j0natell0

Ok so last night my battery was dead and tried to turn the key heard a click but wouldnt turn over. Jumped it and everything was fine so i figured it was my battery. I went to advanced auto today and got it tested and the results came out

voltage: 12.57v
Measured:935 CCA
RAted:410CCA
Temperature:72F

my battery is more than what it should be so it should crank everytime. Now in the morning i put the battery back in and same thing, the first time i try to crank it it clicks, then i try again and its completly dead. I jump the car and its fine. Turn it off and try to crank it again and same thing happens first time it clicks, then i try again and its completely dead. Does my battery have a bad cell? Or is it Alternator/Starter issues.

OK!! and now i just got a brand new battery and it does the same thing!! wont even crank!! I checked all the grounds and made sure there was no corrosion on the terminals.



help asap plzzz

gen_x_dad

If you tried two known good batteries and both times you had the same issue, I would look to the starting circuit and starter. Does the click come from the engine bay or under the dash?

If your battery terminal connections are all okay, next I'd check your terminals on the starter and ensure they have good connections. If the main power wire is good, remove the small starter signal wire (it has a female spade terminal on it) and check it for corrosion. If all appears okay, re-attach it securely and try starting again. If this doesn't work, have someone try to crank it over for you while you tap on the starter body and solenoid with the end of a wooden hammer handle. If it starts, then suspect a faulty starter and re-try the steps to confirm this.

Sometimes the main relay assembly can have intermittent failures and prevent the vehicle from starting. Normally however if the main relay is faulty you won't hear any click since it isn't sending power to the starter assembly. But in any case, an easy and free way to eliminate it as a possibility is to remove it and place it in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes. Then re-install it and try to start the car. If the car repeatedly starts fine afterwards, suspect the possibility of a bad main relay assembly and troubleshoot from there to confirm.

If you try all of the above and still have the same issue, you will need to electrically troubleshoot the starting and ignition circuit of the vehicle.

j0natell0

the click comes from the engine bay. i try to crank it the first time and it clicks, then i try to crank it again, and no power whatsoever its dead.

and what do you mean i will need to electrically troubleshoot the starting and ignition circuit of the vehicle?

gen_x_dad

Hmmm well if it's clicking in the engine bay then that obviously indicates either the starter or the starter circuit somewhere. It's too bad you don't have access to a known good starter to try in it's place so you can eliminate that off the hop.

Sorry, my grammar sucks tonight (it's late and I can't sleep ). I meant to say electrical troubleshooting, as in check your wiring connections to see if you have power and ground at connections, voltage drop tests and continuity where applicable, etc.

When I was just starting my 2nd year apprenticeship at the dealer, I worked on a Chrysler 300M one time and it had a bad power wire to the starter. I originally suspected the starter to be bad because it clicked just like yours did. Replaced it (not easy at the time LOL) and still had the same issue. Checked for power at the main wire in...normal. Checked for power from the starter signal wire...good. Checked for power at the main wire when trying to crank the car over...test light would go out when cranked and then come back on when the key was released. A couple times it stayed out then came back on when I wiggled the main power feed wire. I was new so I didn't think to do a voltage drop or resistance check on the wire.

Not saying a bad wire is for sure your problem, but once you check the easy and free things, it's probably time to get out a test light and meter and dive in for some electrical troubleshooting.

Let me know how you make out .

Former User

Sounds like a bad starter motor. Run wires directly from the battery to test whether the engine now cranks (***with transmission in park or neutral). If it doesn't crank and the battery is good, then replace the starter.

The main relay does not supply or control power to the starter.

gen_x_dad

D'OH!!!

Sorry Ron. It was late and my brain obviously wasn't working to well LOL.

Former User

Don't worry about it. I just didn't want the OP to spend time troubleshooting the main relay. Otherwise, I think your advice has been good and well explained.

gen_x_dad

Thank you and I appreciate the compliment. LOL it seems others aren't so receptive to me elsewhere on the forum but hey, you can't please everyone .

I'm still wet behind the years (licensed in March of this year) and I fast tracked in the Honda program (3 yrs apprenticing in total) so I tend to get excited and ahead of myself sometimes LOL .




P.S. I must admit though the freezer trick for checking the main relay was pretty damn cool when it was shown to me