Dead Starter??

[tracknfield423]

Alright guys I'm in a little bit of a jam here. I have a 2 year old optima redtop in my car. CCA 720. It's been getting pretty cold here in NJ (20's). I go out to my car this morning and when I start it everything that needs power works, but the car doesn't turn over. It clicks and the RPMs jump up to about 700 and then fall. Two days a go it started up perfect. There's no corrosion on my battery terminals and when I tried to jump it the same thing happened. Any ideas? Do I need a starter?

Thanks in advance

 

[bradboyd80]

Alright guys I'm in a little bit of a jam here. I have a 2 year old optima redtop in my car. CCA 720. It's been getting pretty cold here in NJ (20's). I go out to my car this morning and when I start it everything that needs power works, but the car doesn't turn over. It clicks and the RPMs jump up to about 700 and then fall. Two days a go it started up perfect. There's no corrosion on my battery terminals and when I tried to jump it the same thing happened. Any ideas? Do I need a starter?

Thanks in advance

The starter would be my guess also. I haven't messed with the starter on the MSP, but if its anything like most other cars, you could try checking the cable going to the starter. It simply could have come loose (although not likely). The exact same thing happened to my civic. How many miles on your car?

 

[orangeade]

if the rpm's jump up that means the motor has turned over and the starter is doing it's job...i'd say it's something else that isn't allowing the motor to keep running....frozen fuel lines perhaps...

 

[bradboyd80]

good point, I missed that. Could be a bad fuel pump, keeping it from turning all the way over.

 

[tracknfield423]

The car has about 53k on it. It mostly sits while I'm at college, my dad runs it every other day or so but it doesn't really get driven. Two days ago it kinda struggled to turn over but it started up and then after letting it run and driving it for a bit it started up perfect every time. Today is when this whole problem started so I'm not sure what happened between now and then. What would I do if it is frozen fuel lines?

 

[SeR_Cyclops]

lol let them thaw out. push it into a garage. it would have to get pretty darn cold to freeze fuel. what are the temps?

 

[tracknfield423]

Mid to low 20s during the day and low 20s to high teens at night. . . It's been this cold before and I haven't had this problem. . . It's suppose to hit mid 50s tomorrow so we'll see what happens

 

[SeR_Cyclops]

its that cold here and my fuel lines have not froze. it might be other problems.

 

[Speed3.5]

try new battery, i had same thing on my camry , it wouldn't hold jump either except with car jump but it didn't last longer and it would shut off.
Based on mileage you have nothing else has gone wrong on your MSP.

To test it take a voltmeter and measure its voltage should be over 12v , then do the same while you trying to start the car that will tell the true power that the battery actually has, if its less then 12v then change it.

 

[bradboyd80]

There is no way that the fuel lines are freezing. Gas doesn't begin to freeze until -97F. LOL. But before you go out and buy a new battery or Alt, get them checked to make sure they are the problem.
FYI, I had this exact same problem with my civic and it was the starter, combined with corroded battery cables (losing juice).

 

[SeR_Cyclops]

true good gas wont freeze but if you buy a discount gas then it could have some water in it. hell when we had shell fill up our tank at work they filled it up with somting that was not gas (it was all watery) and we had to replace fuel pumps in alot of our vehicals. so even good gas can have s*** in it.

 

[tracknfield423]

ok so the last time i got gas was like september and it was from a WaWa for those that know what that is. . . it is 50 out today and my car started right up and ran perfect. . . should I just run it till empty and get new gas?

 

[bradboyd80]

true good gas wont freeze but if you buy a discount gas then it could have some water in it. hell when we had shell fill up our tank at work they filled it up with somting that was not gas (it was all watery) and we had to replace fuel pumps in alot of our vehicals. so even good gas can have s*** in it.

Oh damn. That's crazy! Luckily I've never had that problem.

ok so the last time i got gas was like september and it was from a WaWa for those that know what that is. . . it is 50 out today and my car started right up and ran perfect. . . should I just run it till empty and get new gas?

You could still have a problem with the fuel pump, so I'd keep an eye on it. And yeah....I'd switch to a different gas just for peace of mind.

 

[low_psi]

lol

 

[tracknfield423]

so I've been driving the car around and i checked to listen for my fuel pump and i hear it buzzing or whatever when i turn the car on. It's suppose to get pretty cold tonight so we'll see what happens

 

[bradboyd80]

Normally if you turn the key without starting it up, you should hear the fuel pump....which is good. If you ever turn the key and DON'T hear it, then its not working, and could be time to replace it.