I have been working on alot of body work for my 9 rust infested cavy, but the engine and tranny have been solid from day 1 of my purchase. My question is this, I went to start it the other day, just to run the engine and have the tires rolling around a bit, and it would not start, even with a jump, as soon as I started to crank it over the car would die, if i just leave it in acc position it all works, no problems with stereo headlights, tails or anything else, but I do have a relay clicking on the rear of the engine bay on the passenger side. There are a series of 3 relays placed right there (see picture if it attaches properly for me) the middle one is clicking like craxy , but I have no clue on which relay that is, or what is going on with the car.


I don't know j-body's yet........but I will!

as always it didn't post for me so here is the link

my proplem I think


I don't know j-body's yet........but I will!

The relays are, from front to back:-Blower, A/c and Fuel Pump.

I would disconnect the battery and bench charge it/ have it tested.

Whilst the charge is taking place clean the battery cable connectors, remove the negative cable at the ground points and make sure they are really clean before you connect it all up again.

You said [as soon as I started to crank it over the car would die] ---did you mean your car or the one that was doing the jumping?


Post back with the results


Alont

I was trying it again today with a different jumper (a different car) and the same thing happen, so if my battery was "shot" would it not even hold enough charge to start, or is there a different problem, The fuel pump still works so its not that relay and the other two don't have anything to do with starting the car correct?


I don't know j-body's yet........but I will!

[so if my battery was "shot" would it not even hold enough charge to start]

Yes-I have come across them when the "Dead" battery needed to be "jumped' for 10 minutes or so before the car will start---or they will not charge up at all.

Having said that, if the Negative cable is not grounding properly the battery will not jump or charge--the fact that

[if i just leave it in acc position it all works, no problems with stereo headlights, tails or anything else] there is a ground path but maybe not enough for the starter---which takes the most current by far.

So, have you removed and cleaned that Negative cable and the Ground points?

Also, the engine is free to turn?


Alont

Yes cables have all been cleaned, and the ground was actually replaced last year and now the headlights, radio, and everything else aren't working and this is after a bench charge of the battery, but the battery tests OK, as well as the Alt. so I'm stumped.


I don't know j-body's yet........but I will!

But have you removed and cleaned that Negative cable --------and the Ground points--this time?


I realise--[ the ground was actually replaced last year] but the symptoms really point to a bad ground/bad connection, it has to be shiny clean, to be sure it's conducting properly.

If the battery tests OK but [now the headlights, radio, and everything else aren't working] there must be a bad connection somewhere! Also , you have disconnected and reconnected the battery and now it will not work in the "ACC" position, I think because you disturbed the bad connection.


Alont

Thank you Alont, It was a bad ground connection, the ground to the chassis was extremely disturbed by a huge lump of gunk that had gotten in between the cable and the connection, fixed that and jumped it over, its started right away!


I don't know j-body's yet........but I will!

Hi Justen

good to hear you fixed it.

I once went to fix a car (not a Cavalier type), many years ago, it had a manual choke.

The main battery ground connection was so bad the battery grounded through the choke cable, this then became red hot and glowed!!


Alont