|
"But could it be the cables that connect to the battery terminals? Could it be the starter solenoid?"
Yes and yes. It could be either, but do the simple stuff first, especially since you mentioned you lost all battery power one time by this statement: "And suddenly the lights on the display went off, it was like there was no power. So I shook the battery terminals a little and the lights came up on the screen." To rule out the battery cable connections at the battery you should remove them and clean them. You can do this easily yourself. Most auto parts stores sell a simple tool to clean both the cable ends and the battery posts for a few dollars. It's like having both a round shaped external wire brush (for the cable ends) and an internal wire brush (for the battery posts). Buy this tool and remove the battery cables and clean both yourself until they are shinny clean. You just rotate the tool around the battery posts and inside the battery terminal ends. Your battery shouldn't be too bad since it is brand new, but clean it anyway just to be certain. You will need a 10MM wrench to loosen and remove the battery cables from the battery. Just remember to remove the negative cable first and replace it last; this is just a precaution in case your wrench grounds to any metal while your are removing or installing the cables.
To check for the worn starter solenoid contacts problem, the next time the car won't crank get someone to help you. That person should hold the key in the start position while you go under the hood. Locate the starter. The solenoid is the smaller cylinder shaped part on top of the starter. Get a hammer or a wrench and tap the solenoid. Give it a good tap, but son't try to break it. If the starter now cranks the engine, you have identified the worn starter solenoid contacts problem.
Mike
|
