall or
where the unit attaches) when this happened, it always started right up.
But also check the easy stuff, clean your terminals, make sure the battery
is really charged and lastly and hopefully not this one, take out a spark
plug or two and make sure you don't have a cylinder full of water from a bad
head gasket, forcing it to turn over could result in a catastrophic failure
and big bucks in damage.

Good Luck,

Michael in Savannah

On Tue, Mar 17, 2009 at 9:55 AM, clay willmott <claywillmott at hotmail.com>wrote:

>
> Follow Up:
>
> I decided to hold the car on start a few seconds and after the brief turn,
> then silence, the a loud ratcheting machine gun noise will consistently emit
> from the side of the passenger engine ( I think).
>
> I would assume this is a bad starter???  If so how often do they go bad?
>  Glad I was at home and not traveling in it far away.
>
>
>
> Clay
>
> > From: claywillmott at hotmail.com
> > To: detomaso at realbig.com
> > Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:49:39 -0400
> > Subject: [DeTomaso] Car suddenly not turning over......Any help
> appreciated
>  >
> >
> > I have had my car on the 2 amp charge while I am working on the
> electrical system.  I have not had it on charge when in storage.  The
> battery is a yellow optima about 6 months old.
> >
> > I go out to start the car and it only turns a 1/8 turn or so and
> completely stops.  No groaning or anything else after the split second turn,
> just silence.
> >
> > I don't have a  battery checker but my battery put the lights up and down
> quickly and headlights are bright.
> > I put my charger on 100 AMP start to the battery and still only the brief
> turn and silence.
> >
> > I have the MSD system and a high torque starter etc.  Alternator was
> checked just last year and is fairly new.  Starter looks fairly new and
> likely was replaced with engine overhaul a few years back by prior owner.
> >
> > Is this a bad starter or something else?  Any help appreciated.
> >
> > I have been running the car for 2-5 minutes 3 times a week for last two
> weeks to bleed out any remaining air from radiator and new pipes for cooling
> overhaul.  It started easily other than the first start up from winter.
> >
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > Clay
> >
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-- 

Michael L. Shortt
Savannah, Georgia
www.michaelshortt.com
michael at michaelshortt.com
912-232-9390

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