I have a 2005 Chrysler Sebring touring convertible with a 2.7 V6. I got in the car the other day and turned the key and got one "Click". I cleaned all the battery cable ends, used electric grease on each connection and it still does nothing. I replaced the starter and solenoid and still nothing. I swapped the relays and still won't do anything. The battery is good and my jump starter gets the same result.. nothing. I did notice that my trip computer/compass dims out when I turn the key to the start position, and my radio is totally dead. All of the other accessories work with the key in the on position. ac, windows, door locks etc all function.. any clues?
When that happened with mine, it was just a fuse that needed replaced. The fuse was blowing due to a short in the alternator, so that wound up getting replaced, too. But the fuse was what kept it from doing more than click.
Wiring CAN be a problem, but it is not the first thing to check. When cars fail to start but you hear "something" (click), the first thing I suspect is the battery. You say the battery is "good", but you don't say how you determined this. Simply the fact that accessories work doesn't give the battery a clean bill of health. The normal accessory load for a battery is less than 50 amps. It can take more than 200 to crank the engine, especially on very hot or very cold days. Since you only get a "click", and yet the trip computer dims out, this indicates to me that the battery is working very hard but is not achieving enough power to start the car. Do this: get a voltmeter and check the battery voltage at the battery terminals. Do this with the ignition off. A fully charged, good battery will be at least 12 volts. Most batteries have 8 cells in them, each produces about 1.5V electricity. If you are reading, say, 10.5 volts, you most likely have a dead cell in the battery. This will not affect accessories, but will have extreme affect on starting, as the available current is reduced exponentially. Jump boxes are great, but if the battery is dead enough, the box will be working harder on the battery than on the starter and you will get the same results. I've had situations where a battery was so bad that hooking a running car to it for jump a start stalled the running car! If your battery is more than 3 years old, this is the first thing to suspect....but a dead cell can happen to a battery of any age. Vibrations cause the internal plates to break loose and cause dead cells.
Terry, thanks for the info.. I took the volt meter and tested as you said. I get 12.89 volts at the present time. I have the battery on charge. I put the charger on it about 15 minutes ago. Is there any thing else I should look to? I tested the really as instructed in the factory service manual is is good. The solenoid tested good as per the manual as well. I was worried that the replacement starter was bad but is tuned over fast with the manual test.
really = relay autocorrect strikes again
12.89 volts is a good voltage. Charging it up is a good idea...it can rule out the current issue. There is always the possibility of a defective replacement starter, the fact that they spin when tested on the bench doesn't prove they have the guts to turn the engine over when installed. There are two other things to consider. One is easy to try the other a bit more trouble. I've seen instances where the crankshaft can get in a position where the starter cannot engage the flywheel. If you can get a wrench on the front crank pulley bolt and turn the crankshaft just a few degrees, things may just work. The other possibility is that the starter may require shims to allow it to properly engage into the flywheel teeth. If the starter gear is hitting the flywheel ring it won't be extending into the teeth, thus it won't turn the engine over. Most cars today are machined with tight enough tolerances that shims aren't necessary, but it is worth investigating.
Terry, The test the Chrysler service manual had me do was with the starter in the car. I removed the relay and put a small screw driver in the pin#87 slot and connected the + terminal and the screw driver to my remote start switch. With the auto shutoff relay removed it turns the engine over vigorously. So I know it's working for sure.
Could my ignition switch be the culprit?
it was a darn 20 amp fuse right under my nose.. all fixed
Glad you found it! Although all the new electronic and computers make the cars run better and longer, when they mess up it always make me wish for the days when they were build without all the complexity...
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