Hello all,

just bought a black on black, 1989 Pontiac Trans AM GTA with a 350TPI in it on may 2 of this year, and since I came back home with it, it doesn't want to start anymore...

The guy I bought it from said it did that every once in a while and that when waiting a little and trying to start it again, it will eventually start...

Well, I've been trying to start it for 2 days now... All the light goes on in the dash when turning the key, I can hear the fuel pump and then when I go, it only do a "click" sound.

The battery and starter are like not even 2 years old and been used for like under 1200 miles... The previous owner gave me various invoices and it does seem valid.

I'm no mechanic, what should I do or have someone do on my car?

My birthday is on may 6, if I could get it started by then that would be awesome lol.

Thanks all!

 

Could very well be a bad starter. I would also check the battery, alternator, and starter connections, cars this old could use a good cleaning.

 

I would say its a dead spot in the starter, see if you can tap it with something, I have used a broom handle before. just give it a few good bumps then try it out

 

You should have a voltmeter in the car, right? I'd check to see if that's anywhere below 11 V. If it's above 11, you might be ok, but below that and you probably need a new battery or to set that one up with a decent charge. I'd check the starter wires to make sure everything is hooked up tight. If the engine isn't turning over at all, it's either the starter or the battery. So I'd start there. Also, that's an awesome score; hope you get it running!

 

From the engine bay or inside the car ?

 

Or a fault with the starter circuit like the starter relay or NSS

 

The click seem to be in the engine bay, that's what my neighbor said when looking in the bay when I tried to start the car.

 

If your battery is fully charged, pull the starter and have it checked.

 

Run a wire from the S terminal ( purple wire ) on the solenoid and touch it on the Batt Pos + ; see what if it does ?
If it cranks, the starter is not your problem

 

My car did the exact same thing, click but no turn. Put a summit high torque starter and its been great ever since. Seems the likely problem.

 

Hey people, thanks for all the help. Finally had a mechanic look at it... At first, he tought the starter/battery was all good too. Then he said he had some "looses" in the wiring somewhere and fixed it and it still did the same thing. He ended up putting a new started in it and it does seem to work perfectly now.

Next my car need new manifolds' gaskets, he said it takes about 4 hours of labor + the manifolds themselves need to be "planned". Is it about right? Will cost me more or less $500 he said.

 

I don't think they run gaskets stock, just the manifold to the head. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. It has been several years since I pulled mine and replaced them with headers.

Check the timing on the car. This can make it hard for the starter to turn over the engine for startup if it is off. Stock timing is 6 and mine seems to be happy with 8.

 

Well the previous owner gave me the gaskets in question so I guess that was there originally.