Car: 2002 Ford Focus ZTS, approximately 74000 miles

Problem: Vehicle doesn't start. Can hear the "clicking" sound of what I'm guessing is the starter (comes from under the dashboard, near the fusebox), but nothing happens.

Other notes: Battery is 4 years old and has never been replaced; however, dashboard lights, radio, windshield wipers all seem to work just fine. Regular manufacturer maintenance schedule is followed (@#$%ing thing even passed inspection a week ago )

Any ideas on the problem? 

8/8/2006 8:43:16 AM

Added info, making me think it could be the battery/electrical -- starting a couple days ago there was a whining sound that started whenever the radio was on; when the radio was off the sound wasn't there at all. And when the engine fan cut on, the radio went through a brief sound at the same time that sounded like a toilet flushing. 

8/8/2006 8:49:06 AM

Honestly, have a friend jump it and follow you to Advance Auto (if that's the place on Western) - they can diagnose all three of those for free, plus will install a new battery free if that's what's doing it. Make sure you battery connectors are clean and getting good contact too.

8/8/2006 9:05:33 AM

Quote :

"dashboard lights, radio, windshield wipers all seem to work just fine."

Your battery should be good if everything else works. Check the starter.

8/8/2006 9:06:04 AM

battery.

clicking means battery is drained, doesnt have enough current to hold the starter relay on.

it doesnt take much juice to run accessories.

8/8/2006 9:07:22 AM

Quote :

"Make sure you battery connectors are clean and getting good contact too. "

8/8/2006 9:07:31 AM

How can the battery be dead? All his accessories still work? That wouldn't make sense. When my battery died... nothing worked (except after I jumped it, then everything died a few hours later)

8/8/2006 9:13:05 AM

this thread will be used as an example from this day forward.

8/8/2006 9:13:20 AM

Connectors are clean and contact is good. Waiting on a friend to come by and jump it now, to see if it's the battery.

How much does starter repair/replacement cost for this type of vehicle do you think?

8/8/2006 9:24:12 AM

just pray to god that your starter isn't in the most abominal place in the whole engine....

like mine is ....

8/8/2006 9:29:16 AM

Ok I'll bite....

Where is your starter Maugan

[Edited on August 8, 2006 at 9:58 AM. Reason : pop]

8/8/2006 9:58:02 AM

Quote :

"How can the battery be dead? All his accessories still work? That wouldn't make sense. When my battery died... nothing worked (except after I jumped it, then everything died a few hours later)"

batteries have a rating called CCA or cold cranking amps. it's the max amount of amps the battery can put out for a short time. if the battery is old, this rating goes down to a point where the battery is no longer strong enough to power the starter.

accesories require a few amps here and there to work. CCA is usually several hundred amps. I don't know the exact number needed for a starter, but it is definately more than 10 or 20 required to run a radio and some lights.

8/8/2006 10:03:49 AM

^thanks... makes more sense

8/8/2006 10:07:58 AM

yeah turns out my battery was near death. a jump got me to the Advance Auto on Western (thx for that advice btw, I forgot it was there ) and they confirmed it on their battery tester cart. so I bought and installed a new battery a few minutes later, and hopefully will be good for another 4+ years

thanks everybody!

8/8/2006 11:21:32 AM

Quote :

"I don't know the exact number needed for a starter, but it is definately more than 10 or 20 required to run a radio and some lights."

At the VERY minimum for the smallest engines...around 80 to 100, and for most, over 150 to 200 amps. Now fer teh Cummins, it's at least 500 on a warm day, and most likely pushing 700-900 when it gets cold.

8/8/2006 12:24:49 PM

I'm gonna say the alternator. I predict your battery will be dead again within 3 or 4 more hours of driving.

8/8/2006 2:57:53 PM

Quote :

"they confirmed it on their battery tester cart"

^ you are an idiot

8/8/2006 3:04:13 PM

^
blow me

8/8/2006 3:19:54 PM

Quote :

"they confirmed it on their battery tester cart"

Most of the folks at Advance Auto are the kind that would put some kind of ointment on dick blisters for some pain relief and just fail to think of getting that shit checked by a doctor.

Bottom line is, there are often bigger problems underlying the upper layers.

8/8/2006 3:48:07 PM

^^ i was talking about the guy who said it was the alternator... quoting that you said the battery was tested and shown to be bad.. and he still says it's an alternator.. sure it *could* be, but 4 years, i'd say it's just the battery..

8/8/2006 4:01:24 PM

^
haha oh, my bad I've seen some of the arguments in Garage threads, I just thought I had crossed over some n00blet boundary with the "battery tester cart" nomenclature

sry

--

zxappeal: yeah I understand that, I know the alternator could potentially be an issue too (had to fix that along with the battery on a Mazda pickup once). I was just saying at a minimum the battery was/is near dead, they just had the equipment to confirm it.

if the crank speed starts to noticeably slow down over the next few days I'll replace or rebuild the alternator too. 

8/8/2006 4:03:37 PM

Quote :

"i was talking about the guy who said it was the alternator... quoting that you said the battery was tested and shown to be bad.. and he still says it's an alternator.. sure it *could* be, but 4 years, i'd say it's just the battery.."

Yeah, I definitely have to agree. Battery IS the cheapest/easiest thing to start with...

8/8/2006 4:56:38 PM

I only say this because I had the exact same experience about a month ago. Battery about 5 years old, the guy "tested" it and said it was bad, after I told him how old it was... Turns out it was the alternator, which I found out the next day, but I guess I could have used a new battery anyway.

I also heard a whining sound all the time, not just when the radio was on, this lasted about three days then stopped, next day car wouldn't start.

8/8/2006 5:15:02 PM

might be the ignition control module, i was having similar noises and troubles with my sable when the ignition control module and the coil were going bad if it continues check those as well


thats probably not the problem, but it never hurts to be safe

8/8/2006 10:26:10 PM