Hey how is everybody doing I got a 88 Camaro and sometimes when I turn the key to start it sometimes it won't crank at all sometimes it will just click once and then sometimes it'll crank normal battery is good alternator is good brand new starter could it be the ignition switch sometimes not connecting to make it crank and then my battery gauge reads under 13 when it's running took the positive cable off and then it jumps up the 14 got a voltmeter on the alternator while it's running with all the accessories on 13.6 but at the battery I'm only getting 12.6 like it's only letting partial charge go to the battery would the ignition switch affect the charging of the battery if it's not working properly

 

While long-distance troubleshooting is sketchy at best, especially with intermittent electrical system problems, it sounds like you have multiple issues.

A properly-charging alternator should show you 14+ volts at the battery; fix that first, then go after the intermittent-start problem.

 

Yeah I'm going to check the wires coming off the starter today see if any of those look bad you don't happen to know if the alternator charges the battery through the starter wires or through the junction box beside the battery do you so I know where to really look first

 

i'm going to go and say your starter solenoid took a dump. had a similar issue when i used a cheap autozone solenoid just to get the car going. it actually held up well except after running the car, then shutting it down to go in a store and then trying to start it back up. the headers would turn it into a heat sink and it wouldnt work. actually kept a water bottle laying in the car at all times to spray onto it and then it would kick over. i wound up getting a new starter and wrapping it with one of those reflective kits and never had an issue again. but IMO, turning the key and having nothing there is indicative of a starter.

NOW, if you say turn on ur headlights, turn the key and they turn off, thats an issue where youre losing power to somewhere, if they stay on when turning the key, then ur starter isnt pulling any juice.

 

Thanks for trying to help it's a brand new powermaster starter I ordered another one through Summit put it on did the exact same thing so the starter is not the issue because sometimes when I turn the key to crank it it does nothing at all sometimes it'll crank like it's brand new and sometimes it'll act like it's only getting partial power to throw the Bendix out but not enough to spin it ..if I turn the headlights on it cranks and the alternator is putting out 13.65 with the AC on blower motor on headlights on water pump on and fans on but at the battery it's only showing 12.6 had the battery tested it showing 12.6 when not being on so I'm losing some sort of power between the alternator and the battery as far as charging the battery need to know which wire is the charging wire from the alternator going to the battery does it go through the starter or through the junction box

 

also if you think it could be the ignition switch, you can circumvent it by simply jumping the starter with a screwdriver or you can buy one of those remote buttons to start it. if i were working on my own car and it started multiple times in a row while circumventing the ignition switch then i'd determine it was that. hopefully you get it figured out!

 

Thanks appreciate the tip

 

so did you get it figured out? mine started clicking this weekend. I do have a push start button whenever the ignition switch won't crank it over, but even that was not working... the fusible links to the starter looks pretty bad, so I am starting there.....

 

Yeah I think I got it figured out the engine ground strap on the back of the firewall that bolts to the back of the passenger side cylinder head was a little loose so I tightened it up so far as been cranking every time about 20 times in a row so I'm pretty sure that's it plus I was getting some pretty weird numbers out of there testin whether or not I was getting 12.6 volts before I tightened it now I'm getting 12.6 all the time