Hey everyone. I have a problem with my car that I'm hoping to get some ideas from yinz on what could be the culprit.

I have a problem with my starter. When I go try and start my car at times I will get a single loud click. I believe this is the solenoid engaging so that means that all the electronics as far as Starter relay, NSS, VATS, etc is all working like it's supposed to. I put in a brand new starter/solenoid and it did the very same thing on the second start. Starter wasn't even hot and engine had been off for about 2 hours. I'm leaning towards battery and/or cable going from battery to the starter.

I should also mention that basically what it does is this. It will at different times take 0 - 10X of trying to start it and only hearing a single click for it to actually start. It's done this after I've had it sitting over night as well. So again, I don't think it's a heat problem.

If my hot wire going from battery to starter is bad, would that cause my intermittent problems?

I would think if it was the battery, it wouldn't do the X times to start up and start up fine. I wouldn't think that is.

Any ides?

Thanks
Israel

 

try using a screwdriver on the starter to start your car. I bet it starts. Touch the big bolt which the red battery cable attaches to , to the bolt with the small purple wire on the solenoid. That should start you car. I have had that same problem for years with mine and even replaced my starter and still did the same thing. A single click ,and it would take like 10 times of getting one single click to actually and finally start!LOL I ended up just going to the auto parts store and buying a 12v push button switch and using that to start the car.

 

There are so many things it could be. Could be a wiring issue, neutral safety switch, starter enable relay, etc. I think a pushbutton switch is the best solution IMO.

 

sounds like a loose connection and or a weak battery

 

I had the same problem on my firebird vert, ended up being a bad fusible link. After that was replaced the car started every time.

 

I had same issues for 3 years - finally found out it was the connector to the NSS - it didn't always connect well, and thus I could always read 12 volts on the purple wire, but not enough amps were getting through to run the starter (just enough to click the solenoid). A 10 cent ziptie solved all my 3 years of frustrations!

So - it could be the NSS, the connector for the NSS, the actual connection itself (like mine), or could be the starter enable relay, or the ignition switch itself.

I'd start with the starter enable relay (easiest to get to and cheapest to replace), then look at the NSS connector and NSS (next easiest/cheapest), then the ignition switch (not expensive, but a real PITA to get to).

Here's a troubleshoot guide: http://www.austinthirdgen.org/index.php?pid=38

 

Thanks for the replies everyone.

My starter relay and NSS are less than a year old. Of corse I realize that means nothing though. You know one thing that seems to help it start when it's acting up is turning my a/c off. Now that could just be happenstance and doesn't really make a difference, but I have noticed more times than not that it starts right up after that.