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

Tue Mar 17 10:55:53 EDT 2009

Look for the simple problems first.  Many years ago, I had an old  Grand Prix 
that was dead in the lot at work, in the middle of a NE Ohio  winter.  I 
threw a battery at it and a starter, and frustrated decided  to let it sit until I 
could figure it out what was wrong without throwing  more money at it.  One 
night a week or two later, after work, and  a few beers, a waiter I worked 
with, who had no mechanical experience, zip,  nada, announced he was going out to 
the lot look under the hood and  diagnose what was wrong with my car.  A few 
beers will do  that.  I showed him how to raise the hood and he asked that I  
turn the key.  He was bent over the engine when I hit the key and he jumped  
about 3 feet.  He diagnosed it.  Huge blue spark (brand  new battery) jumping 
from one spot to the other.  I had looked under  the hood, but only in the 
daylight.  All I had  needed was a new  ground cable, about $9.00.  I was also on 
the hook for buying the beer for  a while.  Check cables and clean all 
connections first, and send beer to  Larry and I in Ohio.

Ron (Akron)

Ronald M. Fogle

President
Cuyahoga Valley Management, Inc.
PO Box  102
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44222
330-592-5189 phone
216-581-6494 fax 

In a message dated 3/17/2009 10:17:34 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
Thomas.Tornblom at hax.se writes:

clay  willmott skrev:
> 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.

Check the engine ground and battery wire  connections for oxide.

I'd remove and clean all the connections before  replacing the starter. 
The relay can also be bad.

> 
>  
> 
> 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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-- 
Real  life:   Thomas Törnblom           Email:  Thomas.Tornblom at Hax.SE
Snail mail:   Banvallsvägen 14            Phone:     +46 18 444 33 21
S - 754  40 Uppsala, Sweden  Cellular: +46 70 261  1372

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