I went out to the garage this morning, on what may be the last warm day of an Indian summer in Maine, put the key in, turned it...nothing. The lights work. I can hear the fuel pump working. But not a thing out of the engine. It does not turn over, let alone catch. Silence other than the soft hum of the fuel pump.

Any quick thoughts or suggestions?

bridge the starter terminals with a screwdriver and give it another try, shield your eyes. That's all I got for ideas.
Ferg

If you have an assistant, try taping the starter (actually the Solenoid above the starter) WHILE the key is in the "start" position. Something like a broom or shovel handle should work.

If the solenoid is stuck, this may be enough to make it move. It worked for me just a few days ago on a truck I hadn't started in over a year.

Joe

Make sure the tranny is in Neutral when jumping the starter or tapping the solenoid.

We don't need no stinkin' accidents.

I'm not mechanical, but the same thing happened to me on my road trip home and had to have the voltage regulator replaced.

Looking at the info under everyone's name, does this mean that there are at least three of us in Maine? Wow, this is great.

I split my time between NY and Vermont.

You may want to get a trickle charger, or some sort of battery charger if your going to let your car sit for a northeast winter.

Make sure the battery is topped up with water....


BTW did you get the car started?

Well, this falls under the gremlins category. I pushed it a few feet. Turned the key and it started right up. I'm sure someone who knows a lot more about cars can explain it to me but...I don't know.

It may be the ignition switch is going. Normally, the switch has 2 positions, the first position which supplies power to the fuel pump, lights, radio, etc, and the second position which sends power to the starter. You normally turn the switch past the first position to the start position until the engine starts and then you let go of the key. The spring in the switch pushes it back to the first position and the car runs. Ignition switch problems are flakey. Sometines they work, sometimes they don't.

Do you have a big wad of keys? German ignition switches don't like lots of keys. If it happens again, try jiggling the key.

My other guess would be the starter may need a solenoid booster relay.

Hope that helps,

Oh, yeah, must be getting cold up there this time of the year. I lived in Aroostock county for 2 years of high school (Loring AFB) . Didn't like shoveling snow over the top of my head! For some reason we got a lot more snow than you southerners.

Ken

what if it goes:

aararrrr, ararrrr really slowly?
starter or battery?

Battery, or connections at the battery or starter.

But you knew that already, Seanery.

-Rusty

yeah, i already ordered a new Optima 34R.