Everything Dead

[rollinstone]

Tried to start...initially for a split second got all the usual pre-start dash/panel lights, but instantly everything went dead. No turn over at all. Sat for a few seconds and could hear a very slow ticking coming from somewhere in the dash, but eventually even that stopped.

Tested battery: 12.1 volts...currently putting a charge on it while I'm writing this if maybe that's the problem.

That said...I just finished replacing the idler pulley...bearings seem to be shot on the old one. Of course to do this one needs to release the serpentine. Do you suppose that releasing the serpentine with my tensioner pulley tool could have upset the timing in any way? I didn't mess with the crankshaft at all.

 

[koda2000]

Tried to start...initially for a split second got all the usual pre-start dash/panel lights, but instantly everything went dead. No turn over at all. Sat for a few seconds and could hear a very slow ticking coming from somewhere in the dash, but eventually even that stopped.

Tested battery: 12.1 volts...currently putting a charge on it while I'm writing this if maybe that's the problem.

That said...I just finished replacing the idler pulley...bearings seem to be shot on the old one. Of course to do this one needs to release the serpentine. Do you suppose that releasing the serpentine with my tensioner pulley tool could have upset the timing in any way? I didn't mess with the crankshaft at all.

Remove and clean your battery terminals. No, you can not effect timing buy doing anything with the serpentine belt or pulleys.

 

[pcam13]

Remove and clean your battery terminals. No, you can not effect timing buy doing anything with the serpentine belt or pulleys.

yep... clean up connections, check fuses, also...
check power at the starter. Power goes from batt to starter to ecm. Broken wire there = no power.

 

[rollinstone]

You know what is was? My being stupid! As I said I released the tension on the serpentine to pop the belt off at the idler pulley. When I installed the idler, I inadvertently allowed the serpentine belt to ride up onto the front lips of the alternator pulley and the power steering pump pulley. When the tensioner was released it put so much additional tension on the belt that the engine could not overcome it and start. After sitting for a couple of hours there was enough stretch that I was able to start the engine. While it was running I looked at the belt from the top and could see where it was riding on the lip in those two places. Immediately shut down, released tension and pushed the belt back on its tracks. Problem solved! Now off to buy a new serpentine because no telling how much it was damaged in this process.

Put this one in your lists of diagnostics under Operator Error!

 

[koda2000]

You know what is was? My being stupid! As I said I released the tension on the serpentine to pop the belt off at the idler pulley. When I installed the idler, I inadvertently allowed the serpentine belt to ride up onto the front lips of the alternator pulley and the power steering pump pulley. When the tensioner was released it put so much additional tension on the belt that the engine could not overcome it and start. After sitting for a couple of hours there was enough stretch that I was able to start the engine. While it was running I looked at the belt from the top and could see where it was riding on the lip in those two places. Immediately shut down, released tension and pushed the belt back on its tracks. Problem solved! Now off to buy a new serpentine because no telling how much it was damaged in this process.

Put this one in your lists of diagnostics under Operator Error!

Well, I hope you're correct, but I don't think that was your problem. Still sounds electrical to me. Dirty/loose/bad battery connections/cables can sometimes work and sometimes not. I don't see how a slightly over tensioned belt would stop the engine from turning over.

 

[96firephoenix]

That sounds exactly like how my Ranger was operating not too long ago. badly corroded side-post conversion turned out to be the culprit... It would do the little game where it completely dies, then starts back up again after a couple hours, no matter what else you did to it.

 

[swshawaii]

Well, I hope you're correct, but I don't think that was your problem. Still sounds electrical to me. Dirty/loose/bad battery connections/cables can sometimes work and sometimes not. I don't see how a slightly over tensioned belt would stop the engine from turning over.

Double ditto. A starter can bend connecting rods on a hydrolocked engine. Check connections closely.