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coloradodem2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 03:49 PM
Original message
My car sucks!!!
Well, I bought some stuff to stop the leak of coolant from my car and I put more fluid in. Now, the car won't even turn over. My dad and I found a bad connection on the battery and tightened it and then tried to jump it but it wouldn't start. My dad does not think that it is the starter or any other mechanical kind of problem. I am pissed right now. It just does not feel that things are ever going to go my way.
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Mattforclark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 03:54 PM
Response to Original message
1. Slam on your brakes in front of someone
make sure it's a freeper though. And then you can have a new car.
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coloradodem2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 03:56 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. I am just pissed that it won't start. I just want it to start.
I am angry right now that I am having this problem in conjunction with the coolant problem.
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Mattforclark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 03:58 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. The thing about slamming on your breaks, though
is that it doesn't HAVE to start. It just has to stop. Suddenly.

A friend told me that they do it in California all the time.
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Ready4Change Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 04:28 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. People TRY to do it to me all the time.
I'm not a freeper and I'm not made of money. All you'll do it suck money out of my insurance agency, which will then make all that money back by increasing everyones insurance rates.

There's no free rides.
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JanMichael Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 04:03 PM
Response to Original message
4. I don't remember reading your post
where the car started leaking antifreeze.

What year, and type of car is it?
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coloradodem2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 04:20 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. 1993 Ford Taurus.
It leaked Anti-freeze last week and I put more in and some Stop-leak stuff, hoping that works. I don't know.
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Mattforclark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 04:39 PM
Response to Reply #5
10. Ah, then it makes sense!
I have a 1992 Taurus...

Falling apart, totally.
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kid shelleen Donating Member (361 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 05:50 PM
Response to Reply #5
13. '93 Taurus?
Shoot it. I'd go with an AK-47. Consider it a mercy killing.
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Ready4Change Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 04:21 PM
Response to Original message
6. When trying to start does it turn over?
Turn over as in do you hear the starter motor turn the engine?

If not:
- You might still have bad power connections
- You might have a bad starter motor or solenoid
- You might have bad wiring low current wiring (like ignition switch or control computers)
- Lack of coolant may have over heated and seized the engine.

If the engine is being turned over, but it doesn't start running
- You might not be getting sparks at the spark plugs
- You might not be getting fuel delivered to the carburator/fuel injectors

It's frustrating when cars don't start. But eventually you need to get over being pissed and analyze the problem, or take/tow it to a garage.
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coloradodem2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 04:28 PM
Response to Reply #6
8. It won't turn over.
Edited on Sun Apr-18-04 04:30 PM by coloradodem2004
But, I had coolant in there when I was driving it. I am hoping it is not the coolant, since I poured more in there. On another note, I have a gauge that tells me how hot or cool the engine is. I drove after putting stop leak stuff in it and the needle did not go above medium.
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Ready4Change Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 05:06 PM
Response to Reply #8
11. Maybe we need a timeline here?
Sounds like you had a coolant leak. You put more coolant in, plus stop leak stuff. Then you drove it for a while, and the temperature gauge looked ok. Then, the car wouldn't turn over. You tightened connections and tried to jumpstart and the car still wont turn over.

Some questions:

When the key is turned do any lights on the dash light up?

When you try to start it do you hear a clunk?

Do you hear the starter motor even try to turn the engine over?

Have you checked the coolant levels since? Oil levels?

Does attaching jumper cables make ANY difference?

When you tried jumpstarting, how long did you have the cars connected? Did you have the "good" car running while you tried starting the "bad" car?
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coloradodem2005 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 05:50 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. Your answers.
1. Yes.

2. No

3. No

4. Haven't had the chance due to the fact that it died shortly after the stop leak and new coolant.

5. No

6. Yes.

We went back to take out the battery and it is hooked up to a charger. The connecters are big and bulky. One of them is cracked and the other was loose. I need to find some smaller ones.
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Ready4Change Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 06:24 PM
Response to Reply #12
15. My thoughts then.
Edited on Sun Apr-18-04 06:24 PM by Ready4Change
Lights on dash, yet no change when jumper cables are connected, and no clunk or sound from the starter motor leads me to think your batteries likely ok, and your problem is elsewhere.

I'd check 2 other connections. Check where the battery cable connects to the starter motor. And check the engine grounding strap. If both of those are clean and secure, my guess is that you have a bad startermotor/solenoid assembly.

Just my opinion. Hope you find a solution, whatever it is.
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puerco-bellies Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 04:36 PM
Response to Original message
9. Open the caps (carefully) on your battery
Check to see that all the cells have water. If one or more is low refill with distilled water and re-charge the battery. My car died on me two weeks ago on my lunch break and that was the problem.
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yorgatron Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-18-04 06:23 PM
Response to Reply #9
14. where were you losing the coolant?
Edited on Sun Apr-18-04 06:23 PM by yorgatron
was there a visible leak? have you been driving around trailed by a cloud of vapor? you might have had a blown head gasket allowing coolant into one or more of the cylinders.if you added coolant when the car wasn't running it might've leaked right into the cylinder causing hydraulic lock.remove the spark plugs and see if the engine turns over,if you see coolant coming out of the spark plug holes that's the problem-george
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