Solstice Suddenly Dead

keirobin · 08-04-2012, 01:01 PM

Hello, all. I am new to the Solstice forums. Just got my Sol 4 weeks ago, so hopefully this is the right place to post.

This morning I went to the garage and put the top down on the car and started it up and backed out of the garage. I killed the engine and went in to get something and when I came back out and tried to start it nothing happened. No lights, no engine turnover. Nothing. It was like the car no longer had a battery.

I brought my wife's car up and attempted to jump it and was able to get a little power (enough to roll up the windows), but not to start it. The dash lights flashed and there was the clicking that you hear when the starter doesn't have enough juice to start the car.

I decided to put it on the charger and after a while when it said it was good to go so I attempted to start it, but it was the same issue. Flashing dash lights and clicking noises.

If it's just a dead battery I can accept that, but it seems like it wouldn't go fro starting the car to being completely dead within the space of a minute. Does anyone have any suggestions or has any of you come across issues like this? I would like to try some other things before taking the panel off to change the battery out. Especially if that's not the issue. Thanks all for any info you can give. Happy driving.

ADDITIONAL INFO: The thought that there might just be a loose connection somewhere crossed my mind, but when I hooked the charger up the battery did actually register as drained. Just seems odd that it would start then die.

ALSO, when the key is in the start position the dash lights will blink (I'm assuming because it lacks a strong charge) and the speedometer and tach needles will kind of bob up and down like they are floating. Not sure if this is normal Thanks again.

John_Salgado · 08-04-2012, 02:48 PM

Is it a manual? It auto

keirobin · 08-04-2012, 03:01 PM

It's a manual transmission.

donbmw · 08-04-2012, 04:44 PM

Two things come to mind when this happens to 06. Is the check engine light on. The car will not start until code is cleared or 3 or 4 cycles of turning key to start. The other which has happen to my wife. Forgetting to push the clutch pedal down to be able to start

keirobin · 08-04-2012, 05:34 PM

Thanks for your reply, Don. Yeah I made sure I had the clutch all the way down. I will google how to clear the code and give that a shot and get back to you. Appreciate the advice.

King-Oka · 08-04-2012, 06:17 PM

Sounds to me like something drained the battery. You may have reached end of life. I will be taking my fenders off next week, so have purchased a battery for my 06 now, before I start to see issues. They say a battery is good for 6 or 7 years...

GS Stage 1 · 08-04-2012, 06:27 PM

My money is on the battery or corroded battery posts. Could also be the ground wire to the engine, we have seen a few of those go bad or come loose.

chickenwire · 08-04-2012, 08:58 PM

I'm with GS on this one but you never rule anything out. My first instinct would be a bad connection, particularly a ground. You're right to think a battery wouldn't just "go bad" - though it's not impossible for it to cross that threshold. (It has to cross it at some point, right?)

BuzzardT · 08-05-2012, 01:54 AM

You did not mention the temperature. If you are in an area like I am North Texas. It has been hovering around 113deg for about a week now and that can drain a battery fast if it is on its last legs.

MomsSol · 08-05-2012, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickenwire

I'm with GS on this one but you never rule anything out. My first instinct would be a bad connection, particularly a ground. You're right to think a battery wouldn't just "go bad" - though it's not impossible for it to cross that threshold. (It has to cross it at some point, right?)

I know several people whose battery failed with no real warning, including me, the car starts fine once but then the next time nothing. If it won't hold a charge from a battery charger...it's gone.

You can always go to Advanced Auto and them test it.

John_Salgado · 08-05-2012, 11:25 AM

check the two switches that are above the clutch alll the way in side up towards the top off the pedal the top one gives me problems sometimes and will not allow the car turn on its the clutch safety switch, and i had the same symptoms as you did, where it sounded like dead battery or bad starter but what i did was i removed the switch cleaned the connections and plugged it back in
check out my thread about it

Starter gone?

Kenpachi · 08-05-2012, 12:12 PM

Quick thoughts...
1. Possible loose connection, most common is battery-neg to chassis ground. Confirm with multimeter and visual inspection.
2. Bad battery. Yes, a battery can fail just like that. The battery may have a loose internal plate that intermittently shorts (or permanently shorted when you backed out of the garage). Intermittent short is hardest to troubleshoot. You would be down ~2v if a cell is shorted. Validate with a multimeter, but obviously don't check while connected to charger.
3. General wiring issues.

Ruling out clutch switch based on your comment that you have no lights or electrical. Lights and electrical would not go out when trying to start if clutch switch was the issue.

Could be a few other issues, but these seem most likely.

keirobin · 08-05-2012, 02:47 PM

Problem solved. Long story short, it was the battery (like the majority suggested).

I woke up early this morning and cleaned the terminals with a wire brush and checked for a corroded or lose ground wire and other loose connections. The charger had been trickling all night and when I got in I still couldn't get a crank, but all the lights and everything (radio, etc) worked fine. I left the headlights on to see if they would die fast and after 2-3 minutes they had totally drained the battery.

SO, I was glad to find a video on youtube about taking the battery out and it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Took the old one in and had it tested (no surprise - it was bad), got the new one and put it in and the car started right up. The link for the video is below (hope that's allowed) or google: "solstice battery removal". The hardest part about replacing the battery is getting the panel lined up just right

I want to thank all of you for your replies. I was in panic mode yesterday, but after reading the suggestions here I felt a lot better and was able to be rational. Much appreciation to the whole Sol community!

Solstice Battery removal:

You Tube

zzzybil · 08-05-2012, 03:42 PM

appreciate your time putting this up - still have original battery in 2006 , expect this will come in handy soon

MRODSOL06 · 08-06-2012, 06:48 AM

Ok So I have read quite a lot about possible causes for this problem but I still dont think is a battery problem.

This is the whats going on:

I have bought a manual 2.4L '06 Solstice 2 months ago. The first 3 weeks was running fine, then It started doing funky stuff on the dashboard, the lock doors light came on while I was driving (I knew the doors where locked) then after that the Gas gauge went from half to Zero, then to half! and of course the Engine light came on. I parked it home and turned it off and when I wanted to turn it back on the car would not crank up. (like when you try to start the car with out pushing the clutch, it just made a click) I called the dealer to try to fix it the next day. (By the way it was raining)

Next day I get a call from the dealer saying the car was fine. The engine started over and over again, They said the spark plugs needed change and a new air filter but that was it. So after that I never knew really why it began making electrical errors in the dash board.

Month later (now and yes Raining agan) I pull out of the garage and suddenly again, the door lock signal turns on the engine light and the low gas light all turn on while I was driving to eat. I was afraid the car would start again after but It did. It cracked up and went back home I parked home and shut it off, I started it back on, No response, All the same light where on and the car would not start. Tried to see if maybe some water affected some internal parts or maybe a fuse but no luck.

I know this has to be an electrical issue with the Body control module or fuse box. I have even tried to have a mechanic bypass the clutch to see if it was the clutch sensor but it wouldn't start either.

Please I need help on this I have no IDEA whats wrong with it.