1990 c4 clicking
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 24
Likes: 1
From: niagara falls new york
1990 c4 clicking
hello- i have a 1990 c4 and this morning it would not start. actually this is the first issue i've had with the car. battery is down to 7 volts but there is a constant 'clicking noise' in dash on passenger side. sounds like a relay clicking at a fast rate. have not taken cover off yet to inspect. i did disconnect battery before it would drain completely. anyone know what i might possibly find ? thanks, frank
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2019
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From: Mid-Atlantic
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If it sits a lot and doesn't get driven much, the battery will degrade over time. That in itself will cause relays to click.
But..you could have bad door switches, too. That's probably the relay that's clicking.
As an aside, a lot of the replacement door switches are junk right out of the package (as of late,) no matter where you get them from. These garbage ones are probably all coming off the same Chinese assembly line.
Same thing has been going on with my own '90 lately, but since I'm in the middle of doing other things on the car, I haven't cared too much about it. I disconnected the battery anyway and have a trickle charger on it, even though it won't hold a charge any more. It has ay three year old battery and the car hasn't been driven but maybe once in the last couple of months. I probably need a new battery.
You're gonna have to put a good battery on there and start tracking down any parasitic draw.
Seems to me that batteries used to last a lot onger than they do these days. Of course, if a car doesn't get driven much, it's inevitable that it's gonna die off quickly. These cars are basically just toys anyway.
But..you could have bad door switches, too. That's probably the relay that's clicking.
As an aside, a lot of the replacement door switches are junk right out of the package (as of late,) no matter where you get them from. These garbage ones are probably all coming off the same Chinese assembly line.
Same thing has been going on with my own '90 lately, but since I'm in the middle of doing other things on the car, I haven't cared too much about it. I disconnected the battery anyway and have a trickle charger on it, even though it won't hold a charge any more. It has ay three year old battery and the car hasn't been driven but maybe once in the last couple of months. I probably need a new battery.
You're gonna have to put a good battery on there and start tracking down any parasitic draw.
Seems to me that batteries used to last a lot onger than they do these days. Of course, if a car doesn't get driven much, it's inevitable that it's gonna die off quickly. These cars are basically just toys anyway.
Last edited by Natty C; Sep 20, 2023 at 04:10 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,192
Likes: 381
From: Lunenburg MA
It's probably the starter enable relay that's clicking. 7V isn't going to make anything happy. Either your battery is done, the alternator isn't charging, or it sits too long. If the later, consider a float charger.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 24
Likes: 1
From: niagara falls new york
C4 clicking
put a trickle charger on battery last nite seems to be holding a charge - hopefully it will fire up tomorrow morning..
i'm hoping my wife either didn't shut the door all the way or left the parking lights on !
btw the alternator is putting out 14.3 volts.
i'm hoping my wife either didn't shut the door all the way or left the parking lights on !
btw the alternator is putting out 14.3 volts.
Last edited by 1990frankp; Sep 21, 2023 at 08:12 PM. Reason: forgot something
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 6,338
Likes: 1,148
From: Vermilion OH
It sounds like the battery was simply discharged. You could, as other suggested, have a draw, or the battery could be weak. It may be worth having the battery tested if it's an older battery. If it tests good and goes down again, start looking for a parasitic draw. At idle, the alternator output of 14.3V is perfect. I wouldn't suspect an issue there.
