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Starter not working

Tiny
RAYRAYBABYBOI13
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 CHRYSLER SEBRING
My alarm went off the other night and now it won't let me start my car. I tried disconnecting the battery and I checked all fuses. Now the alarm is also not setting when I lock it. I can set the alarm and the red light will blink like its on but I can just reach in through the window and its not going off anymore.

The problem is that it locked me out off my car the engine won't start. It won't even turn over, disconnection. The battery didn't fix it neither did turning in the key in either of the doors.

I'm in the car but the alarm won't go off when I set it now. Anyways my main concern is that it will not start, the battery is fine all the lights and power windows work but when I go to turn the key nothing it's just dead but it does turn to the crank switch. It is a 2.5l it is the convertible limited edition series.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 4:56 AM

10 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,741 POSTS
The starter circuit can be broken down into three parts. Look under the hood in the fuse box for the starter relay. Pull it out, then you can pop the cover off and reinstall it that way, then squeeze the movable contact to activate the starter, or you can use a jumper wire between terminals 30 and 87 in the socket. Be sure the car is in park, but the engine won't start unless the ignition switch is in "run".

If using that jumper wire makes the starter crank the engine, we'll know two parts of the system are working.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 1:43 PM
Tiny
RAYRAYBABYBOI13
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  • 19 POSTS
There isn't a starter relay under the fuse box. The choices r Tcm, wiper, interm wiper, air cond, and power top
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 2:00 PM
Tiny
RAYRAYBABYBOI13
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There is a light click coming from the Tcm relay but nothin comin from the starter
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 2:18 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
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It won't start without a starter relay. The starter relay is one of the larger ones at the top of my drawing.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 2:52 PM
Tiny
RAYRAYBABYBOI13
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Ok I found the starter relay. No click noise at all from it. We squeezed the movable contact and nothing happened, we also tried the jumper wire and nothing. So do I have a bad relay?
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 3:20 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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No. You just bypassed it. If the relay was bad, the starter would have cranked the engine when you used the jumper wire. Doing that eliminated the most complicated part of the system. You should have at least heard a loud clunk from the starter solenoid. Since you did not, the possible causes are few. Do you have a test light or voltmeter and know how to use them?

To verify your findings, which I always like to do when I'm testing something, there are four measurements to take in the relay socket. One terminal, either 30 or 87 must have 12 volts all the time.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 4:19 PM
Tiny
RAYRAYBABYBOI13
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None of the relay sockets are hot, I tried another relay and they are hot one that one tho.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 4:35 PM
Tiny
RAYRAYBABYBOI13
  • MEMBER
  • 19 POSTS
Ok, when I hook it up to the positive terminal I an gettin two lights but when I hook it up to the negative I an getting no lights wit the key in the crank position. Also when I touch the test light to one of the terminals hooked up to the positive my car door started dinging and my dash board gauges started working, also a lot or clinking with the fuses was going on.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 5:54 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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There has to be a bad connection in that area. The test light is bypassing it when things start working. In particular, follow the smaller positive battery wire to where it bolts to the under-hood fuse box, and the smaller negative battery wire to where it bolts to the body. Be sure those are clean and tight.
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Saturday, November 16th, 2013 AT 6:39 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 42,883 POSTS
It sounds like you have a neutral safety switch that is out and needs to be replaced. To be sure here is wiring diagram that will help you test to confirm.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-neutral-safety-switch-works

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-test-light-circuit-tester

I included the starter wiring too in case you need to test that as well.

Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken
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Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017 AT 7:58 PM

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