Changed the alternator and now she won’t start

[dwest731]

Yeah I’m wondering if it may be a clutch sensor or something like that. I’ve started trailing wires the best I can. I’m 6’4 so these are tight spots

 

[dwest731]

When I had the pulleys swapped and tuned the shop told me it was going bad. I had that done in October of last year. Maybe 150 miles were put on the car. The battery light was coming on when driving, anything electrical was super weak. Figured I’d change it before I got stranded somewhere.

I tried a different battery and got the same result, nothing

 

[Bullitt1448]

At least you have sucessfully eliminated the starter as the problem. if it gave you no issues before changing the alternator, odds are something changed during during replacement. Broken wire, blown fuse, bad connection, a connector not hooked up properly, forgot to hook up a connection are all possibilities. A started is not likely to go bad replacing an alterntor. Have coincidences happened? yes but not the most likely scenario. I would go back and double check everything you touched and everything close to those spots.

 

[JaCobro]

First step if relay does not click when starting.
Disconnect: Starter Motor Relay. Start the engine. Measure the voltage between the starter motor relay pin 85, circuit 33 (WH/PK) and ground while holding the key in the START position.
If you do have good battery voltage there, then check for 5 ohms or less of resistance between relay pin 86 and ground. If it's good replace the relay.
If you don't have good battery voltage there, then look at clutch switch next.

 

[DSG2003Mach1]

any chance you bumped something on that fuse box by that battery? Id make sure connection is still tight and not broken off inside the box

 

[Wings65288]

Yeah I’m wondering if it may be a clutch sensor or something like that. I’ve started trailing wires the best I can. I’m 6’4 so these are tight spots

Here you go, it's worth a shot. Just follow your clutch pedal up and you'll see the connectors. Go to 0:39 seconds into this video:

 

[dwest731]

I don’t have an ohm meter so I couldn’t check those specs but I did take that relay out and try one of the others and still nothing.

The battery is in the trunk so I didn’t have to remover it. Checked the fuses to be safe and they were all good

 

[hotcobra03]

It sounds like a ground issue,

Battery in trunk..how is cable attached to terminal? Clamp style or lug bolt?

Is it all 1 cable from battery to engine block and a second to car frame?


Flickering Battery light is almost always alt. But a dirty/loose ground will cause that at times

Having it start once yesterday than nothing leeds me to think it's a power/ground issue

 

[BlckBox04]

Did you do the big 3 wiring upgrade by any chance?

 

[MG0h3]

The chances of some random part failing during a repair vs human error are incredibly low.

My first guess would be you have a poor connection at the battery terminal or however you plumbed the cables.

Does it go from the battery to the lug at the fuse block where it meets the alt cable, and then you run a cable to the starter?

Or is there a direct cable from the bat to the starter?

If you didn’t disconnect the battery, did you take the hot alt cable off the fuse block or you just had a hot cable hanging there?


Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com

 

[dwest731]

I’ll post a pic of the battery set up this afternoon. The relocate was done before I got the car.

Now that I think about it there was a time when it did hesitate to turnover prior to changing the alternator. It had the same symptoms as a failing starter. Ie turning the key and no action from the starter. After a time or 2 of turning the key the starter would engage.

So frustrating to say the least

 

[dwest731]

This is how the negative is wired. I’ll have to trail the positive after work. Forgive the poor pics please, kinda dark at 530 heading to work

 

[Bullitt1448]

That looks to me like the ground is attached to a body panel In the trunk. Most people that move the battery to the trunk (me included) weld a 3/8 bolt directly to what acts as frame for thes cars and drill a hole through the trunk floor and mount the ground to the bolt. Don’t use a suspension mount bolt. Same thing for the ground s at the engine. Weld a 3/8 bolt to the frame and mount the engine ground to that. People unfamiliar with electrical often don’t see how small details like matter but they do. You want the best path to ground as possible. I will post you pics of when I get it finished up but that does you no good right now.

 

[kazman]

I hate to say it but, the cable ends you've posted pics of are shite, all of them. They may not be this problem, but they could be a problem unto themselves one day.

 

[Bullitt1448]

I

I hate to say it but, the cable ends you've posted pics of are shite, all of them. They may not be this problem, but they could be a problem unto themselves one day.

I have to agree, not soldered, and the one to the body may not even be crimped. I don’t see any evidence of a crimp but assume there must be something holding it to the lug. Sorry, OP, not meaning to be critical of your car or work, just pointing out potential problems. Please don’t take offence, none is intended.

 

[dwest731]

No offense taken! I truly appreciate you guys and the input you are giving! I’d be chasing my tail more than I am now without your input

 

[03cobra#694]

I'm going to agree with Kaz and Bullitt on the cables and ground.

 

[Bullitt1448]

With electrical issues, always start with the basics, confirm good grounds, fuses, connections. If it worked before you did some work on the car, even unrelated, carefully reconfirm your last repair. Been guilty of missing a connection or a loose wire occasionally myself. Sometimes the pins in connectors will push back in the connector instead of mating with the other half. We are also dealing with 20 year old cars, all sorts of strange things happen, add that to the fact that you often can’t see where a harness goes and could be pinched between something. In your car, someone else has been in there modifying things, (moved the battery) you don’t know what he did or how he changed it from how it should have been done. The pic of the ground connection shows poor workmanship, hard to believe the other things will be much better. Look carefully at everything, correct the issues as you find them. Just because something works it does not mean it was done “right”. If you don’t know what is the right way, ask. Lots of knowledgeable folks on here willing to help. look on youtube, Not just a vid from one person, but try to get a look at few vids and see if they are doing them the same way. Nothing wrong with back yard wrenching, just do it properly. You can do this! And you will feel good when you do. Wrenching on cars is my favourite hobby. Frustrating at times, expensive for sure and can be a great learning experience. I worked as a tech for 30 years (retired now) and I am still learning new things.

Hang in there with us and it will get sorted

 

[hotcobra03]

Those terminals. The strap holding cable.

I have them.
I have to clean them regularly by removing strap and cable. Clean and install..

Depending on maker of them
I have seen some painted completely over lead and some not painted ,Than back side of strap rust ,

It should be clean lead to make good

There is also a ground strap ,braided wire
It was on main ground at motor mount ,going from mount to chassis on drivers side a d is visible, is that still there?

 

[dwest731]

I appreciate the help fellas, I truly do! Sadly I don’t have a welder so I will have to get someone to do that part for me. I’m going to jump into it when I get off work today.

I enjoy wrenching too, thankfully! Very few times I have someone do something I can do myself.

I will keep you all posted, and thanks again!