Ok, I added to an existing thread about this problem, and tan told me that I should start a new thread since this is a new problem I'm having. I'm going to copy and paste what has been discussed so far. It would seem by the title that I just have a dead battery, but that's not the case. Please read and any input would be highly appreciated.

Ok, now a new problem (of course). I can't find anything on youtube about it so I'm hoping someone here will have a clue.

When doing the paperclip test I get a code "16" that I believe is the EGR Valve. Also, I can jump the cars battery and it runs fine, but when I remove the cables and try starting it on it's own it will not start. This isn't like the normal dead battery symptoms. When I insert the key and turn it to "go" all the warning lights come one and the dome light will be on. All of them are bright. Now when I turn to key to start, it has a huge loss of power. All warning lights and the dome light go dim and almost all the way off. I did leave it in that position for a short time yesterday and I heard some slow clicking and noises coming from the engine, as if it was trying to start.

If I remove the key and wait just a few minutes and then insert the key and only turn it as far as the "go" position, then once again all the lights will be bright.

So, there are two things, the loss of power and the EGR Value. Are these two connected in some way? What do you think the start problem is. I have a battery that is only 15 months old and have taken it to Advance Auto Parts and had them charge it and it held the charge.

Personally I'm thinking Starter Solenoid or Alternator?

Oh and one more thing. There seems to be a ground wire that is very loose. I haven't done anything to it and don't know how it got so loose. I've put a picture here so you can see what I'm referring to.

 

Continuation:


tanprotege tanprotege is offline
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I wondered how long it would be.......

The EGR and the starting problem are not related.

The ground wire and the starting problem could be related. Clean this ground connection and tighten it. You may look for more ground connections and do the same.
If this does not cure the starting problem then get someone to turn the key while you knock on the starter with a broom stick or some thing. If that makes it go the starter solenoid is kaput.
Also find the starter relay and exchange it.

All that cranking you have been doing was not kind to the starter.
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Thanks Tan, so here's where I'm at. I jumped the battery and drove to Advanced Auto Parts so they could do a systems test. Battery, Alternator, and Starter all passed. The guy doing the test told me it was probably a fuel pressure release valve.

What I don't get is why it starts when I jump it, but does not when I just going off my own battery. The battery is fully charged. When I drive it, lights don't fade and turn signals don't slow down. I did notice that when I turned on the fan for the AC the RPM's went way down and the engine died.
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tanprotege tanprotege is offline
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Brad:

I think you should start a new thread with this problem. It is no lnger related to the headline.
I also think you have a voltage drop somewhere. With the extra kick from a jump it goes and when you use additional electrical things there is not enough to keep it going.
Unfortunately there are so many things that I cannot pin point you to one directly.
EricTheCarGuy has a bunch of good videos on electrical issues. How to test circuits and so on. I suggest you look at some.

Also look for an explanation of the "voltage drop test". It is probably the fastest way to get to the cause of the problem. For example the voltage drop test could show you if the positive cable from the battery to the starter has increased resistance. That would be cool because it is cheaper to replace a cable than a starter. That is what I hope for: some minor thing that increases resistance somewhere. Finding that thing is the hard part.

First practical thing you can do is cleaning the heck out of all electrical connectors. Ground connectors to the body, all connectors at the starter and so on. You may be lucky and fix it just like that.

Do you see how this old car becomes an outstanding teacher? As soon as you have mastered one lesson the next chapter is opened. We try to keep your tuition bill low.
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ok, humor me here for a while. Here's my train of thought. I'm going to take your advise Tan, and tighten everything and clean connectors.

I'm looking at it like this. The battery causes the starter to perform, from that point the alternator takes over and provides electricity. It lost a great deal of power when I turned the AC on, but my idle was a bit low to start with so I increased it to 1000 RPMs.

Now what is the different between jumping the battery and using just my own battery? Pretty much from the cables on down they both use the same parts, except maybe the clamps on the battery terminals.

Here's another thing I haven't mentioned before. Some of you know I was having a problem with the distributor and that's been fixed. When I fixed the distributor problem, the car started on it's own. I drove it for a bit, shut it off and it restarted. Why is there a difference now?

I think this actually is a great puzzle and learning tool; I have looked at EricTheCarGuy videos and basic electricity, and that caused me to really think about the path from the battery on throughout the system. I have also written to Scotty Kilmore about this and I'm waiting for his reply. Something just is naughing at me that it's a basic problem and easy fix, it's just something I am overlooking.

 

See it was really good to think out the entire path, and tighten things up! I did a google search for EGR problems last night and one of the links was a post I started about 6-months ago. I had included a picture of this "L" bracket that comes out of the side bottom of the air cleaner. I had a hose connected to the side and not the top of the "L". In that post, I said I had code 16 and reconnecting the hose to the right place cleared it up. So CEL goes off and no more codes!!

Then after thinking and thinking about what I had previously wrote and what tan had told me, the only part that was not shared by my battery and the battery I was used to jump it with was the clamps on my battery terminal. I pulled those off, cleaned the terminals and clamps with soda power and water (a trick my dad showed me decades ago). I put the clamps back on, used a lot of elbow grease to tighten them down, and the damned thing started right up.

I took it for a test drive and everything was good, including the AC. The idle dropped to about 500 RPM's when I returned home but that is an easy adjustment.

I'm not touching anything on the engine for a while, next is brakes and I've done those before. So my academic knowledge has been increased 10-fold, school is out, if not forever with this car, maybe I'll get my summer vacation from it.

After I get it washed and buff out the paint job I did on it several months ago, I'll take some pics of it.

I'm starting to realize why cars are referred to as "her". It has to be a she because it constantly was nagging at me and no matter what I did it wasn't good enough!

Thanks everyone!

 

 

Too bad I didn't get back on here earlier. I had the same problem with mine with the terminal connectors oxidizing and causing the no-start condition. You'll have to elaborate on the soda and water trick, I just use a tiny brass brush. :-)

 

Baking Soad on-line turorial and Vasoline:

How to Clean Battery Terminals: 20 Steps (with Pictures)