Hello all,
Well once more I have an issue with my 1990. I have been working on my school assignments for the past three weeks and not been able to drive my car. I went out to start is last week and the battery was dead. I jumped started it after a while of charging and it started!! Hurray right!! Not, I tried to start it the next day same thing. I finally took the battery to the auto shop I purchased it and found it was under warranty. Hurrah right!! Not, I put a new battery in my car and it would not turn over. I tried jumping it again, and no success. When I would turn the key it acted like the security would come on but no horn honk. There was this loud clicking from under the passenger side dash and it continued. After a few minutes the clicking would stop and the inside lights would come on and then I would try to start it. No luck. When I turned the key on the clicking stopped but the light would go out and as soon as I let off the key the clicking would start again. I even tried to jump start it again and the clicking just got louder and faster. I also noticed that when the clicking was going on nothing would work. No lights, not electric windows, no horn, nothing as if the battery was dead. But, the clicking continued. I checked the battery and it was fully charged. What is it? Please help diagnose this problem.
Thanks
A very frustrated C-4 owner and lover.
dlong64916@aol.com

 

Check your ground wire/connections coming from the battery neg terminal to the frame/engine block, for loose connections or corrosion.

 

And check(clean/tight) the Positive at battery and starter.

 

While was working on my car recently, I had the battery cables off, and noticed that the positive cable had some acid buildup on the flat surface the goes against the battery. I have been having a problem w/ the battery going down when the car was not driven. Since cleaning the cable, no problems.


Randy

 

Could be starter gear locked up in the flywheel. Is it manual, then you could try and put in a high gear (4 or 5) and rock the car forward and back with ign. off.
That way you might be able to free up the starter gear from the flywheel.
Automatic is a little harder, I don´t know if there is an opening in the bell housing under the car.
That way you could pry with a screwdriver against the teeth on the flywheel (lever in neutral).

But again, not sure if this is your problem.

I helped a driver of a semi truck once with this very problem, the truck was parked on a slope, and just by switching to a high gear and leave the parking brake off he could "rock" the engine just enough to free up the starter gear.

 

I'm going with the dirty connections theory. I'm having trouble getting good contacts with my battery terminals - have had similar symptoms.

 

Hey Randy,
Your were exactly correct. I could not see it without taking the positve cable loose and then I could see the build up on the flat surface on the cable side. I had to use a flat screwdriver to scrape it off. The motor started right off after that. No problems since.
Thanks for the suggestion. I worked great!
Windhorse