Starting trouble
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 16,025
Likes: 1,656
From: Toronto, Canada
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
I'm on a new battery three years ago but my car has been doing this for eight years.
Racer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 361
Likes: 54
From: Woodland Park, Co
Was enjoying my 07 base I got this summer. It's my daily driver and it's been rock solid dependable until I stopped for an appointment about 2weeks ago. Got the dreaded grunt then nothing and then it started. The next time it was the 'click', then all lights shut off until I hit the off button when it clicked again and everything came back on. After doing this on off thing a half dozen times it started right up. Alternator gauge shows around 14.5 volts when driving. I parked it about a week ago and took the truck until I could figure out where to start looking. The battery was new when I bought the car. First thing I did was clean the battery post and clamps, a little corroded. Added contact grease and tightened. Then I checked for scorching and the connections on the starter solenoid for corrosion and loosness. All good.
What I came up with is to push and hold the starter button until it starts. Did that all day today running appointments for my business. Lots of start, shut off and start. No trouble at all. I think something may have been going wrong when I gave the button a quick push which is what I usually did. Maybe a signal wasn't able to get where it needed to go because of that. We'll see what happens next time out. Got this feeling I'm dreaming but...
What I came up with is to push and hold the starter button until it starts. Did that all day today running appointments for my business. Lots of start, shut off and start. No trouble at all. I think something may have been going wrong when I gave the button a quick push which is what I usually did. Maybe a signal wasn't able to get where it needed to go because of that. We'll see what happens next time out. Got this feeling I'm dreaming but...
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
From: Arlington TX
Think I'll have it tested again by someone else and see if I get the same results.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 512
Likes: 25
From: Ashland KY
Interstate is a great product, but if the dealer told you it was new, this summer, I would check and see where the dealer got it, (more than likely they sell them) and see about getting another with the warranty on the Exide. You may not have to pay anything, since a lot of battery warranties are free replacement for the first year. Even on a pro rata basis, you wouldn't pay much.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
From: Arlington TX
Interstate is a great product, but if the dealer told you it was new, this summer, I would check and see where the dealer got it, (more than likely they sell them) and see about getting another with the warranty on the Exide. You may not have to pay anything, since a lot of battery warranties are free replacement for the first year. Even on a pro rata basis, you wouldn't pay much.
Took it out this morning. Quick 10 min trip there, stayed about an hour, drove home, no problem. Was going to play a little golf and only clicks. New battery tomorrow.
Racer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 361
Likes: 54
From: Woodland Park, Co
Make sure you disconect the battery
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
From: Arlington TX
Mostly just making a list for myself. Jump in if I'm missing something. After I put it together and if I still have problems the grounds will all have to be checked.
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 21,631
Likes: 1,144
From: Below the bottom of Berby Hollow, NYS
Put new connectors on the battery cables. Lotsa clicks, no start. Time to crawl under and check the starter connections. Pull the starter if the connections are clean and tight, do a resistance check on the cables, check for burns on the wires and solenoid, test the starter with jumper cables to see if anything happens, change the cables and take the starter for a test and a rebuild shop.
Mostly just making a list for myself. Jump in if I'm missing something. After I put it together and if I still have problems the grounds will all have to be checked.
Mostly just making a list for myself. Jump in if I'm missing something. After I put it together and if I still have problems the grounds will all have to be checked.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 25,015
Likes: 2,709
From: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
St. Jude Donor '13
The Positive factory battery clamp on our 2009 stripped the little tightener nut or stud, dealer would have replaced it under warranty but they would need to replace the entire cable 'cause they can't get the nut or clamp as a separate part (ebay often has 'em if you can wait a bit). Since I was leaving on another road trip the next day (retirement is tough), I had a shop remove the old clamps and install new generic clamps. They used Loctite on the clamp-cable screws so they wouldn't come loose.
Everything was fine for about 3 years, then one day after an oil change at the dealer, car wouldn't start. Then it would, then it wouldn't, etc. Battery tested good (3 yrs old). During the trouble shooting, the tech touched the positive clamp and found it was hot, so high resistance and/or intermittent contact. They had enough time to order and replace the entire Positive clamp/cable assembly under my GMPP, has been perfect since then.
Never did figure out why the connection problem occurred with the Loctited screws and good looking connection.
Everything was fine for about 3 years, then one day after an oil change at the dealer, car wouldn't start. Then it would, then it wouldn't, etc. Battery tested good (3 yrs old). During the trouble shooting, the tech touched the positive clamp and found it was hot, so high resistance and/or intermittent contact. They had enough time to order and replace the entire Positive clamp/cable assembly under my GMPP, has been perfect since then.
Never did figure out why the connection problem occurred with the Loctited screws and good looking connection.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
From: Arlington TX
Thanks to all who gave their tme and knowledge to help me out.