Automatic, 1991 z-28, 350, Brand New Die Hard Battery, brand new starter (this starter replaced a band new starter), battery cables are clean, no corrosion, connections at starter are clean, wires are not frayed or cracked, brand new ignition cyclinder with new keys, security system comes on when key is turned on for approx. 2 sec. then turns off, can hear relay click. Same ol' story, click, click, click, then nothing. I replaced the starter, jumped it with a screwdriver...it fired up. Right away, I tried starting it normally...click, click, click, then nothing. I turn the key and the gauges move, but nothing. Get home, next morning, fire it up and it starts. Drive it around, shut it off, and to my surprize, it starts up. Shut it off, click, click, click, then eventually, nothing. I have it jumped and it starts. Next morning, get in it, turn the key, nothing. I jump it again and it starts. Thank you for your time and I appreciate any help that I can get.

 

If it jump starts OK, I would suspect the battery. Take it back and have them "load test" it.

 

Disconnected + battery cable, used a light tester...one end on cable, the other to the terminal. The light illuminated, not too bright, but it did illuminate and it stayed on until I took it off? Could this be part of the problem or the entire problem?

 

Have you checked the negative battery cable where it connects to the motor?

Possibly a bad connection there.

 

Humm, That’s interesting!
You might have problem somewhere that’s draining down the battery when the car is parked. Try disconnecting one of the battery cables as soon as you shut off the engine. If you come back later, hook-up the battery, and the car won’t start, we are looking at a bad battery. If it starts OK, something was draining the battery. You can use your test light hooked up like before, remove fuses one at a time, if the light goes out when a fuse is pulled, something’s wrong in the circuit fed by that fuse.

 

I think 83_1/2 L69 may have it right.

I don't envy your job of tracking down a slow drain short!

Good luck!

 

It might not even be a dead battery or weak battery. Check all the connection on the positive and negative cables for any corrosion at the battery, ground on the engine, and connections at the starter. You might have a perfectly good battery/starter/solenoid but with corroded/damaged/loose connectors, the full power may not be reaching the starter. The next time it does the click click click, jack it up and do the screwdriver thing. If it starts, suspect a bad connection down at the starter. If it doesn't, check the battery voltage.

 

Thanks for the info. When I got home from work today, I hooked the cable back to the battery and what d' ya know, it fired up quick and strong. I am going to pull the fuses when I get a chance. I am suspecting either my stereo (kenwood cd player & eq, two Orion amps) or alarm system. Does this have anything to do with it? Every single time I get out of my car after driving it, it shocks me when I touch the door to close it when I get out. Thank you for your help!!!!

 

Make sure that the dome light is not on when pulling fuse or else the test light will never go out. Need to close the car door or depress the pin switch somehow.

 

Winter air, dry, makes lots of static electricity.

 

So you are saying your problem is solved? Was it the battery cable? Whats with the stereo (kenwood cd player & eq, two Orion amps) or alarm system? Do you suspect a problem there? Do you think it is static electricity that is causing the shock like Morley said? Or do you think the shock is caused by a problem the your accessories.

 

No the problem is not solved YET but we are tracking it down. Something is draining the battery.
No it never was a cable problem. READ Lyl's first post again carefully please. If the cable was bad it would NOT jump start.
We don’t know yet if the stereo is draining the battery, but something is.
What Morley said is getting shocked is NORMAL. It is caused by static electricity being generated by the fabric covering the car seat rubbing against whatever clothing Lyl is wearing during high speed maneuvering. When I get out of my car and touch the driver’s door to close it, it almost always gives me an electric KISS (unless the air is very humid).
Static electricity can very easily destroy delicate electronic components like ECM’s, air bag controllers, and ABS computers but I do not think it has any thing to do with this problem.

 

I haven't had a chance to trace the problem yet. I did connect the cable again today and it fired up right away. No clicks or anything. Before I pull any fuses, I am going to disconnect the stereo and the alarm; I have a strong feeling this is the culprit. As far as the static electricity is concerned, it was just a concern. I am going to work on it tomorrow; I'll be sure to let everyone know what I find. Thanks for your help.

 

Check to see if the amps are turning off. Most amps have a wire from the radio that turns them on when the radio turns on. Yours may be wired so the amps are always on. Just a possibility.

 

It's fixed. As I, with the help from my brother, pulled the fuses, the one marked ARC was the one causing the draw. I pulled it and the test light would go off. This had something to do with my kenwood deck because when I would leave the fuse in and pull the power fuse behind the deck, it would go off as well. I drove it around, got it nice and hot, and it still started. I waited four days before starting it again and it fired right up. I hope this will do the trick. I am sure that I will be back soon with a dreaded VATS related problem. Thank you to all that helped with my problem. Now my wife may stop trying to convince me to sell the damn thing...well, at least for a little while anyway. Take care.