My battery wasnt holding a charge for more than a couple hours so I took it in to Pep boys and had them test it. Sure enough, it tested as a bad battery. Its an optima red top that I bought 2 years ago so the replaced it under warranty. When I took the battery out , I also took off the all 3 ground wires so that I could clean the terminals to ensure they had a good connection. I put everything back together and went to crank the car and all I heard was a “click” from the starter. I figured that one of the grounds wasnt on right so I took them all off again, and put them all back on. Tried to crank it and got the same “click”. I have a friend who Hydrolocked his motor and the sound from the starter reminded me of the sound that his car made so I tried to see if I could push start it. I rolled it down my street which is a hill, popped the clutch and she fired up. I pulled the car back into the driveway, shut it off and the tried to start it and got the same “click”. I called the local shop and they said it was prob the starter, so I had a starter laying around and swapped it in and STILL got the same “click” when I went to start it.What should I do next? How can I test the starters at home to make sure they are both good? What else should I do? Any help is appreciated.
Did you think to check the voltage of the new battery? Pep boys may have given you a drained battery. Also, once you get the car running check the voltage to make sure it’s close to 14.4V so that you know that your alternator is also good. It’s not uncommon for both the battery and the alt to bite it at the same time.
If voltage is good at the battery, try whacking the starter with a wrench or hammer or something. Often they will develop a dead spot before they’re totally shot.
$400
edit: oops this isnt a FS thread,
try buying a new starter instead of using one ‘laying around’ also use a voltmeter and check the ‘new’ battery
I just took the starter up to autozone to have them test it and everything came out ok. Im at a loss. I dont even know where to look next. I bought new battery terminal connectors in hopes that it might be them so Ill install those momentarily. Im also going to cut the ground and power wires so that I can strip down to new wire. Anyone have any other ideas?
Is the starter trying to start at all, as in, does the voltage drop a good bit when you try to start it? That would indicate that the starter is trying to do something, and theres likely a reason elsewhere. Turn the headlights on when your starting it, if they look the same the whole time, its probably not the starter, id say its the starter solenoid. Get a new one, or it might be possible to clean it. But, if the battery is decently charged, and your putting power into the solenoid, but the starter isnt turning, its probably the solenoid.
if the battery holds a good charge and youre still getting clicks, clean the terminal connections and maybe add some grounds too.
its not a series of clicks, its just one click. I added new terminals, a new starter ground and had the starter tested. How do I test to see if the solenoid is shot? When I took the starter to autozone, the first time they tried to test it, it didnt do anything, failed. Next time, it passed, next time it failed, and then every time after that it passed. What should I be adding extra grounds to? The starter? The battery?
I just tried adding more grounds and still got nothing. Just give me some more ideas, PLEASE
Well, if you hear a click, and nothing happens, yet the starter is good… Its the solenoid, no doubt. Its probably gunked up. But, im saying this off the assumption that you have the same type of setup i have on my car, id assume every car is prety much the same, but im not sure. The solenoid is the thing the starter wire goes to before the starter. Its in between the starter and the battery, its what auctually connects the starter to the battery…
[quote=“DrImodium,post:9,topic:30175"”]
I just tried adding more grounds and still got nothing. Just give me some more ideas, PLEASE
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did you replace the whole positive battery cable? or just teh ends?
I just replaced the ends of the cables. I checked the wires and they are fine, no corrosion on the positive and there was a little on the neg but I cleaned it off. I was looking through the helms and in there they had a starter test. The say to connect a jumper wire from the solenoid terminal to the positive on the battery. I did that with the starter still installed and then uninstalled and all it did was click. I dont understand how it can test ok a couple times at autozone and then not work when I get home?
[quote=“DrImodium,post:8,topic:30175"”]
When I took the starter to autozone, the first time they tried to test it, it didnt do anything, failed. Next time, it passed, next time it failed, and then every time after that it passed. What should I be adding extra grounds to? The starter? The battery?
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[quote=“DrImodium,post:12,topic:30175"”]
I dont understand how it can test ok a couple times at autozone and then not work when I get home?
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[quote=“BikerFry,post:2,topic:30175"”]
If voltage is good at the battery, try whacking the starter with a wrench or hammer or something. Often they will develop a dead spot before they’re totally shot.
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Oh.
Time for a new starter.
I just put a new starter in and its doing the same thing. Turn the key and all you get is “click”. I just dont get it. If I push start the car, it turns over fine so I know its not the motor. What else should i check? What would prevent the starter from starting?
Is the starter that’s in the car right now the one that worked/didn’t/worked/didn’t at autozone? You said you had a starter laying around, not a new one. It sounds like you have 2 bad starters.
Just went to autozone and bought a brand new starter. Installed it and it still failed to crank, all it did was “click” once.
Hmm…
[quote=“DrImodium,post:12,topic:30175"”]
The say to connect a jumper wire from the solenoid terminal to the positive on the battery. I did that with the starter still installed and then uninstalled and all it did was click.
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You did that to the new starter from autozone right?
no the old one. Ill go try that right now
Just tried to do it to the new one which is now out of the car and didnt get anything. positive to positive, neg to neg and it didnt do anything. I put the other one back in and push started it and drove around for a couple mins and it was fine. I pulled back in to the driveway, shut it off and tried to start it and got the same “click”