New Starter Not Turning

[David Pertuz]

Boy, it is Electrical Week on the SE-R list.

It doesn't sound to me like your problem is the starter. The lights 
shutting off when you turn the key to 'start' is normal, but the clock 
resetting indicates that voltage out of the battery  dropped too low. 
Like Rob said, it shouldn't drop to four-something when you turn it to 
'start.' I'll think about it a bit. Sounds like you might have a bad 
connection somewhere in the starting circuit that is giving it a really 
high resistance.

On my own car, I got another jump from my GF tonight so that I could do 
some diagnostic work. At idle, I get a normal 13.8 or so at the 
alternator B+, but only 12.7 or so from the battery, and battery voltage 
(across the terminals, not the clamps) was dropping visibly over time. 
It was down below 12.0 after about 5-8 minutes. Weird. Shut the car off 
and measured voltage again and it started dropping very rapidly as soon 
as I shut the car off. I dunno why that happens, but it seemed to point 
further to a bad battery. Sulfated plates, I suppose. So I bit the 
bullet and got another one.

David

Tim Rogers wrote:
> OK, a few nights ago I went to start my '93 NX and nothing happened.  
> Well, actually, the only thing that happened was that all of the 
> lights shut off and the clock reset...
> After trying many times to start the car (the clock never reset 
> again), I decided that the starter solenoid was toast so I got a new 
> starter / solenoid from NAPA and installed it this evening.  I got the 
> exact same results. 
> When I go to start the car, I turn the key to "On" and hear the fuel 
> pump prime.  Turn the key farther to Start and the warning lights on 
> the dash dim (hooked up a volt meter to the battery and the voltage 
> dips from 12.79v to 4.xx when I try to start it so the relays are OK, 
> right?.)  The battery terminals and cables are clean and tight, the 
> cables on the starter are tight, the ground at the thermostat is clean 
> & tight.
>
> I'm stumped...
>
> -- 
> Tim
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