General Maintenance & Repairs - wont start, clicking, electrical surging, *new symptoms*

The other day my SES light came on, I parked went to the store came back, car wouldn't start, would act like it was low in power, then it would power up just fine, try to turn it over and it just clicked..no fuel pump sound, nothing...tried again, this time just holding the key, it clicked a bunch of times, then started up just fine. Next day SES light was gone, everything was good to go all day at work etc etc...this morning its acting really crazy, clicks once or multiple times, I can hear the starter clunking once...metallic sound, sometimes it has no power when i turn the key over sometimes it has full power.

The Gauge needles are bouncing to max and falling back down, the security light isn't ON, as other people have mentioned while I was searching for an answer...Optima red top has a full charge, all my acc. work headlights, door locks, radio etc.....I tried jumping the starer with a screwdriver, it just clunks once. So I'm leaning towards a new starter...but I don't want to drop my header if its not even the starter...all the crazy electrical stuff going on is whats making me nervous about just replacing the starter.

By any chance did you double check that the + & - cables are securely tightened at the battery posts? Any corrosion etc, burn, damaged battery cables etc?
I had the same issues you described awhile back and I traced it back to when I had a a/c delco battery + terminal "fall out" and leak into/onto the + cable. (ended up replacing the battery with a optima at the time) Well I never thought anything of it until years later when my car did what yours is doing. I even pulled my alternator and starter and they both checked out fine. If I jiggled the positive cable with good force it would cause car to "click" and lose electrical or even regain electrical.

I replaced positive cable and just for peace of mind my negative cable and it solved the problem. So either my positive cable just gave or it was battery acid that leaked down into the cable causing it to short randomly.

Side post terminals..suck.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, my battery cables look clean and brand new, there alost side mounted, I have a fairly new redtop optima...woke up this morning she has ALL KINDS of new symptoms...put the key in and the dome lights/little red light on the dash all start flashing like crazy, and the cars goin click click click over and over....to make matters worse...my alarm keeps going off on its own for no reason....

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP lol

Swapped the battery out with the yellowtop in my truck...started right up no problems, took the battery in for a test, said it was "good battery" volts were good, only 40% charge though(would that effect it even though it said good battery) did a starter/alternator test, both passed as well...hopefully this isnt a case of it fixing its self again for a day or 2 then dieing again...