Buick LaCrosse Starting problem

Sambo

My buick was sitting for over 1 mo. tried to start & the battery seemed low,but not dead,...the lights & windows worked. when jumped it still showed good electrical power, it still wouldn't start after numerous tries, and repositioning of cables.
HELP< HELP,.....any suggestions?
Thanks to any and all!

Mr_Shiftright

So is the motor cranking over at normal speeds---a good spin?

Sambo

no turning over....

Mr_Shiftright

OK, so it won't crank.

Do you have dashboard lights when you turn the key to "ON"?

Are you sure there is no security/anti-theft symbol appearing on the dash?

Sambo

The db lights seem normal, alaso outside lights. When I first try to start, it turned over slowly, then nothing. The battery doesn't seem especially low, as in no where dead. Thanks for your reponses1

Sambo

Plus, no security symbol appears.

Sambo

Hi Mr SR...we tried it this am, with another good battery in the other car, & let it run for about 5 min.at 1500 rpm. We were getting power coming over, and I did get the starters solenoid clicking several times, but still not quite turning the engine over.....Thanks again for the interest.

imidazol97

I see two possibilities: bad battery or bad starter. Of course the cables could be the problem if the connections are corroded. Have someone watch the headlights with the switch ON while the key is turned to crank. If the headlights dim then the starter is getting some of the power and dropping the voltage. That means the starter is getting current and is trying to turn. No dimming, then the starter is not getting power--maybe the solenoid is not making connection.

IF it were my car at 5 years of age on the battery, I'd replace the battery with a new one of quality that's fully charged from the store. I think if charging it with jumper cables even if they're small diameter cables and still not getting a crank means the battery is draining the current due to a flaw in it.

You could try taking the old battery out of the circuit by disconnecting the ground cable at the battery and using heavy jumper cables with the good battery in the car that you used to see if that will crank the engine. Or just take the battery out of the good car and substitute it into the laCrosse temporarily IF the positive and negative connections are on the right ends to fit.

Sambo

Thanks a bunch,......yes, it was the battery & so dead as it turned out, that jumping "through the bttery, wouldn't work......Thanks again for your insight!

imidazol97

Sambo said:

Thanks a bunch,......yes, it was the battery & so dead as it turned out, that jumping "through the bttery, wouldn't work......Thanks again for your insight!

Thanks for reporting back what you did find. That will help someone else who reads these posts with a similar problem.

I was suspicious when you didn't get a crank after charging through jumper cables, even if they are small diameter, for many minutes. I've read of several batteries in that era where the battery failed.

My own troubleshooting would include using a voltmeter to see what was happening to the system under several conditions. That likely would have shown voltage below 12.6 on the battery with engine off.

Five years is pretty good life on a battery these days.