Toyota Corolla LE 1991??
My parents car starts sometimes and other times you just hear a click and nothing.The starter has been replaced and checked by 3 "experts" and they say nothing is wrong but they need a reliable car and can't afford another.
Forgive my being cynical but the so-called "experts" are ..um..how could "nothing be wrong' if it doesn't start? Sorry, now to your question... Very often a click and no-crank is a bad battery or corrosion on terminals, or loose terminals. Next is bad cables, and/or ground to block from Neg. Battery post. If battery is 5 years old, it may simply be worn out, that is the average life-span of a moderate quality car battery. It can be load-tested free at most auto parts houses
Exactly what I told my parents.So called "experts" who can't get their car started.How exactly can someone like me, who knows nothing about cars,clean the battery cables without killing himself :)
Ok Richard. I will try. First, see if you can find some latex gloves, or any thin gloves that you don't want after this, disposable. It's not like it's going to kill you to touch a battery, but it's sure not good for your skin. Now, first wiggle them to see if they are just loose. Need to be tightly clamped on battery post, assuming a top-post mot a side terminal. I will put a picture of a side terminal on this to show the difference. Use either a 1/2" or 7/16, usually they are 1/2", a 13mm will work and tighten the nut on the clamp if it's loose. If there is greenish/white crap that looks like mold growing on them, wipe it off with a paper towel or rag then get a box of baking soda, and two plastic soda bottles and fill with water. Pour a little water where corrosion is, then sprinkle baking soda on same place. It will fizzle, then do that again. Then rinse with clean water, pout a lot on, just keep it confined to battery area to rinse. If the cable ends, terminals were loose, use a wire brush or steel wool, something like that if you don't have a terminal cleaning tool. Make sure they are tight afterwards if you took them off. During all this, be careful your wrench does NOT touch any ground, even the battery tie-down when you are working with the Red + Pos side. Then if you have or can buy borrow steal a battery charger, put it on for an hour or more.
Now, if you need a new terminal buy a set of these
Then do this ...click to size up
Corrosion...does not have to be this bad
top post battery
side post battery
http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Battery-Corrosion-and-Build-Up then see that page. Hope I was some help and get that 'rolla rollin' HEY you DO know I was kidding about 'steal'... ok bud?
Thank you,I'll try it :)
They deleted some of my pictures... and I know better than post copyrighted images. Oh well
Did it work?
