Well my 2000 left me stranded. Took it for a ride and went into a place for awhile. Went to leave and the starter just clicked. Had it towed home. Took battery out and had it tested with load charge and tested good. Even though the battery is nine years old!!! Figured it must be the starter. Put the battery back in and it clicked a couple times and started right up. Don't think i can trust it but do you think i should replace the starter anyway. Open to suggestions. Thank you.

 

It was likely a bad connection between the battery and cable. I have had this happen to me twice in the past. Cleaned the battery post area with a pocketknife and problem was solved. I wouldn't worry about the starter.

 

If you did headers I would put my money on the starter. Solenoid gets cooked while you are driving, starts fine at home, go somewhere, it heat soaks, park for an hour, go to leave... Nothing. Then you need to do an offset mini starter.

Otherwise I would start with that ancient battery, might just be lacking Amps... or the grounds.

 

I had a 75 Firebird that would often do the same thing. After much troubleshooting, heat-soaked starter. Battery connections are also a good place to start.

 

Dont forget the ignition switch. May need to clean the terminals.

 

If your battery is 9 years old I’d replace it regardless of whether it passed a “load test”…which load tester are you using ??…I’d also check the battery connections at the starter solenoid and your engine block ground.

 

Hint..... The GM C5 Corvette will continue to have this affliction.. I found it best to replace the, always charging, messed up, flat, cheep *** battery.. no more than 3 years use after purchase new.. no later!.. or you're soon gonna be C5 startless when you least expecte it..... Betcha a little bitty battery drain is purposefully there for some obscure GM reason! The nine year battery is impossible with this car.

 

Yeah my 72 Big Block Monte with headers had that heat problem. an asbestos wrapped tin shield fixed her.
I agree, check connections before firing the cannon, but I think you got your money out of the battery.

 

Did you mess with the battery recently?
I had a similar situation recently after I did some work on the car changing lights, and removed the battery.
After replacing, the car would not start, like it wasn't getting fuel. Tried several times, got the "pull key wait 10 sec".
I tried the next day and it started. I keep the battery on a trickle charger, and it would start at home, then when returning, I would get a "click click"" sound with dash lights on, but would not
try to turn over. I would wait a few seconds, sometimes removing the key, and then it would start. This happened several times, and I was afraid it would get worse and strand me, figured it was the battery that is 3.5 yrs old, getting weak once it got hot, but then why would it start a few seconds later...
Also, it never did this before working on the lights. I do have headers, and replaced my starter already with a heat shield, and not many miles since then. When the starter was going bad, it was different, it would sporadically not start, but it would not make any sound, and no lights, not even attempt to crank, and progressively became more frequent.
So I drove the car a couple times recently, parked it, and it started right up. I'm hoping it was just a glitch due to working on the lights and removing the battery.
These cars seem very temperamental with the electrics.

 

Moving this to C5 Tech. A nine year old battery is living on borrowed time IMO - I would replace it.