Passat (B5) :: Engine Would Crank But Won't Go On - Battery Light Occasionally Flicker
Aug 11, 2006
I was putting in a subwoofer earlier today, and after I put everything back together, I turned the ignition to ON just to test out the system, and all the electronics worked fine.
However, when I went to crank the engine, nothing would happen, not even a click or crank. I tried jump starting the car, and it would crank and crank and crank, but wouldn't go on. All the electronics still worked fine, but the EPC light, CEL, and battery light would be solid. While cranking, the battery light would occasionally flicker.
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1991 Celica ST 4A-FE automatic, 238,000 miles, son's car, has been running great, until he says his oil light occasionally flickers on him. Car is in Wisconsin, driven maybe 2 miles one way to work every day, hasn't been on the highway is a couple months. Has synthetic 5W-30 oil with about 2,000 miles since last change.
Brought the car into the garage. Sure enough, after engine warmed up and idle got below 1,000 RPM, oil pressure warning lamp would come on. Engine sounded normal at idle and fast idle. Tough to put a mechanical pressure gauge on this engine (after to remove the alternator and A/C compressor and bracket, per the service manual, to access the oil pressure switch). I drove it on the highway, put about 40 miles on it, ran great, until I exited the highway. Anything below 1200 RPM, oil pressure warning light would come on.
Came home, removed the oil filter with intent to change it (to make sure it wasn't plugged). Smelled of gas. Oh-Oh. Drained the oil (oil level was at full mark, unusual for this vehicle, normally would be 1/2-quart low after 2,000 miles - 2 months of winter driving). Oil came out with consistency of water. Smelled of gas, and could see water droplets as I switch the drained oil from a collection pan into a jug. Thought was many short trips caused oil to never get hot enough to burn off unburned fuel blow-up or accumulated moisture, so oil was diluted, much too low viscosity.
Changed oil & filter with synthetic 5W-30 & Purolator PureOne oil filter. Took it back on the highway for 40 miles again. Highway drive was fine. Upon exiting, oil pressure warning light came on at 1,600 RPM or below. Oh-Oh. Had another 40 miles on the highway to get home. Highway drive was good again. Upon existing, oil pressure warning light came on again at 1,800 RPM or lower. Oh-Oh.
Worrying that the oil pump for pressure by-pass valve or of bearing spin-out or extreme wear (although engine sounded fine all the time), decided to order an OEM oil pressure switch. Had to take some of the bolt-ons off to access the oil pressure switch, but not all the service manual said had to come off. Took the old oil pressure switch out - looked just fine. Installed the new one, put everything back together. Checked to make sure the oil pressure warning light still came on with key in the ON position (it did), so I knew the wiring connections were good. Startup was fine (cold engine). Took it on the highway for 40 miles, after exiting highway, no more oil pressure warning light. Even tested the situation with the automatic in drive, brake applied, lights on high-beam, heater fan on high, rear window defroster on (got the engine down to 600 RPM), still not oil pressure warning light. Turned engine off, then turned ignition key to ON, oil pressure warning light comes on like it should.
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I picked up an 02' accent, 1.5l that i've been intending to use as a commuter car. Drove fairly well on the way back home, but it seems it's got some low oil pressure issues once it's good an hot. As the oil pressure light will occasionally flicker at idle, mind you the car is near dying too.
Or so I thought, it was also misfiring/stumbling fairly badly,
Pulled all connections, cleaned, dielectric grease on them, fixed some of it. And it turns out the fellow who did the timing belt last didn't exactly remember to put the bolts back on the fuel rail.... Okay, that's fixed now.
Put in a little heavier oil, and no more issues with the light coming on, but I do have some lifter noise it seems like.
As well, the car will not rev past 5k in neutral or under load. Air filter is new, and no obstructions through to the intake manifold.
I'd guess based on the missing bolts here and there, the guy was a bit of a hackjob mechanic and i'm guessing has the belt out a tooth or so.... I can't see anywhere to stick a timing light on to verify ignition timing, how to check the timing belt is straight up? It's a bit of a dog compared to the other accent i've been in. The power band is like 2000-3500 and it just won't climb anywhere past that.
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Battery light came on about two months ago it would flicker. So i had Auto zone check it out batteries were good just needed a charge. so i charged them no fix so i said alright ill do the Alternator did that and then beginning of this week it happened again so checked it went back got a replacement alternator since they said it tested bad. Put the new one on and didnt change anything. Check my batteries they were reading 10v each. I charged them and they wouldn't hold a charge. so i replacement both batteries.
So i have a new alternator and two new batteries light is still on. Contacted my tech (whose a friend) he said to check the wiring going to the alt he said both wires should read 12v on constant other when the key is turned on. Tested the constant it has 12v other reads 6-8v with key on.
He also said sometimes the wiring on the X pipe can short the alternator? i unhooked all the wiring from the Xpipe nothing changed per battery light being on or off. So what should i do.?
Also my dash lights don't work but that's been like that for awhile (bulbs are all good).. Forgot to mention sometimes the light goes off but seems to stay on 90% of the time.
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2000 Ranger 2.5L. Recently driving up and down road to work about a half hour in to drive the battery light will flicker especially if under a load (AC on, lights on)etc... Assuming it is the alternator/voltage regulator getting ready to FAIL. Plan on replacing alternator this weekend? What to do or check something other than replace the alternator?
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Yesterday as soon as I started my car, I noticed a high pitched whining noise. As I drove, it seemed to stop, but as I slowed down and idled, it came back. After driving a couple miles, the battery light came on, so I turned off the AC, radio, and lights and it went off again, but as I sat at stop lights it would flicker on and off again.
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I bought a 7.3 f250 with 300k mi. It had a battery light on but didn't show any signs of trouble. Eventually started dropping volts a few days later and I replaced the alternator. The light is still on and flickers in time with the idle of the truck and sometimes goes out when I'm on the gas pedal. Some nights when the lights are on the voltage drops ever so slowly until its drained. Why the new alternator didn't fix the problem? NAPA's scanner says the truck has 12.4V at idle and 12.1V at idle with the lights on. Batteries are relatively new and test fine, dual Interstate Mega-tron Plus batteries-top of the line.
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The past few weeks the dashboard warning light for my alternator/battery will occasionally light up while driving down the road. Whenever it does, my plug in voltage meter shows a healthy 14.x reading. It usually goes out after a few seconds, but will stay lit up for as much as thirty seconds. So other than voltage being too high or too low, what else will cause the dash trouble light to illuminate?
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Last weekend I decided my brothers 850 T5 was well over due an Engine oil and AFT change (two years for oil and never for the atf). The car has done 182,000 and drives great. Any way I bought 20 litres of 15w-40 and 20 litres of DEX 3 atf as it worked out a lot cheaper and it can be used for my fathers 940.
Anyway on Saturday I got the engine warm and noticed the oil pressure light flicker on and off. it had never done that before so I should have checked the dipstick there and then but I just went ahead and drained the old oil and removed the filter. To my surprise only about two litres of black oil came out despite the fact my brother swears he checked it 2 weeks before and it was fine. I thought this was odd as the engine had been running perfect and at that level I would expect serious damage to have been done. I fitted the new filter and sump plug with washer, filled a 5 litre tub from the bigger 20L tub and poured in 4L. I checked the dip stick and it took the remaining litre to get the level correct. I checked it again and then started the engine to get the oil into the filter etc and the level was still perfect. I finished the atf change(that's another story) and thought it a job well done.
The next evening my brother was about to use the car and I said I would check the level one more time now it was cold. There was nothing on the dipstick. There was no oil under the car so I slowly topped it up but nothing showed on the stick. I knew there was at least 5 litres in there so I didn't want to over fill it but when I started it, it sounded tappety. I put another couple of litres in and the noise reduced but still nothing on the stick. he then drove the car for a short journey and it drove fine but I said it was still tappety. I checked the oil again and now the handle snaps off the dipstick.
I have done oil changes many times before and am really very competent mechanically (I'm an engineer). Any way this gets me doubting the dipsticks accuracy so I suggest he let our neighbour who's a mechanic take a look the next day and basically today he came back and said he drained the oil and there was only 2.5 litres of oil in the engine. He topped it up and it's running fine and I fixed the dipstick with glue to check and it's perfect there as well. The thing is I know that I put enough in there, and my 20 litre tub has only 10 left.
The car is fine now. I know the obvious ones are that it was my mistake and I didn't put enough oil in, or I don't know the difference between a 1 litre and 5 litre tub but I assure you that this wasn't the case. Is there any where internal this quantity of engine oil can leak to? the transmission? coolant?
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100k 2.0D .... Recently when pulling up at roundabouts or junctions either at low speed or quite rapidly, the engine oil light flickers. This doesn't happen at all on idle no matter how high it is revved and never while speeding up or at high speeds. I have tried to narrow the time it happens and just ended up being confusing because it can happen slowing down while in gear with engine under strain or to a lesser extent while coasting with g/box in neutral at idle speed.
The engine oil and filter has been changed but to no avail (as expected). I could check the oil pressure sender and wiring but it doesn't make sense as why the fault is not sporadic and quite consistent when it happens. (Also I did look at trying to remove the sender unit and possible fitment of a pressure gauge but how the *BEEP* do you get any tools to that!). I did mention it to a friend who knows a pair of mechanics at a local garage who both straight away went *ooooh sounds like big end bearings!!*
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2006 2.0T with 86k miles. Anywho, a few days ago I attempted to start the car up & it felt as if the engine started up then immediately cut off & the red battery light would show up. I then tried to restart it up and it fired up successfully & the battery light immediately went away. well today, i drive it to my grandmothers house and have dinner, come back & fire it up and the same thing happens. only this time i had to try about three times to start it up successfully. I am aware of the whole steering column lock issue but it didnt say this at all on the mfd display screen. is it safe to drive around?
Here's a link : [URL] ....
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the car's battery light still has not shut off and now the defrost button stays on for about one second. The engine bay sometimes smells of something burning, too.
No CEL, so what's going on here?
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As description says no start and crank . when tested battery is good . automatic trans push button starter??
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2001 hyundai Elantra 97000 mi. perfect on Thurs. Engine light flicker, sulfur smell, rough running, low power on Friday
First thought / hope, Bad gas? Had Filled up on Weds.... I added dry gas and FI Cleaner.
Second thought / fear Cat. Converter
Third . .. . ???
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Working on a 2001 caravan. Been sitting for about 6 months with no battery installed. decided to work on it. Got a new battery, and when I connected it the alarm went off. I dont have panic button for it so I unhooked the bat.
I think I hooked the bat back up with the thicker gray key in the ignition. I think that is the key with the chip.
The alarm did not sound but the engine will not crank, seems like it it in some security mode blocking start up. I tried cycling the key in the driver door but that did not work.
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I have a major issue the wife 09 camry won't crank nor start. It all happened after i touched the alternator and heat shield with a rachet . She was complaining about her battery light coming on and flashing so I goes out to see and noticed the ark coming from the alternator so i reached down to touch the wire while the car running and hit both the heat shield and alternator together sparks jumped off of course . I shut the running car off then tightrb up the alternator loose bolt. When I tried to restart the car it wouldn't turn over. I checked most of the fuses and now I'm lost and stuck....
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2001 Celica, battery dead after seeming to crank more slowly each time it was started during the day (wife was driving). I disconnected the battery to charge/test it, after reconnecting it started immediately but after 1-2 seconds engine dies. RPMs can be coaxed up to 3,000 in that time, but even though it seems to be running fine it shuts completely off, no coughing or sputtering. Won't start at all unless key is turned off and then back on, then it will do the same as described above.
It's giving a P1300 Igniter Circuit Malfunction No. 1 error code. Possible causes listed are:
- Ignition Coil No. 1 harness is open or shorted
- Ignition Coil No. 1 circuit poor electrical connection
- Faulty Ignition Coil No. 1
- Faulty Engine Control Module (ECM)
Seems to me a lot like the last, the ECM.
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I was taking my '94 Caprice to work yesterday morning in the rain, when my headlights started to flicker, then the car died. I lost everything electrical, but the starter and the change oil light, which is on constantly. When I turn the key in the ignition, nothing turns on which means no fuel pump, but car still cranks over. I have checked a lot of places for a loss of power but can't find anything. All fuses are good, fusible links are good, unless I am missing checking one somewhere. Battery keeps draining also, but I don't think it is just draining from the check oil light being on. Drains quick too. Never had this problem before.
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My 1997 Mercury Sable has been having a rough time starting lately. It will turn over, but 2 out of 3 starts will be labored. It will crank, but hesitate and finally give enough to start. When I start it at night and turn on the headlights they dim and flicker until the engine has been running a bit.
This car was originally my wife's, and she can't remember the last time it has had it's battery replaced.
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I replaced my alt. because in the morning the bearing would squeak and the head lights flicker. It was a life time alt. Put the new one in now it wont charge. Took it back and got another, same thing. Also replaced the starter relay and battery. I checked the fusible links and replaced a terminal connector. The wires look good. There is 12v on the alt lug and pins 1 and 3 on the connector with the key off. Turn key on and 12v disappears form pins 1 & 3. Also checked all fuses in both boxes. I ohmed out the wire harness from the alt back to the connectors, all good. What am I missing? This is a 99 f530 5.4l.
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My 2004 Impala, 100+k miles, is occasionally not starting. The battery is fine, it's fairly new and we had it tested. When I crank it, I get all lights and electrics but it doesn't even make any crank noise or even try to start. I've read that the security system could cause this.
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