Thread: Engine won't spin and I'm out of ideas

Hello! I've been dealing with a no spin and a parasitic power draw on a 2002 Grand Prix 3800 v3 and I've run out of ideas. I'm thinking I have a short somewhere, but I haven't been able to track it down. I hear a click that sounds like it comes from the fuse box, but nothing from the starter.

It initially started with the engine having a random delay in trying to start. Sometimes it would fire right away, other times it would be a 2-3 count before anything would happen. That 2-3 count turned in to a 10-15 count which then progressed to no spin at all. As far as the parasitic draw, I've put a new battery in the car and it was dead in about 6 hours. I'm assuming the issues are related, but I have no proof of that.

Things I've done so far:

Tested the battery - Advanced auto was getting inconsistent readings. The first time, their tester read over 1400 CCA, the second time was a more normal 740. Their tester also kept having trouble maintaining a connection with the positive. They thought maybe the battery had a bad cell. The battery was still under warranty so Costco swapped it out, didn't make a difference.
Replaced battery cables (the old positive was mangled)
Alternator - all good
Fuses - pulled and inspected plus checked with a multimeter
Starter - tested good

So that leads me to believe I have a short somewhere. Unfortunately electronics aren't something I've dealt with much so I'm at a bit of a loss. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Put your hand on the alternator after the car has sat for a few hours. Is it hot? Could be shorted diodes and or voltage regulator. If you have an infrared thermometer, scan the underhood fuse box and wires for hot spots indicating a power draw. Do a parasitic power draw test using a volt meter across all the fuses in the car and underhood. There are charts available online that list the amperage draw on a circuit based on the fuse rating and the voltage drop across it.

Originally Posted by BillBoost37

Go under and using a screw driver touch the battery lead and solenoid lead at the same time. The starter will spin the motor over as long as you are getting enough power. I've got this odd feeling you have a battery/drain issue.

6 hours to a dead battery is a huge draw, not parasitic btw. that's fast to kill the battery

Just gave this a shot and - maybe I did it incorrectly as it caused sparks to fly - it DID cause the starter to engage. It was sparking so badly that I didn't do it for more than a second or two though.

I hooked up the multimeter and did a draw test but found NO draw. I performed the test by checking amps with one lead attached to the negative terminal of the battery and the other to the negative battery cable. It read 0.00 so I'm a little perplexed.