Electrical Problem

[ghost99x]

i have a 91 non turbo, and i recently have encountered some sort of an electrical problem. when i try to start the car, it acts like it is starving for battery power. It will slowly turnover and when i take the key out it continues to turnover. This is while the batterys are hooked up by jumper cables to my other car. As soon as i disconnect the jumper cables between the cars my battery instantly drains. Is there a burnt fuse that could be causing this, or a short somewhere in the wiring, i also am in need of clutch very soon so i dont know if this may effect it? Any help is appreciated. THanks

[Gairloch]

Wow, that's some crazy stuff right there.

You're saying that if you try to jump your car it will continue to turn over until the jumper cables are disconnected WITH THE KEY OUT?!?

If you're saying that you're able to get the car started by jumping it but as soon as you take the cables off it dies, that means your battery is D-E-D dead.

The state of your clutch has absolutely nothing to do with ignition.

[ghost99x]

sorry, ill try to make a little clearer. My mr2 is completely dead, but i have almost a brand new battery. When i hook up the mr2 to my other car with the jumper cables, the mr2 will still not start but it will turn over very slowly. , and when i take the key out it will continue to turnover still for another 4-5 seconds. Also when the cars are connected when i turn key to accesories the clock dims almost to the point that its not visible. When i let the other car charge up my mr2 for a few minutes and disconnect the jumper cables. It wont even turn on my accessories or dome light or anything at that. Hope that is easier to understand.

[Gairloch]

The fact that your battery can't run anything electrical after the support is removed indicates that it's likely dead.

When your car continues to crank for a few turms after you've turned off the ignition is called dieseling. The BGB suggests that you check your ignition timing and you may have problems with your EGR system.

Here's the links to the pertainent pages in the BGB:

For timing look on IG-17 for the 3sgte and IG-22 for the 5sfe
http://www.mr2-tech.com/bgb/mechanic...ion_system.htm

For the EGR system look on EC-8 for 3sgte and EC-24 for 5sfe-
http://www.mr2-tech.com/bgb/mechanic...rol_system.htm

[Tercel GTS]

Dieseling takes place when trying to shut off a running engine. This member's starter id fried beyond repair and the battery in his car is shot as well. Replace both and check the alternator thoroughly.

[MitchB]

There's one other possibility, and it can cause some VERY nasty side effects.

Check all of your motor-to-body ground wires for solid connections, ESPECIALLY the large ground wire that goes from the engine bay to the top of the tranny (assuming you are referring to a MKII).

Runaway starter problems have been seen when these cables are loose. What happens next is worse. Because the circuit to the starter ground is not solid to the engine, the ground path to the body becomes through the e-brake cables and the throttle cable. This results in frying all of these.

I know of one guy that had this problem and it melted his SS brake lines. The ground path was out through the axles to the wheel hubs (like in the case of the e-brake cables), but instead it took out his SS brake lines, which go righ to the body. (Remember, the engine is sitting in rubber mounts.)

This may not be your problem, you just might have a really, really dead battery, and perhaps a shot alternator started it.