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Senior Member
Roadster won't start - looking for some diagnostic advice
I've had the MK4 on the lift for storage and went to start it yesterday to move it off. It wouldn't start. Here's the experience and what I've tried.
1. Turned the key... Click, click,click,click,click. Figure its a dead battery as I didn't have the battery tender on it (last start was about a month ago, which also required me to charge the battery, but no problem starting after that)
2. Charge battery, check battery with meter and it shows 12.47 volts. Guage in car shows the same. Turn the key...click, click, click, click. No Start
3. Lift car - check the volts at the starter. 12.37 volts at the input from the battery.
4. Remove all cables from starter, clean connections, reattach cables. Turn key, click, click, click, click
5. Remove battery cables from battery... clean posts, reattach battery cables. Turn Key, click, click, Click, Click
6. Preliminary tracing of cables indicates no damage to cables.
7. Battery is about 7 years old, so may need replacing.... but again voltage shows find. Not able to check cranking amps as I don't have that tester (or don't know how to do it with my voltmeter)
Where do I go from here?
BUILT WITH MY DAD! - MK4, 5.0 Coyote, TK0 600 with Mid-Shift, Hydraulic Clutch, Power Steering, Custom Built Stainless 4:1:4 Headers by "Stainless Headers", Dual-Rollbars, 15" Wheels, Foot Box Vents and Seat Heaters, Patriot Blue with Wimbledon White Stripes Kit arrived: June 2, 2012 - Driving: May 22, 2013
BUILDING WITH MY DAD! - Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe, Gen3 Coyote, TKO 600, IRS, Hydraulic Clutch, PS, Stainless headers, 17" wheels, Race Seats, GPS Gauges Ordered 1-30-2019
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A free option is to take a battery from your daily driver and try it out. Or just connect it with jumpers.
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Senior Member
I would replace battery as the first step. Get a good quality one, charge it up as they can sit on store shelves for a bit.
You do or don’t have a voltmeter?
Kyle
Complete Kit pickup 09/05/2015, 351w, QF680, 3.55, 3-Link, 15" Halibrands with MT's, Painted Viking blue with Wimbledon white stripes on 03/15/2017. Sold in 08/2018 and totally regret it.
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Senior Member
Thanks for the quick response. I should have mentioned the following:
1. I did also try to jump the battery using the "Jump Start" feature of my Charger. No difference. Would a different batter (one from my DD, which is brand new, give me any new information as opposed to trying to jump it? I suppose it could but figured I had that sort of checked off with the jump start attempt)
2. I do have a Voltmeter
BUILT WITH MY DAD! - MK4, 5.0 Coyote, TK0 600 with Mid-Shift, Hydraulic Clutch, Power Steering, Custom Built Stainless 4:1:4 Headers by "Stainless Headers", Dual-Rollbars, 15" Wheels, Foot Box Vents and Seat Heaters, Patriot Blue with Wimbledon White Stripes Kit arrived: June 2, 2012 - Driving: May 22, 2013
BUILDING WITH MY DAD! - Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe, Gen3 Coyote, TKO 600, IRS, Hydraulic Clutch, PS, Stainless headers, 17" wheels, Race Seats, GPS Gauges Ordered 1-30-2019
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Not a waxer
Voltage doesn't mean that you have amperage. I'd suspect the battery---especially if it was dead only a month ago (unless it's an Optima which is a different discussion).
Jeff
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Senior Member
Originally Posted by
Jeff Kleiner
Voltage doesn't mean that you have amperage. I'd suspect the battery---especially if it was dead only a month ago (unless it's an Optima which is a different discussion).
Jeff
Thanks Jeff. I'm hoping that is correct. I was planning on replacing the battery in the spring, so not a big deal to give it a try now. Thanks
BUILT WITH MY DAD! - MK4, 5.0 Coyote, TK0 600 with Mid-Shift, Hydraulic Clutch, Power Steering, Custom Built Stainless 4:1:4 Headers by "Stainless Headers", Dual-Rollbars, 15" Wheels, Foot Box Vents and Seat Heaters, Patriot Blue with Wimbledon White Stripes Kit arrived: June 2, 2012 - Driving: May 22, 2013
BUILDING WITH MY DAD! - Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe, Gen3 Coyote, TKO 600, IRS, Hydraulic Clutch, PS, Stainless headers, 17" wheels, Race Seats, GPS Gauges Ordered 1-30-2019
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What Jeff said. Amps are the key. In electrical parlance, it's not the volts that will kill you, it's the amps.
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Originally Posted by
Papa
What Jeff said. Amps are the key. In electrical parlance, it's not the volts that will kill you, it's the amps.
Dave, which one makes it feel like ants are crawling up your arm when you are working on a household outlet without turning off the power???
Last edited by TMartinLVNV; 01-19-2020 at 03:42 PM.
MK IV Build #9659, 3 link, 17's, Forte 347, Sniper EFI, power steering, built for a freak sized person with 17" Kirkey Vintage seats, RT drop trunk, RT turn signal, lots of stuff from Breeze Automotive, Wilwood brakes, paint by Jeff Miller
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You can put your jumper cables on the engine and starter. Put the negative, on the engine and the positive on the starter terminal where the battery cable hooks up. You might check the engine ground before you do any of the above. An easy way to do this is clip the jumper cable on the engine and then the frame, hope the frame is grounded.
20th Anniversary Mk IV, A50XS Coyote, TKO 600, Trunk Drop Box, Trunk Battery Box, Cubby Hole, Seat Heaters, Radiator hanger and shroud.
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Senior Member
Originally Posted by
Railroad
You can put your jumper cables on the engine and starter. Put the negative, on the engine and the positive on the starter terminal where the battery cable hooks up. You might check the engine ground before you do any of the above. An easy way to do this is clip the jumper cable on the engine and then the frame, hope the frame is grounded.
I hope you DON'T put one cable on the engine and one on the frame. One to the starter, then one to the frame.
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Measure battery voltage while cranking;a big sag below 10volts indicates bad battery.
358 SBC, Winters QC, Sweet mfg, Coleman, AP Racing, ARS, TKO 600, Fuel Safe
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Post Thanks / Like - 0 Thanks, 2 Likes
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Senior Member
Buy a new battery. I always replace them at 5 years whether they need it or not. Even when I was working as a Lexus tech w/ access to a sophisticated battery tester I still used my 5 year rule. It's just not worth it to have a dead battery because it always occurs at the worst time.
FFR MkII, 408W, Tremec TKO 500, 2015 IRS, DA QA1s, Forte front bar, APE hardtop.
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Originally Posted by
rich grsc
I hope you DON'T put one cable on the engine and one on the frame. One to the starter, then one to the frame.
I do too, since that is not what I posted.
20th Anniversary Mk IV, A50XS Coyote, TKO 600, Trunk Drop Box, Trunk Battery Box, Cubby Hole, Seat Heaters, Radiator hanger and shroud.