Tech / General EngineIs your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
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my car will not start....it clicks a few times, then starts
I have been having a problem with my 91 rs for almost a year now. When I try to start the car, it will click. Then i try again and it clicks. It will start (usually) after trying this a few times. About 6 months ago i tried a new starter and it did the same thing so i took it back and put my old one on. Just yesterday i got fed up with the clicking so i went and bought another one. It still does the same thing. I am lost on this one, as everyone i have talked to says that clicking sound is the starter. It isn't the starter because i doubt that i have bought two bad ones and i doubt that if i did buy bad ones that they would do the same thing as the one i already had. Anyone know how to fix this problem?
I am thinking it might be you solinoid, but that would have been fixed when you got your new starter.
Is heat affecting this at all? Like does it only do it when it hot or cold?
I would agree the first thing to do is check your power and ground leads.
Then I would take it to Autozone or somewhere else that has a tester for batteries and alternators and have them do a current draw test. This will tell you whether your starter is pulling the proper amperage or not. I think it is suposed to be something like 110amps, but I am not sure. If its drawing to little you have a problem in you wires, if it srawing to much either the starter is bad, or something is preventing it from cranking over and you starter wont't turn it.
Good luck, sounds like one of those funny problems you can't put a finger on to me that takes forever to find.
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89 Trans Am Turbo 3.8L All stock 43,000 miles #1053 of 1555
Past Thirdgen:
86 Trans Am w/ built 355TPI with SLP goodies and too much other stuff to List. One sweet *** car, wish I would have had a good enough Job to pay insurance on three cars so I could keep it, but for a 89 Turbo Trans Am w/ Low miles, I think I made the right choice!
Mine did this on me for months. After replacing starter and alternator, Guess what ?!!battery!! The Interstate brand battery I had looked new to me so I never questioned it. Have your battery load tested for sure.
Exactly, sometimes the battery will read 12 volts, however, it can supply only enough current to click the solenoid in the starter. However. your's eventually starts? What brand of batter is that? Sounds like one that doesn't like dieing!
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Corry Lazarowitz
clazarow@voicenet.com
clazarowitz@hotmail.com
1987 Pontiac Trans AM (GTA?) 350 TPI
SLP 1 3/4" headers, 3" cat back (stock cat MSD ignition.
MSD Blaster SS coil.
3.73 Rear end gears
Accell 8.8 Wires
Bosh +4 Spark Plugs (Don't know if they really help but hell!)
Holley AFPR
Newly Self gutted cat!
More soon when funds are avail...
If your key has a security chip in it, try cleaning the terminals inside the ignition with carb cleaner and some Q-tips. My 92 did the same thing and cleaning the contacts fixed it.
It's NO COLD CRANKING AMPS!! The battery may hold 12v just fine but without the cranking amps there's not enough power to turn the engine over!! My '80 firebird had that problem where it would click when I turned the key and I would try a few times and then it would start...that's what it ended up being!! A full year doin' that huh??! Man, I would been Nucking Futs by now!!
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by speedlvr: If you have a new battery and alternator, where would be the next place you would look that may inhibit enough cranking amps?</font>
Hmmm bad battery cables or terminals come to mind.
Battery connections, starter power connection, engine ground cable, and the end terminals of the battery cables themselves. The side terminal design can hide a lot of corrosion in the sealed areas of the connectors.
You should also make sure the starter is ecurely bolted to the block. (Don't laugh - it happened to me.)
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Later,
Vader
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"What a Day..." Adobe Acrobat Reader
could it be the battery if it does eventually start? It always starts, just takes a little while. I have a new alternator. I guess i will have it checked.
i tried something to see if maybe it was the battery. I hooked the battery up to the charger (at a slow charge) then I tried starting the car. It still does the same thing. Works sometimes and doesn't work sometimes.
1987 GTA 350 6spd, White OEM instruments, 17" Borbet Type A's, 275/40ZR17's, 255/45ZR17's, Koni Sport Adjustables, Eichbach Sport Springs, Poly U, everywhere, Guldstrand Engineering Panhard rod, LCA's
GM had a service bulletin on this type of problem. What they found was that there was insufficient voltage at the starter from the power wire from the ignition switch. (the purple wire at the starter motor....) It has to be at least 9 volts for the solenoid to work correctly. If not, check the circuit, and see if there are any problems. (the alarm could certainly be the culprit here....)
MSD ignition. 
