I wasn't sure whether to start a new thread for this new problem, but here goes in this one.

I tried to start the Jimmy after completing the rear end, and it showed the battery symbol in the dash but wouldn't start. I have no lights anywhere, nothing electrical comes on.

Today I tried starting it with a boost. It wanted to start but wouldn't turn over. I tried again, same thing!

If the battery was dead, it should have started with a boost. Since the boost didn't work, I'd usually suspect the starter motor. But no juice from the battery and no turn over from the starter? Any ideas?

 

Side terminal batterys are hard to get a good jumper cable connection. Try the simple stuff first. Make sure your battery connections are clean & tight. If using jumper cables I put a vice grip on the flats of the + terminal and put the jumper cable on the vice grip. Put the - jumper cable on a good engine ground. If you are jumping off another side terminal it is twice as hard to get a good connection. Don't jump to conclusions about the starter. Take the battery to the auto store and have them charge it & test it for you.

Part of your post does not make sense. You say it tried to start but would not turn over. It can't try to start if it won't turn over.

 

What I meant is that it started cranking like it was going to start but wouldn't finish to start the engine. I suppose that's the side terminal issue you mentioned.

The terminals are clean and the good vehicle has top terminals on the battery. I must say, I don't remember having a side terminal battery on any vehicle before.

 

but i thought you have owned GM's before?
anyways, how old is the battery, quick? i've never had a vehicle (with the factory radio) run down a battery before, but this past July i was working on my Stepfather's car, and had the lift gate open (dome light override on) and was listening to the radio as i worked. it wasn't cranked, the bass wasn't turned up high, but after a hour, i noticed the radio's volume was dipping-i was putting my tools away at this point. when i went to stat the truck, it just went "click". had to have the boost vehicle (the one i was fixing, ironic!), running on the truck for 5 minutes before it would start. now if the truck is sitting for more than 5 miutes (tops!) with anything on (radio, 4 way flashers), the truck barely starts, and the voltage takes about 3 to 6 seconds to come back up to 14V. yes the alt is good, i checked. the battery is 7 years old (checked date code), so i'm gonna get a new on before it drops down to low on the Mercury.
go check your battery, before you try anything major. they'll probably keep the battery for a deep charge and load test cycle. the CTC down @ Bayview & 7 will do that for you, hit them first thing in the morning (parts counter open @ 9, but the parts guys are usually in there 1/2 hour earlier. talk to the younger blond who works the counter (can't remember her name, maybe Julie?) she knows her stuff.

 

sorry quickcurrent, the girl @ Canadian Tire is Amanda. don't really know why her name popped into my head this morning. good luck, i'm outta here (goota go finsh those storage units).

 

Thanks bud, I've had four GM products but not all GMs have side terminal batteries. It wasn't the radio, that wasn't even turned on I don't think because I use an old clock radio in the garage to keep me entertained rather than the vehicle radio. It was just the lights that come on when you put the vehicle in neutral - I didn't think that was anything to wear down the battery by having it in neutral for several hours, unless it was on the verge of dying anyways. The vehicle is a 2005 and it still has the original factory battery so it would be nearly five years old as I bought the Jimmy in November of 2004. Auto OEM batteries have typically lasted me 5-7 years, with two exceptions - one on a Subaru I used to have died within the first year and the one I have on my 2000 Mustang is still the original!

I am aware that CTC will check batteries. I will try starting it again a few more times with a boost, maybe I'll even try terry s's trick with a vice grip. If nothing works, I'll take the battery out and go see our friends at CTC.

 

Took the battery down and had it charged and tested. The battery was totally drained; I think my son had left the dome light on, using the override switch. Now that it's charged it tests OK but I still get the same results as I did with the booster cables attached! The starter motor starts like it's going to do the job but doesn't finish starting the engine.

It seems like a strange coincidence that this would happen while I had the vehicle on stands doing the rear end. Could this have been caused by all the hammering getting the old bearings out and pushing the new ones back in? There is some slack in the starter motor shaft, especially as the starter has worn a bit and I'm wondering if perhaps the hammering has caused something to go out of place that can be fixed! I've read of people tapping the starter to get it working but I think that's just a very temporary fix. Should I just get a new starter motor?

Any ideas ????

If I replace the starter motor, is this a simple job - i.e. where the starter is easily visible and accessible like I had on a Ford or is it more like one I replaced on an Oldsmobile when I had to remove a bunch of parts to get at the starter?

quickcurrent

 

Banging on the rear end should not effect the starter. Take it in and have it tested before you replace it. Your description sounds like either a bad starter or a bad cable or connection. If you are sure the terminals at the battery are clean & tight and ther eis no corrosion that has eaten away at the cable inside the insulation. Take a vice grip and twist & pull the bolts out of the cable ends. Then you should be able to pull the plastic covers off the cables. Then you can clean & inspect. If all is good check the other end of the ground cable. Is the connection clean & tight? Make sure the battery is disconnected then check to see if the cable is tight on the starter. If all is good take the starter to have it tested. I'm not sure if they can test it under load which is what I think you need.

Two bolts hold the starter on from the bottom. I don't know about your 05 but on an 96 w/4wd I took the bolts out of the starter so I could tip it to access the wires to get them off. Then it was like a chinese puzzle. I swore it would come out from the frame & exhaust pipe but it did. It had to be turned just the right way and it came right out. Hint look up on Auto Zone's site under repair guides for your car. It may have instructions on how to remove it.

 

Thanks terry s. I didn't think that there should be very much corrosion on a not quite five year old vehicle that gets dripless oil sprayed every couple of years or so. I did find quite a bit of corrosion on the pan holding the battery but otherwise it looked quite clean. I will follow your advice though. Sounds good to me.

It sounds like it may be tricky to get the starter out then, but not too covered up with other parts. I hope I don't find any bad surprises when I get to it. Today the weather is a bit nasty here, but promises to be better tomorrow. I'll get under the beast tomorrow and have a look at what I have to deal with.

 

hey quick, when you went to CTC, who did you see? there's only 3 people in the parts dept i'd trust, the rest are a buch of high school "yeah i took auto shop, i know how to work on cars" dumbasses. when they charged it, how long did they charge it for? overnight? and what load test did they run on it?
when the batteris in my 'Burb drained (door didn't close completely when i put it in the garage, D'OH!), they had to be charged for 12 hours before they would hold up to a load test. a completely drained battery needs a deep cycle charge, not a high current fast charge.