The gen.1 Viper is dead, no ignition, no power to the starter

Terje Lystad

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The car has been in the garage for about 3 weeks, unused. When trying to start it up, there are no ignition at all, no click, nothing. Last time in use it was running beautifully. I have replaced the battery with a new one. The battery is not the problem. I have noticed that the ALARM SET lamp lights up slightly when I have tried to start the car with no sucess, and left the car shutting the doors. I can hear some clicking under the left leg panel. After about 6-7 clicks everything goes quiet. And the car will still not start.
I have removed the left leg panel and disconnected the plugs on the "remote entry receiver", hoping for a better connection. But still with no success.
Anybody having an idea? Do I have to replace the "remote entry receiver" with a new one ??? Very thankful for good answers.
 

DrumrBoy

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I'm not familiar with the remote entry receiver and I know you said the battery is good. Assuming the battery is good, a bad ground or insufficient connection TO the battery can also create those symptoms. Hopefully someone will know exactly how to direct you on the remote entry receiver. Do check the battery/ground connections in the meantime unless you're sure they're 100%
 
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Terje Lystad

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I have checked the battery/ground connection. Everything was ok. This was not the problem.
Even when the battery connections are good, there are no horn, no lights, no connection to the starter. It is simply DEAD. Could it be that a malfunction in the alarmsystem has disconnected the whole system? This is where I suspect the "remote entry redeiver", the box controlling the alarm. Anybody experienced something similar?
 

ACELLR8

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Do you have power to other things, like the lights and radio when the ignition is on?

Something worth checking is that you are engaging the neutral safety switch on the clutch pedal when pushing it in. I had issues starting my 95 years ago. Found out it was a common issue on the Gen I's that the bushings on the clutch pedal assembly wear out making the pedal push down at a angle not engaging the neutral safety switch. To check this just make a conscious effort to push the pedal to the right when depressing it and starting the car. Usually it gets out of whack to the left side.
 

Bugman Jeff

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If you have no power anywhere, it's not an alarm system problem. The alarm system can't cut all power to everything, brake lights, head lights, horn, etc should still work. Get a volt meter and check your battery voltage. I'd be willing to bet that you've got a power drain somewhere and that your new battery is dead.
 
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Terje Lystad

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If you have no power anywhere, it's not an alarm system problem. The alarm system can't cut all power to everything, brake lights, head lights, horn, etc should still work. Get a volt meter and check your battery voltage. I'd be willing to bet that you've got a power drain somewhere and that your new battery is dead.

I have checked every ground connection to the frame I can find in the engine-room as well as the connections to the battery, with no success. I have made sure no floor mats are in the way for the clutch-pedal, although I do not think the clutch is the cause.
The problem is that there are no power to the starter at all. No click, no sounds, no lights, no horn, no radio. The only thing making a clicking sound is the alarm-box to the right of the steering column under the dashboard, a clicking in 10 to 15 seconds, and simultaneously the ALARM-light in the control-window on the dashboard is lighting up before it goes black. (This should prove the battery is ok.) The clicking sound and the blinking light stop as soon as I open the door, or draw out the light switch. But no light. The ignition problem must have to do with the ALARM box under the dash ??? I think it is called "remote entry receiver".
Anybody know if I can pull out the connections to the remote entry receiver without damaging anything when I try starting the car with the remote entry receiver disconnected ????
 

ROCKET62

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Did you try to jump your Viper? Did you disconnect the battery and test the voltage of the battery? Does 2 things - will reset the pcm and confirm the battery is good. You would typically still have lights/horns even if there was some type of alarm issue?
 

supersnake

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Open up your battery again and about 4 inches from the battery there is a connector, Check the connector and see if it is clean, Mine had corrosion galore inside the connector not allowing power to the vehicle. Clean up, add a little die electric grease and re assemble. Check for power on both sides of connector. Hope this helps :D
 

JETSTAR

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Also the battery wire goes to the starter first if you have a loose or corroed connection on the starter it will cause your problem you may also have a fuse able link in between the starter and fuse box get a volt meter turn on the headlights and check for power at the fuse box then starter and battery
 

Bugman Jeff

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The clicking sound and the blinking light stop as soon as I open the door, or draw out the light switch. But no light.
This is probably because your battery is dead. There is a very small amount of power left in it that tries to activate the alarm/entry system. When you open the door, the dome light tries to go on and that small draw ***** enough juice out of the battery that the box stops clicking. The security/entry system can not disconnect all power to the vehicle. Check your battery voltage, with a volt meter, both at the battery, and at the starter. It should be around 12.5v. Then turn on the headlights on and test it again, the voltage shouldn't change, if it does, there is a "surface charge" on the battery providing some voltage but no storage capacity. Without verifying 100% that your battery and battery cables are good, everything from this point on is purely speculation.
 

Jeffsss

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I wish there was a way to permanently disarm the viper alarm. It seems like it causes a lot of silly problems.
 
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Terje Lystad

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This is probably because your battery is dead. There is a very small amount of power left in it that tries to activate the alarm/entry system. When you open the door, the dome light tries to go on and that small draw ***** enough juice out of the battery that the box stops clicking. The security/entry system can not disconnect all power to the vehicle. Check your battery voltage, with a volt meter, both at the battery, and at the starter. It should be around 12.5v. Then turn on the headlights on and test it again, the voltage shouldn't change, if it does, there is a "surface charge" on the battery providing some voltage but no storage capacity. Without verifying 100% that your battery and battery cables are good, everything from this point on is purely speculation.


Last night I used the voltmeter. When the cables are disconnected from the battery, the battery measures 12,59V measured on the poles. When the cables are connected, the voltmeter shows 035V measured on the cables conneced to the battery. There is a powerdrain somewhere !!

When the battery is connected and the ignition is on, there are still no lights, no horn, no taillights, no radio, only a clicking sound from the alarmbox under the dashboard. As soon as the door is opened, or I try to switch on he headlights, or try to use the horn, the clicking sound stops.

Could it be that it is a bad ground at the starter?
It will probably not work to jumpstart the Viper if the ground to the starter is bad?
Grateful for good advice !!
 
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Terje Lystad

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Last night I used the voltmeter. When the cables are disconnected from the battery, the battery measures 12,59V measured on the poles. When the cables are connected, the voltmeter shows 0,35V measured on the cables conneced to the battery. There is a powerdrain somewhere !!
 

AZTVR

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What Bugman Jeff was trying to say was that a good battery will read close to the unloaded voltage when it is loaded IF it is working correctly. Your reported readings tell us that the battery is bad. If the problem were anywhere else in the system, you would still read a pretty high voltage at the battery. (If the battery is charged and good.) The reason that the voltage goes to almost zero at the terminals when you connect the cables is that now, there is a current flowing through the battery. In a normal battery, that current could be higher than 100s of amps while cranking the starter and the voltage stays 12 something volts at the battery (unless you do that until you substantially draw down the charge). In your car, just the minor amount of current that the alarm and maybe radio draw (maybe 0,1 amp) causes the battery to "die." 99.99% that this symptom is caused by the battery. Get it checked. ( Really, what they do to check it is put a load on it and measure the voltage. A little more sophisticated than that but basically what your test already did. In the US, parts stores like Autozone will do it for free.)
 
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Terje Lystad

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This is probably because your battery is dead. There is a very small amount of power left in it that tries to activate the alarm/entry system. When you open the door, the dome light tries to go on and that small draw ***** enough juice out of the battery that the box stops clicking. The security/entry system can not disconnect all power to the vehicle. Check your battery voltage, with a volt meter, both at the battery, and at the starter. It should be around 12.5v. Then turn on the headlights on and test it again, the voltage shouldn't change, if it does, there is a "surface charge" on the battery providing some voltage but no storage capacity. Without verifying 100% that your battery and battery cables are good, everything from this point on is purely speculation.

:):):) I am very happy for your insisting comments Jeff. I had bought a brand new battery and could not think it was something wrong with it. But I was wrong! I had the brand new battery tested and the battery was bad. You were right !! By installing another battery the car started at once !! I could not believe that a brand new battery could be bad, but it was. Thank you again Jeff !!
 
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Terje Lystad

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What Bugman Jeff was trying to say was that a good battery will read close to the unloaded voltage when it is loaded IF it is working correctly. Your reported readings tell us that the battery is bad. If the problem were anywhere else in the system, you would still read a pretty high voltage at the battery. (If the battery is charged and good.) The reason that the voltage goes to almost zero at the terminals when you connect the cables is that now, there is a current flowing through the battery. In a normal battery, that current could be higher than 100s of amps while cranking the starter and the voltage stays 12 something volts at the battery (unless you do that until you substantially draw down the charge). In your car, just the minor amount of current that the alarm and maybe radio draw (maybe 0,1 amp) causes the battery to "die." 99.99% that this symptom is caused by the battery. Get it checked. ( Really, what they do to check it is put a load on it and measure the voltage. A little more sophisticated than that but basically what your test already did. In the US, parts stores like Autozone will do it for free.)

:) :) Thank you jim for repeating Jeffs answer and explain that your theory was the same as Jeff's. You were both right !! The battery was bad. I thank you both again.
 

uvbnbit

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That would've been my guess. Seems there have been some defects/issues with the red top. :dunno: A quick search on here would probably bring up some complaints. Thanks
 

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