No CRANK after rain......

[Stewart G Griffin]

No CRANK after rain.

Battery good. Lights good etc.


Any ideas?

[Mike81K10]

You can have lights working and still not have enough battery to start. Try jump starting it. You should hear the starter solenoid click. If nothing, probably the starter! If the battery is bad, make sure you check your alternator to ensure it is keeping the battery charged.

[VileZambonie]

If it's only when it rains, I would suspect a poor connection or high resistance in the circuit.

[bd]

I agree.  Look for loose, corroded, or burned connections, especially any that could be susceptible to moisture intrusion.  Check the cowl and windshield frame for leaks.

[JohnnyPopper]

Do you hear the solenoid engage or at least click?

[Stewart G Griffin]

Do you hear the solenoid engage or at least click?

Initially no, then yes.

i got it starting again.

i'll update ASAP.

[Stewart G Griffin]

UPDATE:

We are back to intermittent no-crank:

i thought i had fixed the problem as i put in a new battery(thinking that was the problem) and it cranked and started right up.

This lasted about a week and then the same thing---no crank.  This happened last monday.  i didn't do anything and then yesterday i was able to crank it and start it.   Also, it rained thursday night and friday morning.   Also it rained all the previous week and it cranked o problem, so i don't think rain has anything to do with it at this point.   Just a coincidence for the first two times it happened?

i don't think rain has anything to do with it.

i don't think the battery or starter is the problem.

i've enclosed the diagnostic chart from the service manual for reference:

[Mike81K10]

Run a check on your battery to see what the condition is. If your alternator is bad it may not be charging as it should. Then you might consider that there is a draw someplace from your battery while it sits. Check out the wiring to ensure there is no corrosion or bad spots. There is a chance the starter might be going bad as well, the charging system and battery should be looked at first.

[Mr Diesel]

Sounds like a worn out starter. Electrical connections worn out inside or just poorly manufactured.

[JohnnyPopper]

Run a check on your battery to see what the condition is.

Mikey he said it's a new battery...

But you may be right about there being a draw that lowers CCA.

Pretty simple that the solenoid wire is responsible to fire the starter. I would start there, make sure the ground strap is good.

And finally, have you tried to start it in N? Could be something as simple as that.

[Scott91370]

Run a check on your battery to see what the condition is.

Yes, but new does not equal good.

I'd bet on a bad starter.  Mine wouldn't make any noise some times then other it would kick the solenoid then others it would start to crank then stop.  Every time it would get hotter than he**.

[werewolfx13]

Side post battery? Still have the rubber boots? Check to make sure the terminals are coming in good contact with the side post connections on the battery. Lately I’ve seen a lot of instances on various side posts where the boots have a sealing ring that is supposed to fit inside a ring on the battery, but they’re actually hitting the outer ring. Result: cable lug only partially comes in contact with lead, even though the bolt is tight; intermittent no-start, sometimes the terminal makes enough contact, sometimes it doesnt. Easy test is to pull the boots, reconnect and see if it acts up. If it works fine, either lose the boots (exposes your battery terminals entirely, not ideal), replace the boots with new soft ones that will more easily fit the battery, or modify the boots/battery to fit your existing components.


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[Stewart G Griffin]

Side post battery? Still have the rubber boots? Check to make sure the terminals are coming in good contact with the side post connections on the battery. Lately I’ve seen a lot of instances on various side posts where the boots have a sealing ring that is supposed to fit inside a ring on the battery, but they’re actually hitting the outer ring. Result: cable lug only partially comes in contact with lead, even though the bolt is tight; intermittent no-start, sometimes the terminal makes enough contact, sometimes it doesnt. Easy test is to pull the boots, reconnect and see if it acts up. If it works fine, either lose the boots (exposes your battery terminals entirely, not ideal), replace the boots with new soft ones that will more easily fit the battery, or modify the boots/battery to fit your existing components.


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^^^^^THIS^^^^^

Sorry i haven't updated this.  It did turn out to be one of the cables.  Rain didn't have anything to do with it----just was a coincidence.

i'll provide more detail when there is time.
Sorry i haven't followed up with this.

[Scott91370]

Glad you were able to finally figure it out.  Coincedence issues like this make it tough to track down!