My 1995 Olds 98 seems to have a power problem to electrical sys

Ed

• 479 Answers
• Posted on Apr 13, 2009

SOURCE: the battery in my 98 olds intrigue is charged but there is nothing when I turn it over

Key switch?
Starter Solenoid?
Starter?
Battery Cables?
All of these need to be checked.
Do and of the lights work?
Put a meter on the battery. Should show 12 to 13 volts
Have someone try to start the car, Does the voltage change?
Yes, you may have a starter problem.
No, you have a switch, cable or solenoid problem

SOURCE: electrical problem with my olds aurora lights flicker and clicking sound

If you just clean the switch with contact cleaner, that will fix the problem. I had my 99 aurora's head lights came on and stayed on all the time. I bought contact cleaner 2-26 from Lowes for around 8 bucks and sprayed in the small holes in the switch and blowed with compressed air. Repetead it 2-3 times the problem was gone.

SOURCE: I have a 1999 olds intrigue. I have replaced the

The ignition switch is a common cause of all kinds of electrical problems. If you are doing the work yourself, check out http://99intrigue.shutterfly.com/ignitionswitch

SOURCE: 99 olds alero 3.4 liter v6 starter not

WELL PROBLEM COULD BE BROKEN DAMAGED OVERRUNNING CLUTCH ASSEMBLY NOT ALLOWING DRIVE PINION GEAR TO DISENGAGE.OR BROKEN RETURN SPRING IN STARTER SOLENOID KEEP THE SHIFT LEVER DRIVE PINION GEAR ENGAGED.

SOURCE: 1992 olds 98. starter will

The starter will not engage, the starter solenoid is faulty .The starter has to be replaced.The new starter comes with starter motor and solenoid included.------- How to test starter solenoid? ------- As you turn the ignition key, car's starter motor is switched on by power delivered by car battery, via solenoid. The starter solenoid is a relay that closes metal contacts with the starter motor, when it receives a current from car battery and ignition switch. As a result of current being delivered, the motor starts working. This makes a retractable rotating gear to engage with the flywheel and turn it to crank the engine . The starter solenoid thus provides power to drive starter motor.

So when your car doesn't start, it may be due to the malfunctioning of several parts that come into play ranging from the car battery to the retractable gear. There are two main types of starter solenoids. One type only acts as a switch which closes the circuit between battery and motor. The other type may act as a switch, as well as move the plunger that engages the gear with the flywheel. Insufficient power delivered from the car battery can be the reason for starter solenoid not being able to switch on the motor. Let us take a look at how to troubleshoot a starter solenoid
Arm yourself with a voltmeter and check whether the battery output voltage is around 12 V. If it is, then you can proceed with the rest of starter solenoid testing procedure. To test the starter solenoid connect a jumper cable to the battery side of the solenoid. The solenoid has two large posts and two small posts. A single large post is located on either side of the solenoid. Attach the alligator clip of the jumper cable to the large post on the battery side of the solenoid. Touch the opposite end of the jumper cable to the large post on the other side of the solenoid. If the starter turns the engine normally, the problem likely lies with an ignition override switch, such as a clutch start switch or a neutral safety switch. If the starter produces a buzzing sound, the starter is likely defective. If there is no response at all, the solenoid is defective and must be replaced.
Disconnect the wire that runs from ignition switch to solenoid. In order to test the starter solenoid. To jump you can use insulated pliers or a screwdriver to short the big post on the starter solenoid, with the ignition switch terminal on the same device. This will directly transfer power to solenoid without the ignition switch current. Now ask somebody to turn on the ignition.
If your engine cranks with the ignition switch terminal shorted in this way, then your solenoid is in good working condition and the problem is elsewhere. Otherwise, if the engine doesn't crank, you'll have to replace the starter solenoid. ------------ How to test cars starter? -------

Starter motor problems usually are indicated by the following symptom: Turn the key to the START position and you hear a loud click, or sometimes you hear nothing. The headlights are bright and don't dim when you turn the key to START, and everything else electrical seems to work fine. It could be a bad starter neutral switch or a bad key switch but about 99% of the time it's a bad starter or starter solenoid. Here is the procedure for checking out a starter motor and its solenoid. To test the starter try this procedure.

--------- Measure the voltage at the starter solenoid. Place the red probe on the positive battery terminal on the starter solenoid and place the negative probe on chassis ground. Have someone turn the key switch to "START" while you measure the voltage. The voltage should be approximately 12.6 volts. If the voltage is correct, there is a problem with the starter. Remove the negative battery post and check the connections on the starter. But if voltage is very low and less then 12 volts, this indicates its faulty solenoid. If you follow the wire from starter solenoid, it will reach the starter relay. That starter relay is a 12 volt part. If there is no voltage to starter or solenoid then its faulty starter relay. ---------------- If starter checked out ok, then its many other possibilities too causing this problem. Touch the end of the red jump lead onto the large terminal of the starter. The pinion should rotate strongly.-------You can diagnose the starter by measuring the current draw. You can purchase a small "clamp on" ammeter that you simply lay on the cable to the starter .In this case you don't have to disconnect anything. Crank it and watch the little needle tell you what the current is. If there is a high current draw then you know that the starter is at fault. There is one main reason for a starter to fail when it is hot - worn bearings, especially in the tail shaft. The heat generated in the starter by the engine and the exhaust pipes (sometimes) causes the armature to expand. If the bearings are worn then the armature drags (actually contacts) on the stator causing a short circuit and a high friction drag. Sometimes just replacing the bearings can fix the problem.

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Check the starter solenoid and motor.Most probably in your case the starter needs to be replaced.This will take care of the problem.---------

]This should help.Thanks.Helpmech.