Not sure how to proceed.. mini starter....or battery....
05-14-2011, 02:10 PM
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Not sure how to proceed.. mini starter....or battery.... Hello All,
I have a 1998 Z28 Camaro 135,000 miles. Put in a brand new dry cell battery about 3 months ago.
When I turned the key yesterday morning I would just here the loud click of the starter but it would not crank. I verified that I could turn the engine over with a wrench so I knew the engine wasn't seized. Then I tried to jump start the battery (even though I have full power with the key in the on position) but still, just a the loud click of the starter when I hit the key, no cranking.
Then I tapped the body of the starter with a hammer 3 times, (not the solenoid, just the body because I didn't want to damage the solenoid, I should mention this is a mini starter with probably 50,000 miles on it) and tried 3 more times to start the car. Each time just the loud click of the starter.
So I decided to pull the starter, I went to disconnect the battery so I would not shock myself and found the negative cable medium to lightly loose. I snugged that down and tried to crank the car and the car started just fine. Turned it off and started it successfully again. So I figured I just didn't have a good battery connection, I proceeded to disconnect the battery connections and found some light corrosion, cleaned them and steel wool etc., tighten in all back up and tried to start.............when... CLICK... all I hear is the loud sound of the start no Crank!!! tried again same thing CLICK....squeezed even harder (which wasn't much) on the battery connection and now the car starts fine.
So, I have no idea if its my battery connection or if it's the starter... did me hitting it with the starter with a hammer make it work after several tries..... Its a mini starter because I have header clearance problems so I will have to order it
Any input? The car starts fine now in the past 10 tries but I don't want it dieing on me if it really is the starter!!
I have a 1998 Z28 Camaro 135,000 miles. Put in a brand new dry cell battery about 3 months ago.
When I turned the key yesterday morning I would just here the loud click of the starter but it would not crank. I verified that I could turn the engine over with a wrench so I knew the engine wasn't seized. Then I tried to jump start the battery (even though I have full power with the key in the on position) but still, just a the loud click of the starter when I hit the key, no cranking.
Then I tapped the body of the starter with a hammer 3 times, (not the solenoid, just the body because I didn't want to damage the solenoid, I should mention this is a mini starter with probably 50,000 miles on it) and tried 3 more times to start the car. Each time just the loud click of the starter.
So I decided to pull the starter, I went to disconnect the battery so I would not shock myself and found the negative cable medium to lightly loose. I snugged that down and tried to crank the car and the car started just fine. Turned it off and started it successfully again. So I figured I just didn't have a good battery connection, I proceeded to disconnect the battery connections and found some light corrosion, cleaned them and steel wool etc., tighten in all back up and tried to start.............when... CLICK... all I hear is the loud sound of the start no Crank!!! tried again same thing CLICK....squeezed even harder (which wasn't much) on the battery connection and now the car starts fine.
So, I have no idea if its my battery connection or if it's the starter... did me hitting it with the starter with a hammer make it work after several tries..... Its a mini starter because I have header clearance problems so I will have to order it
Any input? The car starts fine now in the past 10 tries but I don't want it dieing on me if it really is the starter!!
05-14-2011, 03:07 PM
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Hello All,
I have a 1998 Z28 Camaro 135,000 miles. Put in a brand new dry cell battery about 3 months ago.
When I turned the key yesterday morning I would just here the loud click of the starter but it would not crank. I verified that I could turn the engine over with a wrench so I knew the engine wasn't seized. Then I tried to jump start the battery (even though I have full power with the key in the on position) but still, just a the loud click of the starter when I hit the key, no cranking.
Then I tapped the body of the starter with a hammer 3 times, (not the solenoid, just the body because I didn't want to damage the solenoid, I should mention this is a mini starter with probably 50,000 miles on it) and tried 3 more times to start the car. Each time just the loud click of the starter.
So I decided to pull the starter, I went to disconnect the battery so I would not shock myself and found the negative cable medium to lightly loose. I snugged that down and tried to crank the car and the car started just fine. Turned it off and started it successfully again. So I figured I just didn't have a good battery connection, I proceeded to disconnect the battery connections and found some light corrosion, cleaned them and steel wool etc., tighten in all back up and tried to start.............when... CLICK... all I hear is the loud sound of the start no Crank!!! tried again same thing CLICK....squeezed even harder (which wasn't much) on the battery connection and now the car starts fine.
So, I have no idea if its my battery connection or if it's the starter... did me hitting it with the starter with a hammer make it work after several tries..... Its a mini starter because I have header clearance problems so I will have to order it
Any input? The car starts fine now in the past 10 tries but I don't want it dieing on me if it really is the starter!!
I have a 1998 Z28 Camaro 135,000 miles. Put in a brand new dry cell battery about 3 months ago.
When I turned the key yesterday morning I would just here the loud click of the starter but it would not crank. I verified that I could turn the engine over with a wrench so I knew the engine wasn't seized. Then I tried to jump start the battery (even though I have full power with the key in the on position) but still, just a the loud click of the starter when I hit the key, no cranking.
Then I tapped the body of the starter with a hammer 3 times, (not the solenoid, just the body because I didn't want to damage the solenoid, I should mention this is a mini starter with probably 50,000 miles on it) and tried 3 more times to start the car. Each time just the loud click of the starter.
So I decided to pull the starter, I went to disconnect the battery so I would not shock myself and found the negative cable medium to lightly loose. I snugged that down and tried to crank the car and the car started just fine. Turned it off and started it successfully again. So I figured I just didn't have a good battery connection, I proceeded to disconnect the battery connections and found some light corrosion, cleaned them and steel wool etc., tighten in all back up and tried to start.............when... CLICK... all I hear is the loud sound of the start no Crank!!! tried again same thing CLICK....squeezed even harder (which wasn't much) on the battery connection and now the car starts fine.
So, I have no idea if its my battery connection or if it's the starter... did me hitting it with the starter with a hammer make it work after several tries..... Its a mini starter because I have header clearance problems so I will have to order it
Any input? The car starts fine now in the past 10 tries but I don't want it dieing on me if it really is the starter!!
05-14-2011, 07:05 PM
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Ok guys, had the battery tested at local O'Reilly and they said it was good but since it was only couple months old they swapped it out for a new one.
I also bought new bolts for the battery cable.
Here is where it gets interesting. When I took out the old battery cable bolts there was a lot of rusty/dirty/corrosion on the face side of the old bolt in side the rubber. Cleaned that up good and hooked up the new battery with new botls.
Took it for a test drive and it ran awesome! Seemed like it was shifting better, I assume because the transmission is electronic on 4L60E transmissions????
Anyways, going to make sure my AAA card is up to date and see how the starter works this coming week! Thanks for the input!
I also bought new bolts for the battery cable.
Here is where it gets interesting. When I took out the old battery cable bolts there was a lot of rusty/dirty/corrosion on the face side of the old bolt in side the rubber. Cleaned that up good and hooked up the new battery with new botls.
Took it for a test drive and it ran awesome! Seemed like it was shifting better, I assume because the transmission is electronic on 4L60E transmissions????
Anyways, going to make sure my AAA card is up to date and see how the starter works this coming week! Thanks for the input!
05-14-2011, 07:13 PM
#5
exact same thing happende to me this past winter. It was corrosion on the inside of the rubber cable end where bolt goes in. Remove bolt, slide cable out, and wire brush it till clean. Bingo, has been problem free since x-mas, Hope yours is too....
