No Start, No Crank-

[iLoveMyExploder]

ive spent the last hour searching for threads to explain a cause for this issue- found a few similar, but none just like it.....

2002 PT cruiser limited..... everything factory, no mods that I know of. it has about 89,000 miles on it now

ok so the car will not start, and will not turn over. there is not clicking sounds or anything indicating it is attempting to start.

well, lately the battery has been having issues, probably due to cold weather. but we don't really get lengthy or heavy freezes here in texas. usually I just jump it off with the other car and it is good to go- alternator charges the battery back up and no problems restarting later on. it usually takes several days before the battery shows signs of trouble again.... this battery is no more than 2 years old- according to the sticker on it. I think it is the everstart brand from walmart, but im not entirely sure.

but THIS time....

I thought maybe it just needed a jump again. that didn't work. so I thought maybe it was the corrosion on the battery posts and terminals (it was pretty bad, bright bluish-green, and spongy- came off real easy). so I took them off and cleaned them with a wire brush. also thought maybe the battery was too low on water. so I took off the caps to top off all the cells. all of them were full to the top except one- but it wasn't low enough to make a difference.

so then tried jumping it off again- this time with a different vehicle that has a high-output alternator. still nothing. (it usually fires right up within a minute or two on the jumper cables).... even while on the cables, it wouldn't even turn over.

I did end up setting off the alarm before trying to jump it off- but I wasn't at the door- I was at the rear of the car, and it took me a little longer than usual to get to the front door to unlock it and get the key in the ignition to turn off the alarm. (it does not have an aftermarket alarm with a FOB, just whatever the factory put on it- makes the horn honk like an impatient teenager in a traffic jam.)

other things: all the lights work, interior and exterior. dash lights work. radio works...

when turning the key to the ON position, I can hear the fuel pump run for a second. sometimes the digital odometer changed from numbers to the word "done" for just a second, then changed back to numbers. ALSO! the check engine light flashes for a while- then stays on solid. I don't know if it is supposed to do this or not. the red light that blinks indicating the alarm is active DOES turn off when the key is in the ON position.... as far as I noticed, the theft light does not blink or stay on solid.

...something else strange- I don't know about, I never really noticed if this is normal or not for this car.... but when turning the key- it seems it will not go any further than the ON position... like every other car you turn the key all the way forward to start it- then it springs back to the ON position..... it seems like this does not happen.

so what is the problem here? I know if the battery does not have enough charge- it wont start the car, but should at least turn the engine over. but this does not explain how the key ignition cylinder is acting. I am pretty sure it has a chipped key- and we have only one key for the car, as we bought it used and it came with only one key.

did I somehow engage the antitheft system- preventing the key from turning all the way forward? ? could it have blown a fuse or relay somewhere?

I don't have a way to check it for codes unless the car can start and go to autozone....

anyone know how to resolve this?

ps: I have no done any work to the car except for replacing the radiator cap. I have not disconnected any wires or fiddled with anything of the sort except to clean the battery posts and terminals- and when I did this- it couldn't have stayed disconnected no more than 45 minutes or so.

sorry for being long winded, but I wanted to mention everything I could think of, since little details matter.

thanks in advance for replies and helpful information!

[GtPt05]

Couple things that might help people more experience with these particular cars than me...

What happens to dash lights, etc. when you turn the key forward to start?

You cleaned the terminals, how is the cable where it connects to the terminal? Mine was frayed, but looked like it should still be good enough, and it wasn't. How about the cluster of ground wires on the inner fender near the battery? Any corrosion there?

I also had an ignition switch fall apart in mine right after I bought the car... Does it seem like any other movements or functions of the switch are affected?

[ptcruisersteve]

I would suggest getting a voltmeter and check the voltage on the wire going from the ignition switch to the starter. If you are not getting any voltage from the ignition switch when you are trying to start the engine you need to check your starter relay and ignition switch. Also check the continuity in the wires. Post back what you find out.

[sanatanadharma]

Check EVERY fuse.

[ptcruisersteve]

Originally Posted by sanatanadharma

Check EVERY fuse.

I would start with fuse #1 in the PDC.
2001 Starting System 2.4L.jpg

[iLoveMyExploder]

wow- I wasn't expecting replies so fast.....thanks for the replies!

to answer everyones questions....

when turning the key- the dash lights stay on, like they are supposed to. the only unusual thing was the no start condition- and how the key didn't seem to go all the way forward to actually start the car. I think it went all the way forward when I first tried to start it, before I proceeded to jump it off

the wires on the battery terminals are good, as far as I can tell. they are not frayed, at least not near the battery. ...as for the ground wire- I really don't know. I did all that cleaning in the dark with a flashlight between my teeth. everything is jam packed so tight under the hood its hard to see anything easily.

I haven't checked any fuses yet, but I will when the weather clears up. we have been getting a lot of storms lately. as a matter of fact- it was drizzling when I cleaned the corrosion off the terminals and battery posts. there was a lot of it on the positive terminal, and just a little (hardly any at all) on the negative. all this corrosion was not on the actual wires, but only on the terminals that connect to the battery

[iLoveMyExploder]

Originally Posted by ptcruisersteve

I would suggest getting a voltmeter and check the voltage on the wire going from the ignition switch to the starter. If you are not getting any voltage from the ignition switch when you are trying to start the engine you need to check your starter relay and ignition switch. Also check the continuity in the wires. Post back what you find out.

I recently bought a mulit meter... it is still in the package and im not even sure where it is..... to be honest- I don't really know how to use it. I bought it to test the electricals on fuel injectors on my father in laws truck when I was working on it doing other tests..... but I was given specific instruction on how to use the multi meter and where to put the probes- for that application. I didn't use mine because a loaner tool set came with one- so I just used that one... when it comes to what youre talking about- I am lost....

I believe this multimeter measures volts....

also--- I am not a mechanic. I don't know much about cars- I am learning, though.

[iLoveMyExploder]

also- thanks for the diagram. that should come in handy. where is the power distribution center? under the hood or under the dashboard?

[iLoveMyExploder]

Originally Posted by GtPt05

Couple things that might help people more experience with these particular cars than me...

What happens to dash lights, etc. when you turn the key forward to start?

You cleaned the terminals, how is the cable where it connects to the terminal? Mine was frayed, but looked like it should still be good enough, and it wasn't. How about the cluster of ground wires on the inner fender near the battery? Any corrosion there?

I also had an ignition switch fall apart in mine right after I bought the car... Does it seem like any other movements or functions of the switch are affected?

I THINK when the key is turned all the way forward- the dash lights go off until the car starts, then they come back on.... but im not entirely sure. but it seems like the key will not go all the way forward, and so the lights stay on?

im really not used to this car- it's the wife's.... my truck is 23+ years old, and that's what I am used to

[ptcruisersteve]

Originally Posted by iLoveMyExploder

also- thanks for the diagram. that should come in handy. where is the power distribution center? under the hood or under the dashboard?

PwrDistCntr.jpg