Won't start .. click noise.
Won't start .. click noise. Car is an '01 WS6.
Every so often I get in and try and start the car, and the only thing I hear is a click from what sounds like the starter. When I'm turning the key it clicks and the gauges and everything go down as if the car was off. It takes a couple times of this for it to actual go ahead and crank/start. Any ideas? I'm thinking something with the battery maybe? But, it's a brand new Optima Red Top.
Every so often I get in and try and start the car, and the only thing I hear is a click from what sounds like the starter. When I'm turning the key it clicks and the gauges and everything go down as if the car was off. It takes a couple times of this for it to actual go ahead and crank/start. Any ideas? I'm thinking something with the battery maybe? But, it's a brand new Optima Red Top.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,399
Likes: 3
From: Jacksonville, FL
Check the terminals/have the battery load tested first, just to eliminate them as the problem. Most batteries have a free replacement warranty for 36 months. Make sure it's at least a 690 CCA.
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TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: On a car lot, shopping...
The click sound could be a bad connection at the battery itself. The connection may not be strong enough to allow the amps drawn by the starter to be pulled. Also I believe that optima was bought out and the newer ones are not as good as they once were.
Had the same problem with an Optima Red Top. The battery just wasn't that "great" and eventually just got weaker. Sometimes would start, other times very slow. Replaced with Sears' latest best battery (Die Hard Platinum?) and haven't had any issues since.
I've just never had much luck with the Red Top batteries.
I've just never had much luck with the Red Top batteries.
Mine does this about one a week, and I ALWAYS find the negative battery terminal has come loose. Just wiggling it a bit makes it fire right up. I thought my battery died several times and tried to jump it with no luck until I figured this out.
I had this problem a while back, it would click and the gauges would do the same thing, if I wiggled the positive battery cable it'd work good again for a while..... turned out to be my positive battery cable, don't ask how, but the connection that leads away from the battery and down near the starter went bad, looked like it had some corrosion on it. Got a new positive cable, put it on and never had the problem again.
I'm gonna have to do some more searching. I tried the starter relay and that didn't work. I'm gonna look into the terminals tomorrow but I just replaced one of them last weekend so I know it isn't that one.