Im having issues starting my mother in laws car. The problem started when she decided to run out of gas. She put in like 3-4 gallons and started to try and start it. She tried enough to where she drained the battery and i had to charge it.
I charged the battery and wanted to crank but barely did. Tried jumping it and everything and no luck.
Now after a day of sitting or so, it doesnt even make any sounds besides a click of the relay doing its thing inside car.
I have gone through every fuse, checked to see if any relay "rattled", and battery wasnt the issue. The instrument panel lights all work and radio etc. I turn the lights on and try to start and they dont dim at all.
From the time it ran out of gas to her continuously cranking it, what could have gone wrong? Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated, im mechanically inclined just not with vehicles but have common knowledge so not super in-depth instructions needed.

Thanks in advance!

 

I don't know if these cars have a fusible link anywhere or not, but I'd look for one. If you can't find one, I'm gonna guess you burned the starter up. Try fully charging the battery and then using another one to jump start it and see what happens. If it won't crank then, try tapping the starter with a hammer and see if it'll crank. If not, it's somewhere in the starting circuit.

 

After i tap the starter and say it does crank over, what would be the issue? Starter? Selenoid? Or???...

 

Yes. IMHO, you should crank maybe 5 seconds continuously, then wait 15 for starter to cool a bit -- 30 sec to be ultra safe --especially once you realize you're in this kind of jam where it doesn't give even a hint that it wants to fire.

So you probably smoked the coils that surround the bendix. Without the high normally high current going through them, the bendix will not move the starting gear out to the flyywheel to rotate the engine.

Banging it w a hammer will often loosen up a failing bendix, but it is an indication that you still need to change the starter pretty quickly unless you want to find yourself immobile yet again. Usually the coils overheat and melt open so there is no blown fuse. Just ---the sound...of silence.

If the starter turns out to be the issue, get a quality remanufactured (new if you really want to but pricey) brand name starter, not the cheapies (see below).

The cheap no names have a limited lifetime warranty, which won't cover the time it takes to return and receive new starters and put them in every 2 years.

(This post brought to you by derf channeling Rube)

 

I'm still leaning towards a battery that has to low voltage, or a poor ground connection.

Get a Digital Multi Meter and start testing the battery voltage, test voltage on the ground wire side too. Then test the starter cabling for continuity and the solenoid for the correct voltage drop when trying to start.

 

Battery is 9mths old, was replaced last year in our artic blast we got in wi.. and dont quite understand how to test the cabling and what voltage etc the starter should be at and go to when starting.. the battery connections are corrosion free on wires and *****..

 

Battery ---Need to check underneath the ground connection to the frame for corrosion (the contact area). Also flex the batt cables near their connectors. If there is a bunch of crunching, cut back the insulation just slightly and look for signs of acid damage

There is a feed from the Batt to the starter . Be sure the connection is clean and tight. Voltage to gnd at this terminal should be same as V drop across batt. Be careful not to inadvertently let this terminal get in contact w any ground -- it is just like the positive terminal of the battery.

There is a purple or yellow wire coming from the ignition circuit (sorry about the brain fart on color) that attaches to the starter solenoid and provides the V drop and current to activate the relay that passes the current fr the batt to the starter

Make sure this colored wire is attached with a clean an firm connection.
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Ordinarily I would be w Scoffman, of the opinion to check out the battery first (aka start at simplest logical place). It certainly can't hurt and batt could indeed have lost a cell during all the hub bub, though I've never seen it happen.

But based on your detailed history, I , like Rube, went straight to starter

 

When you turn the key trying to start the car do you hear a click? when you release the ingnition do the dummy lights on the dash still light up or are they now dim or unlit? If this is the case I suspect a bad ground to battery connection.

If the lights are still bright and fine then you probably have a bad starter motor, or solenoid. You can find numerous videos on Youtube the show how to test the voltage drop for the starter solenoid, and how to bench test a starter motor. . . OR you could just take the starter off and bring it to an autoparts store that will tests them for free.

 

When turning the key, with me putting the headlights on, none of the lights inside or the headlights dim at all. The battery is fine (put it in my othwr car and it started fine - put mine in car that wont start and same issue).
There is a clicking sound that i hear which sounds like its coming from the inside fuse box. I read somewhere that with the headlights on and if i try to start it and they do not dim that its an ignition switch/relay along that circuit somewhere. I cant find anyway to test the ignition switch (where key goes). Any ideas on that or on how i can go about finding the location of the starter relay?
Thanks for all the suggestions and help thusfar. It has been greatly appreciated.

 

not sure where you heard that but it if true would be car model specific because each model of each brand (with a few cross badgings) is wired differently.

When you turn the key, the fuel pump primes for 2-3 sec, then turns off the fuel pump by opening the fuel pump relay. That is one click you will hear at a cold start up attempt until the fuel pressure is sufficient. That relay IS in the fuse panel inside the car.

Wait for the priming to end and the fuel pump relay click, THEN turn the key. If you hear an additional click, not as loud, it's likely the bendix trying to move but it can't.

If it is silent, trace the wires to the starter and make sure you get V on the colored wire when the key is HELD in the start position--that enables the starter solenoid.

You did not mention the results of tracing said wiring as suggested in my last post.

At this juncture, you are probably better off pulling the starter and getting it tested at Autozone for free.