help! car won't start.

[kaval]

I wanted to drive the car today but it was completely dead. I tried to jump it but i was unsuccessfull. When i press the ignition all I hear is a series of clicks. The engine won't turnover. Any ideas or suggestions?

thank you

 

[dave6666]

B-A-T-T-E-R-Y is T-O-A-S-T

Or battery cable related issue.

RU mechanically inclined?

 

[kaval]

yes. you think it just needs a new battery?

 

[dave6666]

yes. you think it just needs a new battery?

Get to the battery and if you don't see issues with the cables then I'd suspect the battery for sure.

 

[Fast Too]

Kaval - recommend a search on this subject in this forum. There has been a few posts recently from SRT owners with apparently dead batteries as you may very well have if not a cable as Dave points out. These guys chnaged their batteries out only to have them go dead again within days. They traced it to their Body Control Module (BCM) as being faulty and subsequently draining the battery. I have no idea where that is, what it looks like, or what function it serves. One of them may chime in, or you can call Tator or Woodhouse and they can probably point you to it.

 

[dave6666]

Kaval - recommend a search on this subject in this forum. There has been a few posts recently from SRT owners with apparently dead batteries as you may very well have if not a cable as Dave points out. These guys chnaged their batteries out only to have them go dead again within days. They traced it to their Body Control Module (BCM) as being faulty and subsequently draining the battery. I have no idea where that is, what it looks like, or what function it serves. One of them may chime in, or you can call Tator or Woodhouse and they can probably point you to it.

Great point, and I guess I have seen that mentioned before. But when you can't jump the vehicle to me that suggests another issue.

Right now I think Body Control Module means Starbucks, as it is 07:45.

 

[Ken Lally]

I wanted to drive the car today but it was completely dead. I tried to jump it but i was unsuccessfull. When i press the ignition all I hear is a series of clicks. The engine won't turnover. Any ideas or suggestions?

thank you

Try jumping the car with two sets of cables- my battery was totally dead on Sat, one set of cables brought juice to the starter "clicking" like yours - second set of cables gave me the amperage I needed, and started right away.

The cables they sell these days are so cheap and thin gauge wire, you need a REAL good set or two sets.

 

[ulllose]

Ya that sounds to me you have a bad connection with the cables. If the cables have a great connection then maybe they are just a crap pair. Even if the battery was completely dead it would still start with a good jump or get a "booster." It takes alot to crank this big engine...........

 

[redtanrt10]

Ya that sounds to me you have a bad connection with the cables. If the cables have a great connection then maybe they are just a crap pair. Even if the battery was completely dead it would still start with a good jump or get a "booster." It takes alot to crank this big engine...........

Agree from lots of experience!!! It takes a viper to jump a viper.

 

[AFL in NJ]

I'm buying a Sears Die Hard Gold battery in the next few days for my Viper...my current battery lasted only 3 years, thankfully the Die Hard Gold battery has 3-year free replacement warranty and then a 100 more months of pro-rated warranty...so I should be set for a long time!! Oh yeah, and it's only $99.99 and Sears has a great policy of supporting military personnel who work for them...so no one loses at all.

Regards,
Aaron

 

[jimmy6383]

My battery is completely gone too. I can't even shut the door properly because there isn't enough juice to put the window back up under the top.....

 

[ulllose]

My battery is completely gone too. I can't even shut the door properly because there isn't enough juice to put the window back up under the top.....

the joys of living in the north and dealing with winter..............having to store the damn cars...........

 

[VIPER R]

doesn't anyone own a battery charger?

 

[jimmy6383]

doesn't anyone own a battery charger?

haha ya, but I charge it and it drains within 24 hours....I don't just want to buy another battery to find it to do the same thing.

 

[kaval]

thanks for the replies. That night i attached the battery tender. It started up no problem the next morning. I was just so surprised I couldn't jump it. I was jumping it with a ford f-150. Oh well maybe the cables were crappy.

thanks again guys.

Dan

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

My battery is getting slow. Do you guys use Optima Batterys in your Gen III?

 

[AFL in NJ]

Andrew, you may want to search the word optima as I've seen more than a few threads where people who bought them bought once and swore to never buy them again....that's why I'm going with a Sears battery.

Regards,
Aaron