when i try to turn on the car, starter clicks and does nothing. After about 5-10 tries, it works. and on some days it seems like nothing is wrong. what could it be?

 

you need to either replace the starter contects in the starter solenoid or replace the whole starter

 

try banging your started while someone cranks it. If it starts without any problems you have to replace it.

 

I had someone bang on mine and it started fine, I had just replaced it last night, and I still had my old one, so I took it to napa and they tested it, and it was fine, so why would I have to hit it sometimes for it to start, if the sterter is fine?

 

I'm having the same problem...when I insert the key. Lights radio and everything work. When I try to start it it gives me a click noise. Sometimes it wouldn't even give me a noise. Tranny grounds? starter problem? I have no idea.


Modified by Kyo Kusanagi at 9:23 AM 2/18/2004

 

when diagnosing a no crank condition, hearing a click tells you a lot. if it clicks you know that the starter has some power and a signal. you know that the starter control circuit is good. things that could cause the starter to click but not crank- battery, high resistance, starter motor or frozen motor. check that battery and the voltage at the B terminal on the starter cranking. check the voltage drop over the starter cranking. if 9.6 or more volts drop over the starter motor cranking and it does not turn over, replace the motor. if the battery is good and you cant get 9.6 volts to the starter B terminal carnking you have an excessive voltage drop somewhere, probably on one of youre cables. check voltage drops through the whole circuit, and change any high resistance wires or cables.

 

My symptoms occur after the car has been driven for a while. I either have to have someone crank the car while I bang on the starter or try turning the car over and pressing in and releasing the clutch, to get it to crank.

 

clean the battery terminals with iron brush might be dirty.

 

my battery voltage is fine, I'm getting up to 14.6 volts while driving and system blasting, anf 11.4 to 11.6 when it's trying to crank, I have a dry cell battery with 940 cca's, my posts are fine, I have to screws bolts on to make it secure.

 

If I had to guess off the top of my head, I'd say the Starter Solenoid is the problem.. As far as I know, most Starter Solenoids have a Pull In and Hold In winding.. As soon as the Pull In winding pulls the Pintle up, it loses power and the Hold In winding is suppose to hold the Pintle up which connects the two connections together via the Disc that's connected to the Pintle..

And if I remember correctly, the Hold In winding's ground is the Starter itself. So if the Starter is not properly grounded or if there's an open within the Starter itself, the Hold In winding could lose its ground. Thus your clicking noise.. (can't believe I still remember this b/s)

But that's just what I think..

 

I'm not hearing a clicking noise with mine, I've even changed out my starter and it had the same problem. I even took my start to napa for them to test it and it was fine. Mine just turns over but does not crank.