My car acted like it was barely starting so I replaced the battery. The car connections were clean, and I used the dielectric grease. Not a battery terminal problem.

The next day, I went to start it and it clicked, not like a dead battery, but a tick/tick/tick about every 1/2 second. The dash display darkened ant it looked dead. Then turn switch to off, and everything comes back up.

Turned ignition on and it read 12.1 volts on the display. Read 12.6 volts at the battery with a meter. I bring up my truck with jumper cables, still no start. So its not the battery.

After some difficulty of getting my car off the ground when its not running, I looked under at the starter motor area and found you can't see much. Or at least I cant. There was one obvious ground and it looked perfect and tight. Couldn't really get a wrench on it because of the cat.

I've read here that you need to check the grounds, and connections to the starter motor but how can you do that? That's what I need help with. Do I need to remove the cat converter on the passenger side to see more? Is there anything in the upper fuse box to check? any advice is appreciated.

 

Sounds like the connections to the starter is bad.

Pull the cat, and this will allow you the needed access to check the starter positive wires and ground wire on the block, and even pull the starter is needed. The problem may just be a loose positive wire on the starter, or it may be that the starter solenoid contact disc or terminal contacts are burned/ the bakelite plastic end of the solenoid cracked, and the solenoid itself that needs to be replaced on the starter.
Note: GM does not have just part number for just the starter solenoid, but a starter shop can match it up for a replacement.

With a .5 volt drop between the battery and the dash, you have wire connection problem to start with (should be only .3 volt drop instead).

As for the low down, positive wire starts off the back of the alternator (this wire has an inline fuse it it), with that wire bolted to one post on the starter, through a bond bar in the start, other positive wire bolted on other side of the starter, then up to the battery, then smaller wire off the battery terminal to the fuse block terminal. On the negative side, larger black wire to the engine block, then small wire off off the battery terminal to the frame.

With the higher voltage difference between the battery and DIC, all these wires need to be unbolted, contact cleaned, and then the wires bolts in place with Dielectric grease used as well.

 

Thanks Dano.
I'll dig in sometime in the next few days. At least its up on ramps now and in my garage. And I sprayed penetrating oil on the two bolts that looked a little rusted between the cat conv and exhaust manifold; hopefully that will make it easier. I usually hate exhaust work but our cars are usually never driven in rain and/or winter so its amazingly clean compared to other cars driven every day. Maybe it won't $uck. But I watched two guys put my new x-pipe on last year, on a lift, and they had a bit of work to do. I wouldn't of wanted to do that on my back. (Maybe I'm just getting old?)

Thanks again
Pete

 

Ok, I've just read some threads on removing one cat. If someone has any tips, please let me know.

Vito posted to use 6-point sockets. I planned to do that. But he also said you need a good O2 socket to remove the sensors. What tool is that?

Then another guy suggested the engine mount needed to be removed to jack the engine up to free the cat.

Also, remove front right wheel?

I know most of you have just removed the entire system to eliminate cats, replace manifolds with headers, etc., But will just removing one side's Cat have any other gotchas that I should know about? The X-pipe is in there solid. If I remove the two bolts to the X-pipe, and the two to the exhaust manifold, will the cat just come down from the top, or do I have to jack the engine up, etc as was suggested? Or have to loosen the entire exhaust system to push it back?

And I couldn't see the O2 sensors, I assume they will be visable when the pipe comes down, and I use my special O2 sensor wrench on them? Can't I just leave them in and unplug some wire that goes to the sensor?

Thanks AGAIN for any advice.