99 C5 Starter one click help needed
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From: Lock Haven PA
99 C5 Starter one click help needed
I have a 1999 Coupe 6 speed. Had the car out Friday with no issues. Went to get in it Saturday morning and turn the key over and just get one click from the solenoid. I had my battery tested and no problems there. I was going to crawl under it today to check for loose connections on the starter or solenoid...BUT I noticed something last night. I bump started the car to get it over to my shop to work on it and when I was driving it last night, I noticed the tach needle was stuck on 5,000rpm. Never did that before. Not sure if they is something related or not but any suggestions or help would be appreciated before I start removing the exhaust up by the motor to get to the starter. Thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
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From: Belleville Mich.
First off, Welcome to the forum,
Secondly, you really need to fill out your profile.
Are you living in a cold climate? I would suggest having your battery retested at a different shop. How old is your battery? ( Should have a date on it) Do you keep your car on a trickle charge? If not, you need to with these C/5 cars. They eat up batteries. Especially if not kept on a trickle charge. If your battery is 5 yrs or older and hasn't been on a t/charge, I suggest gettin a new one. Then go from there .
Good luck.
Secondly, you really need to fill out your profile.
Are you living in a cold climate? I would suggest having your battery retested at a different shop. How old is your battery? ( Should have a date on it) Do you keep your car on a trickle charge? If not, you need to with these C/5 cars. They eat up batteries. Especially if not kept on a trickle charge. If your battery is 5 yrs or older and hasn't been on a t/charge, I suggest gettin a new one. Then go from there .
Good luck.
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Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Lock Haven PA
I do live in a cold climate area. I'm from PA. Last week or so its been getting down into the upper 20's lower 30's over night. I took the battery to Advanced Auto to have it tested. I guess it wouldn't surprise me if the battery test lied. I work on boats and have seen batteries do some crazy things. It showed 12.48 volts on the test but in my car the digital gauge says 11.7-11.9. Its a red top battery but I'm not sure how old it is. I just recently bought the car and the dates aren't punched on the sticker. Ill give that a try and see what happens.
Any ideas on the tach being stuck at 5k?
Any ideas on the tach being stuck at 5k?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,393
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From: Belleville Mich.
When the battery goes low or are spent they make the elotronics of these cars do the stragest things.
Whether or not it has to do with your tach, I have no idea. If this coinsides with your no start, I would say it probably does.
You didn't state if you have had it on a trickle or how often it goes with out being driven or how long have you had the car. Lets say you have had it durring the summer with no problems with starting or elotronics going crazy, I'd say for the cost of a new battery, Id put one in. As you allready know that batteries loose there cranking power/charge in colder weather.
I bought my car new, a (03 Z) in Dec of 02. My original GM battery was replaced by the dealer 33 months later after the car would not start for the 3rd time. After that I did some research as you are smartly doing . I too,was not aware that these cars chew batteries up. I installed a trickle charger to the side of my new battery and it has performed flawlesly, since 2004. They replaced it with a 75/7year AC Delco Professional 735 CCA I believe at the time the model # was 19064413 I will be purchasing a new one this coming spring, even though this one has not gave me any problems. But it is due!
Good luck. PS. I concur with 8VETTE ( He really knows his S---, with these cars!)
Whether or not it has to do with your tach, I have no idea. If this coinsides with your no start, I would say it probably does.
You didn't state if you have had it on a trickle or how often it goes with out being driven or how long have you had the car. Lets say you have had it durring the summer with no problems with starting or elotronics going crazy, I'd say for the cost of a new battery, Id put one in. As you allready know that batteries loose there cranking power/charge in colder weather.
I bought my car new, a (03 Z) in Dec of 02. My original GM battery was replaced by the dealer 33 months later after the car would not start for the 3rd time. After that I did some research as you are smartly doing . I too,was not aware that these cars chew batteries up. I installed a trickle charger to the side of my new battery and it has performed flawlesly, since 2004. They replaced it with a 75/7year AC Delco Professional 735 CCA I believe at the time the model # was 19064413 I will be purchasing a new one this coming spring, even though this one has not gave me any problems. But it is due!
Good luck. PS. I concur with 8VETTE ( He really knows his S---, with these cars!)
Last edited by bumble-z; Nov 16, 2010 at 12:24 PM.
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From: Lock Haven PA
Good deal. Thanks guys. I've been reading some stuff and a lot of people are saying to go with the AC Delco one you said about.
I just bought the car 4 weeks ago. I've been driving it about every 3 days or so and I haven't trickle charged it in between. Sounds like a good possibility the battery might have taken a dump on me.
I just bought the car 4 weeks ago. I've been driving it about every 3 days or so and I haven't trickle charged it in between. Sounds like a good possibility the battery might have taken a dump on me.
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From: Lock Haven PA
Problem solved....
I went and picked up a new battery, cleaned the terminals and still no go. Same exact result. So I got the car blocked up, crawled underneath, and located a loose connection on the solenoid. It was on the main stud with the battery cable. The nut that is jammed against the solenoid was loose and so was the 2nd nut on the stud. Took the nut off and cleaned the wire terminals, tightened up the first nut, put the wires back on and tightened up 2nd nut and problem solved. It starts as smoothe as can be now.
Tach is still stuck at 5k rpms. Ill post a new ad on that hopefully someone can chime in on that issue. Thanks for the pointers.
I went and picked up a new battery, cleaned the terminals and still no go. Same exact result. So I got the car blocked up, crawled underneath, and located a loose connection on the solenoid. It was on the main stud with the battery cable. The nut that is jammed against the solenoid was loose and so was the 2nd nut on the stud. Took the nut off and cleaned the wire terminals, tightened up the first nut, put the wires back on and tightened up 2nd nut and problem solved. It starts as smoothe as can be now.
Tach is still stuck at 5k rpms. Ill post a new ad on that hopefully someone can chime in on that issue. Thanks for the pointers.
