Starting problems!

[killer medic]

Okay, after a year of sitting, I finally got my car started again and driving. I finished the breaks and was itching to get her on the road (impatience). I had prblems starting the car. I kept hearing a constant grinding sound, like the battery was too low to brank the car. Then I thought the starter was bad. However, a lose cable from the solenoid seemed to be the problem. A couple of wiggles and a tightening there seemed to do the trick. For the past two days, it started up with no problems. The engine needs some work, but overall, it has always been solid. I drove a couple of places today, just so people knew Missy ( my car) was still alive and kicking. I usually have to pump the gas once or twice, and she starts up with no problems. I stop by my mother's house for two hours, and when I get ready to leave, I pump the pedal twice and attempt to start her up. But this time, she doesn't turn over. She tries to start, but it almost seems like there's no gas. There is plenty. I don't know if I flooded the engine. But I do know that everytime I attempted to start the car, a small mist of smoke seems to come from the engine bay. My problem is that I am at a loss to determine could be the weak link. I think my starter is fine, but can a starter sound like it is attempting to turn over the motor, and still need replacing? My solenoid and/or cable my be the problem as well. How can you tell if a solenoid is not working properly? It attempts to turn over. But sometimes after trying a few times, the starter stops trying to turn over and I hear the whining grinding sound. I try to wiggle the cable connected to the starter, and that seems to work, sometimes. I thought that maybe the battery was wearing out too, because after only attempting to start three or four times, the battery lost a lot of power. The starter looks almost brand new. It was replaced by the previous owner three year ago. One of the solenoid's small cables looks to have a crack in it. So, to sum up, I just need to know...

1) How do I know if I have flooded my engine?
2) What are common signs of solenoid problems (excatly what does it do)
3) What kind of cranking amps do i need for am automatic 302, and could that be the problem?
4) What can cause the light smoke under my hood?
5) If my oil has the definite odor of gasoline in it, what can be my problems?

Thanks a lot guys. It's nice to know that my ignorance can be cured on this awesome site!:SNSign:

P.S. Please tell me that you guys have had these issues before!

 

[zookeeper]

Any trouble shooting session starts with understanding the problem and isolating the cause. You engine should spin over with the starter whether it has gas or not. If that;s the case, remove the air cleaner and work the throttle by hand while you look down the carb to see if gas is being squirted into the motor, If so you can probably cross fuel off the list and move on to electrical problems. Now, you say the car makes a grinding sound when you try to start it. This is not normal, and is probably either the starter, the battery or the solenoid. If it's the starter, then the symptoms will be slow cranking after a short while and/or noise coming the starter. Have someone else turn the key while you open the hood and listen. If the battery is weak, the solenoid will make a kind of "rattling" sound. This is because a solenoid is nothing more than an electrical switch thta connects the starter to the battery. That's why one side of the solenoid goes to the battery and the other goes to the starter itself. When it gets a small signal from the ignition switch, the solenoid closes, allowing the battery to energize the starter. If there is low voltage at the solenoid, it can't fully close the switch and you get a rapid "tapping" noise. Also, your oil should not smell of gas, if it does, you could have flooded the motor badly, but that wouldn't cause it not to start. Is the oil level higher than it should be? If so, then likely the carb flooded the cylinders with gas and it seeped past the rings into the pan. Change the oil if your dipstick shows way too much oil. If the car is flooded, the motor will spin freely with the starter, but not start. If this happens, simply hold the throttle to the floor and crank the starter, it'll usually fire up with that method. Driving carburated cars takes a little finesse not needed with modern EFI cars.

 

[killer medic]

Great advice! I am starting to get a picture of what's going on.

 

[tylerrocks]

You might also check the wire contacts. You said it seems to help when you wiggle them, check to make sure the contacts are clean and shiney.

Tyler