PDA

View Full Version : HELP! Car won't start - engine knocking hard!

MaRtiAn
05-09-2002, 11:03 AM
Sorry I am getting paranoid.. My car was running fine all day yesterday and I got all the way home to park it in my garage..

Now this morning, I get in my car and it won't start. Everytime I push the clutch in and turn the key, it'll just make a rapid clicking noise and the noise is coming from the top of the engine... This seems pretty serious.. check engine light is on, oil light is on, and battery light stays on... anybody know what is going on?? I am getting it towed to the dealer now... HELP! Thanks
Griffin
05-09-2002, 11:16 AM
Get a jump start

The noise is probably the clicking from rapid cycling your starter solenoid makes when the battery voltage is too low.
CL MaNTis 21
05-09-2002, 12:05 PM
do you lights, radio... everthing else work?
nxracer
05-09-2002, 12:25 PM
Dead Battery
GTS LAID
05-09-2002, 12:27 PM
def. a dead battery... its not your engine knocking its the starter...
02CelicaGT-S
05-09-2002, 01:12 PM
dead battery. are you a woman, because 100% of guys should know this, unless your gay.
2kgtx
05-09-2002, 01:32 PM
Just let your car roll down a hill in gear as you pick up speed let off the clutch it should start just fine, now if its an auto get a jump
marcus_GTS
05-09-2002, 01:36 PM
I hereby dub thee "Stupidest comment ever on this board"

dead battery. are you a woman, because 100% of guys should know this, unless your gay.
ringthree
05-09-2002, 01:52 PM
DAMN it takes alot to get "Stupidest comment ever on this board"!
MaRtiAn
05-09-2002, 09:06 PM
Yea, you guys are all right.. I just posted the PAranoia message since I just went back home and decided to do it.. but afterwards, I went ahead and used my roomie's car to jump start it and it worked... I was so close to overlooking the whole idea..

1.) All my electrical things were working, radio, alarm, lights, auto locks u name it..

2.) I've had my battery die out on several older cars before and this car as well but this was the first time Ive experienced it like this.. I know what the starter or alternator is and it usually would just do a single "click" and my clock would be dead and everything else if my battery was dead..

3.).. I didn't realize there was a starter solenoid in the engine that would rapidly click if there just "wasn't enough" battery power to start it..


THANKS!
Griffin
05-10-2002, 06:39 AM
NP :)

It clicks like that because it has enough voltage to engage the solenoid but as soon as the bendix kicks out and tries to turn the starter motor the circuit voltage drops too low for the solenoid feild to overcome the return-spring tension. Then as soon as its in the return position the load is back down to nothing, circuit voltage comes back up and the solenoid kicks back out again. Rinse, repeat.

Griffin