whats wrong with my car?

Question

what can be the problem with my 1995 cavalier?
it has a brand new starter the engine works perfactly also when i put the key in the ignition every thing comes on but it wont even attempt to crank i think its an elecrical problem i checked all the wires on the starter and the egnigition switch as well as the fuses the battery is also new im just boggled and frustrated

Answer 1

Look at it this way. The only thing between your battery and the starter is an electrically actuated solenoid switch that connects your battery to your starter. This is called the "power circuit". I have a couple of troubleshooting suggestions.

Are you voltmeter literate? If so, have someone attach the hot (red) lead, of the voltmeter, to the hot post on the starter. Connect the ground (black) lead of the voltmeter to a good ground (Chassis). While watching the meter, have someone attempt to start the engine by turning the ignition switch to start. IF you get a full 12.5 volts DC to the starter, the starter is either bad or it isn't grounded well enough. IF you do NOT get 12.5 volts DC to the starter, there is an open which COULD be the starter solenoid.

Next. Check for voltage on the battery side of the starter solenoid. Do not try to start the engine. Do you have voltage there? Yes? Then the solenoid is bad. NO? then you have an open circurt between that point and the battery.

Do not overlook the battery ground wire. It HAS to have a good ground so the amperage, the starter uses, can flow back to the battery.

All the wiring going through the ignition switch, safety switches and such are called the "control circuit". Using the voltmeter, put the red lead of the voltmeter on the small wire going to the solenoid. This is the wire that carries amperage from the ignition switch to the solenoid, telling it to close. No voltage there? Start back tracking back torward the fuse panel. Do you have voltage on both sides of the ingition fuse? You will find it if you go step by step, take your time and keep up with what you have checked so you won't waste time checking the same thing over and over. Good Luck Pops

Answer 2

muffler bearings or maybe battery windage tray
naw serious if your bat cable goes to a power distribution box, check the fusible links and make sure voltage is present. if it is, do a voltage drop test then amp draw.(saves a dirty tshirt) if you have a high amp load, physically turn the engine, it may have water or fuel in a cyl. liquid doesnt compress. if not, shoot the engine. why did you replace the starter and bat? because it had the same prob? also there is a switch under the steering column that goes bad, but someone stated earlier just make sure voltage is present and connections are tight.

Answer 3

your description sounds like the battery and alternator are prob ok. (every thing comes on} the person who mentioned the vats problem sounds correct. the vats " vehicle anti theft system" sometimes can lose its program. the way to check and reprogram it is very easy. put the key in and turn the ignition to the start position, then let go. dont turn it off. now let it sit like that for 15 minutes. it will relearn its embedded key code. now attempt to start it. good luck! oh on a side note, try your spare key

Answer 4

wonder when you replaced the starter did you hook up the "s "wire ot the starter have seen people miss it befor and then go nuts also make sure the battery terminals are tight and if it is an automatic transmission try starting it in neutral there is a safety switch on a car that prevents it from being started in gear have seen those fail it is on the side of the transaxle by where the selector cable goes in you can jump it and try starting the car

Answer 5

That is a very common problem that occurs when the alternator is worn out. All the lights possible appear on the dashboard. That is most likely it. For a 95 Chevrolet Cavalier it is probably going to be about $250-$650 to replace it including installation.

Answer 6

Couple of things to look at. One does the car have a starter relay? Does the starter turn if you put direct power to it? If so then is the ignition switch not sending a signal to the stater circuit.
Does the car have a neutral safety switch that only allows the car to start in neutral?

Answer 7

Sounds like your battery cable connection at the battery needs to be cleaned. To confirm, turn on your dome light and then try to start the car. If the light goes out, the connections are bad. If the dome light does not dim or go out then your started circuit has a problem.

Answer 8

Probably the starter relay system. Cavaliers have a penchant for the relay system in the steering column to burn up. Its actually not that expensive but it does require some labor so expect $200+ in repairs.

Answer 9

might want to correctly be a defective starter/ solinoid.. If it develop into the alternator, the automobile might want to commence the caution lighting fixtures might want to be on the sprint each and every of the time and the first signes might want to be as your driving alongside the radio wouold fade out, then the automobile might want to diminish out and no skill in any respect...then you quite wait and the battery might want to recuperate, and the automobile might want to restart.. yet might want to in elementary words run for a shorter distance. each and every nighttime you would possibly want to ought to recharge the battery and in the morning the automobile might want to commence first time each and every time. So i imagine fixing the alt develop right into a waist of pennies. possibly in case you could upload if the automobile actuatly turns over once you position the major in and attempt to commence it.. or if each and every thing is lifeless?, even as the engine wont commence- does the radio paintings high quality?. If it develop right into a gas pump i'd imagine it might want to turn over and slutter to existence with what's in the carb/injection equipment

Answer 10

If it isn't trying to do anything at all it could be a problem with your security system itself locking you out. It could be that you have a problem with a Vats key code. If it doesn't read the code correctly the car won't even try to start.