Won't crank

[ltmoeller]

I have a 1989 conbrio been in storage two years.I'm in south Alabama so it is full of antifreeze and the motor is free.I have a fair battery with a commercial charger connected to it on hi amp start position.When I turn the key on dash gauge reads 12 volts but when turn key to start position it drops to under 10 volts and I get nothing.I wonder if the starter could be the issue.I'm mechanical inclined so I need some troubleshooting help.
Thanks in advance,
Tom

[michael hunter]

Does the starter relay engage?

[CJD]

I would check by loosening and cleaning the cable connections from the battery posts to the engine...including the connections on the solenoid. Then jump the solenoid with an old screw driver to see if that gets it turning. If jumping the solenoid works...the solenoid is bad. If it doesn't, then it's time to look at the starter. After 2 years in storage, it very well may just be some corrosion on the contacts in the solenoid or brushes in the starter.

[Jetlink]

Does the transmission "think" it is in neutral? What about a kill switch for the ignition?

[ltmoeller]

Does the transmission "think" it is in neutral? What about a kill switch for the ignition?

I replace the battery,changing out relay today and will go from their.The starter is original so I'll let you know hoe air make out.I also wondered about neutral switch.No kill switch on my 89.

[ltmoeller]

It is now cranking with selonoid change but very slow.Now the challenge to change the starter.

[jtryon]

It is now cranking with selonoid change but very slow.Now the challenge to change the starter.

if it's cranking slow it's more likely the battery than the starter.

[Salty87]

Get rid of the old battery cables while you're doing all of this. They're a weak link.

[chris young]

The key symptom here is the voltage drop to 10V and little or no crank. I'd say get a known good battery, (the one in your car or truck for example) and jumper cables and go direct to ground on the block, and the starter side of the solenoid. If you don't get good crank there, go strait to +ve terminal on the starter, if you still don't get good crank, the starter is bad. If you do, you can just work backwards through the system. (ie keep moving the +ve jumper cable further back through the system. I did a whole pile of troubleshooting last spring when I de winterized and had virtually the exact same symptom, and it turned out to be the battery all along. I was confident the battery was ok and used it for the troubleshooting, and that was what tripped me up.

Good luck.