Alright, background. It's an 89 iroc with a 350 tpi. I tried to start my camaro about a week ago, and it wouldn't start waited untill later that night when it had cooled down some, and it started, but had trouble doing so. I took it for a drive and it stalled when pulling up my driveway. Started back up and I parked it. Two days later I tried starting it and no luck. I've kept trying over the past few days and managed to kill the battery and get a fast clicking sound.

Last night the fast clicking only came after trying to start it for a few seconds, and I'd have to wait like 5 min for it to stop clicking then try again. After awhile it would not stop clicking, and now it does nothing but click. Last night I did have it hooked up to another car's battery with jumper cables, and this morning it was low on power, but at the end of the night it wouldn't stop making the fast clicking even when it had power.

I'm guessing the clicking is some problem with the security features that come with the car. The not starting/stalling thing I have no clue at all. Any advice or suggestions? I'd really rather not get it towed and have to pay a mechanic if there are things I can try.

 

If the fast clicking is comming from the starter area, either the battery is too weak or the starter is faulty. If your alt. is charging have the battery checked out. If it's ok have the starter checked to see if it is drawing too much current on startup.

Use a paper clip at the ALDL to pull the trouble codes for a possible clue on why it's stalling. If no codes clean the IAC under the TB and clean the TB bore & blades. Also check the spark plug condition and gap.

 

cool, helpfull info...90% of which i dont get though, ill start looking up the things that u said...after readin a bit, seems quite a few ppl have these kinda problems with this car. Thanks a ton, any further, or more simpler explanations of what u said would help a ton. But even without that, very helpfull.

 

I guess you mean about pulling the codes, sooo:
-the ALDL is a connector located under the dash to the right of the steering wheel; it has two rows of pins (actually sockets)
-insert the bent ends of a paper clip into pins A&B (upper right) of the ALDL
-turn the ingition On and count the SES flashes
-first you will count three "12"s
-then each trouble code will be flashed three times
-finally three more "12"s will be flashed, indicating that all trouble codes have been indicated
-record each trouble code, turn Off the ignition and remove the paper clip

 

Go over all the connections between the battery and the starter. Make sure they are clean, tight, and complete. A rapidly clicking starter is usually associated with a faulty connection along that line somewhere.

 

=/ actually, im completly new to working on cars, and got very little....i know how spark plugs...and gapping them works, and then that is it.

Luckily, I do have a friend who knows a little more than me from working on his S-10..but still doesn't have too much of an idea what it could be.

I've never heard anything about checking codes, and that sounds really interesting. I assumed a device of some sort was needed to read things out of the ecu, but this sounds like I'll be able to do it myself.

Tomorrow I will take a look under the dash and check it out, hopefully with my friend there too look also. When you say count the flashes, is it just a little lcd light flashing kinda thing?

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I'll look over all the connections first...I hope that's all it is, sounds easy/cheap to fix..by check them do you mean just look at them? or use something to see if there getting electricity? I wouldn't really know what is right or wrong unless its really obvious

 

In the cluster, there is a "Service Engine Soon" light. If you have not seen this light come on, no need to go about checking any codes. If it does come on, find the ALDL as described. If you stick your head where your feet go down there, you will see it. Can't miss it. Looks like a computer comm port type thing. Paper clip it as described. To count the flashing SES, do as such: It will blink the codes, much like a morse code type thing, for example, it (that service engine soon light) will go blink <pause> blink blink , that indicates code 12. It will flash that 3 times. This is normal operation, no worries. Anything AFTER this (that DOESNT blink code 12) should be noted as this is an error code. but again, if you didn't get the SES light to go on, don't check codes (unless the bulb is burnt, in which case, who knows what's going on).

As for the connections. make sure everything is snug and clean. Especially the BIG bolt on the starter solenoid, which is a small thing, about the size of an 8oz soda can, that is attached to the large thing, about the size of a small Folgers coffee can (starter motor). At what would be the 12 o'clock position, there is a larger terminal. Large bolt, etc. This is the particular bolt to inspect. To do this, it would probably be easiest to drive up on ramps or jack the car up, grab a flashlift and go under the car and check it from the bottom (passenger side).

 

service engine light is on, but has been...im missing a maf sensor...or least mine isn't working right now..car still ran fine without it, but didn't go quite as fast, i cant tell if the engine light is from that or not though since it has always been there.

I'll check the connections...and the codes too even if not needed because that sounds like it could be usefull...Jack and stands it is since the car doesnt start to go on a ramp.

thank you very much for the explanations by the way..should help me find what I'm looking for huge.



=) I want to go check now...but then I'll get in trouble for waking the house up when i decide to mess with things...always ends up making noise. If I can get this to work it will kick ***...dont have the money to keep bringin this car to the mechanic for each lil thing. (what Ive always done untill recently)




it seems so wierd that it would work one day, and then not the next, also, it was trying to start at first..now it wont even do that...i dunno, that just worries me

 

had the same problem about a month ago!!!! your battery is too weak! charge it or change it and youllbe good to go!

 

You don't need "codes" for this problem.

You have either a bad connection at the batt cable to batt terminal, or a dead battery.

You need to take off your batt cables, clean them and the batt terminals themselves with a wire brush and some baking soda & hot water, put it all back together, and probably charge up the battery. If it starts right up after that, then life is good; if not, then you need a battery.

 

WOOHOO i think its what you said, my friend and me had put a different battery terminal metal thing in to get my amp wire to hook to it, we put the stock one back in and it wasn't threading right....

Also, just contacted a mechanic I used to replace the battery lil while back, mine is under warrenty and thats what he thinks it is..I'm gonna get it tested soon. He had me try and start the car with the headlights on, it didn't make them dim or shut off at all, but the fact that it didnt start with a jump makes him think it could be connection...we'll know soon enough...if it is the terminal, think they will still replace battery? or is there an ez fix for it?

 

try rb's advice, clean the connections. Its either the connections or the battery.

 

connections look clean actually.....but he said that it was putting out too little electricity to test it, 9 something instead of 12-12.4 or something along those lones. He is charging it now and then I'll know if its the bat or not. If so he has a new charged one right there.

 

worked...then stalled...runs fine most of the time, then when I brake it drops down to like 750-500 rpms, i think 1 grand is normal...any suggestions on a possible fix?

Also, not completly sure y battery was drained, i had an amp hooked too it that may have done it, or else alt not charging it im guessing. I only drove it for a few miles and the volts didn't drop any, then I disconnected it to let it rest for the night.

 

well it could be that your alt isnt charging good enough, your best bet is to take it off, bring it down to autozone or advanced auto, have them test it for free, i was having the same problem, and it turned out to be my alternator, give it a shot at least
also about your low idle, that could come from disconnecting your battery, something to do with resetting your ECM, give it a few days it will correct itself, untill then double foot it when coming to a stop heh

 

=) thank u, heh yea ive been "double footing" it....had to do same thing with my corolla for a lil bit...but its a manual, so it was a lil more interesting...press brake and gas at same time with one foot..or else shift into neutral so i dont have to worry about the clutch

don't know why I didn't think about going down to checkers or autozone with the alt...was hoping not to have to take it off, but probably should get it tested so that I can leave the battery connected while its off and let the ecu try and get itself goin again

 

yeah i try not to disconnect my battery unless i absolutly have to, or have it hooked up to a backup source, alternator is rather easy to take out, 5 min tops, worth givin it a try, if it is bad theres your problem, if not then thats one thing to take off the list heh

 

it is not the battery, alternator or starter according to the ppl at checkers....so I'm guessing the bad maf sensor is all...I'll get a new one when I get my next paycheck...just tryin not to put too much in2 the camaro, my $400 car runs better and I've only replaced about $30 worth of junk in it....the camaro I've put thousands into and still has more problems

 

Um 750 to 500 is a normal RPM idle for these cars, mine is always been 500 in my trans am with the auto and 500 in my firebird with a stick the stalling is from the MAF sounds like you have two problems the battery issue and the MAF.