i recently replaced the battery with a new one about a week later the new one died. I got it charged in hopes it would restart the car, nothing. The car doesnt turn over at all when i start the car i can hear the battery click thats it. i have had both my starter and alternator checked and they are fine what do i do now (battery cables, distrubuter, igniton switch im lost)

 

check all connections,ground,body and starter that's what it usualy is.

 

Are you hearing the “battery” click or the solenoid on the starter? If it it’s the solenoid clicking then I would say you are not carrying enough current to turn the starter. Could be your battery or bad connection + or – or bad cables. That would be the first places I would look.

You may have a drain on you battery somewhere too

 

OK, lets get some terms straight first:
Batteries do not click, the starter solenoid will tho.
If the solenoid clicks it means some of the start system is working. You already have a fully charged battery so that is eliminated.
Did you do anything major to the car recently?
So, make sure the cable connections from the + side of the battery to the starter is good, the - side to the frame is good and the frame to th starter is good.
next you need a test light. Make one from a brake light bulb and a couple wires. Connect 1 side to frame ground and the other to the big lug on the starter, the light should light bright. Hit the key, the light might dim a bit but the starter should "Turn Over" the moter regardless of if it startes or not.
If the light dims a lot, you have a cable problem ( asuming your new battery is good)
if it stays bright and the starter clicks, the starter has a problem.
If the light stays bright and the starter clicks, check some more.
There is a big ground cable from the passenger side engine mount to the starter bracket, it gets burned and dies sometimes, look it over close.
The S terminal on the starter is purple, connect one test light wore to it and the other to ground, hit the key.
With the key in START, the light dhould be bright.
If not, look at the small black wire with a big ring terminal on it there by the starter. it should NOT be on the starter + terminal. It should be on the bell housing bolt.

See where that gets you and repost

 

You don't have a profile filled out so what year is this car? Like sixfooter said, some wiring could be bad. Some years are prone to having the starter wire harness damaged by heat.

 

the car is an 80

 

go thru my list, same same for all yrs

 

Sixfooter I totally agree with your check list, it is a very good write up. In addition, I would give the starter harness a good inspection on this '80. GM made this a seperate harness and it is not uncommon for them to be burned. Your test light should find this.

 

This is a crude drawing, but should give an overview of how this works. You should have 4-terminals on the Starter Relay. When the key is turned to start, you will have +12V on terminal 1 (my label, not necessarily on relay) energizing the solenoid and closing the contacts. The closed contacts will connect +12V from battery to Starter (terminals 3 to 4).

A couple of quick tests if you do not have a meter or test light. A jumper wire from the + terminal of the battery to terminal 1 of the relay should energize solenoid and engage starter. If this works, the problem is from Ignition Switch to Starter Relay. If this does not work, place a jumper wire from a good ground (- terminal of battery) to terminal 2 of relay and try to start with the key. If this works, you have lost the ground on the Solenoid of the Starter Relay.

If you hear clicking when you do the above, and the starter does not engage, then you could have bad contacts in the relay or the battery voltage is too low to engage starter. You could test this with a jumper cable. Place one end of the Jumper cable on terminal 3 and the other end on terminal 4. If the starter engages, then the battery is good, and the ground from starter to frame is good. Replace the starter relay.

If you have a meter, check voltage at relay terminals 1 and 3. You should have voltage at 1 when the key is turned to start and voltage at 3 at all times. Do a continuity check from starter relay terminal 2 to ground and 4 to starter, and starter - terminal to ground. Hope this helps.

 

i found the problem its the wire that runs from the small starter terminal it wont hold its charge and wont let the engine roll over. I started the car by holding a wrench between the big terminal and the small one so i now the battery cables are fine. Were does that wire run to and how do i fix it. Do i need a new harness or is it an easy fix

 

Do you have 12vdc on the small post when you turn the key to the start position? I am not sure I understand what you are saying. “small starter terminal it wont hold its charge” If you have 12 vdc at the small lug when you turn the key to the start position you probably don’t have a wiring problem. It may be a bad solenoid because when you jump between the two lugs basically you are jumping the solenoid. To answer the question where does the wire go on my '69 it goes to the neutral safety switch. It’s not too bad to figure out how to fix it.

This is all from memory but should be correct

 

what i mean to say is the electricity from the battery is not be transfered down to the small terminal on the starter i tried to test it with a light and the light did not light up. However could it be that the neutural saftey switch went out and locked the car from starting if so how do i fix it.

 

Jumper the two purple wires at the Neutral safety that should eliminate the switch. If the car starts it’s in your switch if not it’s somewhere else.