Please help!! Click Click Click when starting.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
From: Victoria Australia
I think you have to go back to basics. Firstly, be calm and work through the problem methodically. Here are a few steps:
1. Confirm the battery is fully charged. use a volt meter to see if it has over 12volts.
2. Confirm the starter motor and starter solenoid is good. Take it to the shop as others have suggested.
3. If 1 and 2 checks out OK, note what happens when you start to try it. You mention clicking, usually that is relays making and releasing contact. Usually it means a wiring is loose and making contact intermittently.
You need to get a factory service manual to trace the wires and find out which is a potential open circuit.
Note: A fuse usually will either be working or not. Hope this helps.
1. Confirm the battery is fully charged. use a volt meter to see if it has over 12volts.
2. Confirm the starter motor and starter solenoid is good. Take it to the shop as others have suggested.
3. If 1 and 2 checks out OK, note what happens when you start to try it. You mention clicking, usually that is relays making and releasing contact. Usually it means a wiring is loose and making contact intermittently.
You need to get a factory service manual to trace the wires and find out which is a potential open circuit.
Note: A fuse usually will either be working or not. Hope this helps.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 246
Likes: 3
From: St. peters Missouri
The battery was fully charges yesterday and s completely dead now.. why would that happen??? it was not on overnight, Infact I kept charger on it all night but today its almost completely dead?????
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
^^WTH?
Been quite a while since I perused the Tech section.....but I am almost positive that "Sell it" isn't what the OP needs at the current moment.
bdpfs, there is something draining your battery....there are a number of things that do this on the older cars, some as easy the headlight relay not cutting power once the headlight hits the stops.
What has been successful in the past was to remove one fuse at a time to see which circuit is draining your battery....once you figure out where the pull is, you know where to start. This is a poor mans technique and it takes a few days but it works.
unhook the battery terminals and charge the battery (while still in the car).....you'll most likely have to buy some bolts the thread into the terminals so that your charger alligator clips have something the bite......maybe you can get them to fit in the hole and charge.....try it and see what happens.
Once the battery is charged fully you can do the test of pulling fuses
Been quite a while since I perused the Tech section.....but I am almost positive that "Sell it" isn't what the OP needs at the current moment.
bdpfs, there is something draining your battery....there are a number of things that do this on the older cars, some as easy the headlight relay not cutting power once the headlight hits the stops.
What has been successful in the past was to remove one fuse at a time to see which circuit is draining your battery....once you figure out where the pull is, you know where to start. This is a poor mans technique and it takes a few days but it works.
unhook the battery terminals and charge the battery (while still in the car).....you'll most likely have to buy some bolts the thread into the terminals so that your charger alligator clips have something the bite......maybe you can get them to fit in the hole and charge.....try it and see what happens.
Once the battery is charged fully you can do the test of pulling fuses
Last edited by jhammons01; Mar 3, 2012 at 02:07 PM.
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Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
He needs to follow a logical process but since he's apparently not willing to do that, I give up. Maybe you'll have better luck communicating.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
I never said an alternator wouldn't make it go dead, I said it has nothing to do with it not starting. From the very first post he told us that the battery was fully charged. If that information was correct, then the alternator is NOT suspect. Now if the information he gave us is faulty, we're all guessing now aren't we?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Riverside County Southern California
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Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 3,752
Likes: 190
From: Indiana PA
To OP: Folks here are trying to help, you need to listen and give good feedback to what they suggest you do or to the questions they ask. If you cannot do that, IDK what to tell you??
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,226
Likes: 9
From: Irvine Ca
It's obvious the OP is not fully understanding.....
I have kids, so maybe I am a bit more patient.....some of us grew up in a garage, others, have a Craftsman starter tool kit that is stored in a lower drawer in the kitchen. A trickle charger will not over come an open drain on a battery. He could "charge" it for days with a trickle charger, but if his headlight motor is draining all the juice or his Alt module is bad....it won't do any good.
But, until he comes back, there is no sense in typing out more info.....
I have kids, so maybe I am a bit more patient.....some of us grew up in a garage, others, have a Craftsman starter tool kit that is stored in a lower drawer in the kitchen. A trickle charger will not over come an open drain on a battery. He could "charge" it for days with a trickle charger, but if his headlight motor is draining all the juice or his Alt module is bad....it won't do any good.
But, until he comes back, there is no sense in typing out more info.....
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
1. If somebody is willing to listen, they don't have to know anything about the problem and we can solve it via a logical process, and they'll likely learn something in the process.
2. If somebody is not willing to follow the troubleshooting steps, they are going to prolong the problem, get upset, and won't learn anything in the process.
Generally speaking I have way more patience than all of my co-workers, but I have also learned when to cut my losses and give up. If he would come back and post a little bit of information that makes sense and would display any indication that he was willing to let us help, then I'm sure we can help. Until then it's a lost cause.
To the OP, I'm not upset with you, and I do in fact believe that you can learn and can fix the car, but you're gonna have to let us help you.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 917
Likes: 25
From: College Station Tx
I just had the same issue (dead battery, clicking sound under the dash). I assumed the clicking sound was from a relay trying to make up, but voltage from the battery was too low to keep the relay in its energized position. I put the battery on a charger and charged it completely. It's only been a few days, but so far, no more issues.