trey1010

iTrader: (3)

Hey everyone, have had a problem starting yesterday. I had driven for maybe 20 mins or so and got into the drive thru at taco bell and I turned my car off so the person ordering could hear my order. Well went to restart it and it acted like the battery was dead. Got a jump and drove it for about 3 miles parked it for an hour and it restarted just fine. Well same thing today. I started and killed it a few times without a problem and later on it wouldn't start again. Any ideas? I just hear the clicking noise. It's a 99 Trans am

DisasterFormula

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like your starter may be going out. If it won't start, crawl up under it and give the starter solenoid a whack from a wrench then try it again. If that does it, then starter solenoid needs replacing.

trey1010

iTrader: (3)

Okay so your saying you think I don't need a whole new starter but just a starter solenoid? Thanks for the help so far!

DisasterFormula

iTrader: (1)

Yeah. Dunno if you can get the solenoid separate, but that does sound like it could be the problem.

trey1010

iTrader: (3)

I should probably mention that my clutch switch has been messed up for a while. I have been able to start the car (m6) with pressing the clutch in. Could this also
Be the problem?

bad_408_vert

iTrader: (6)

Sounds like a starter to me as well. Car did the same thing.

88blackiroc

iTrader: (3)

Unplug the battery with the car running. Turn everything on and see if they dim out or not. If not then its your battery. Mine did this a week or so ago and i got it replaced under the warrenty

bad_408_vert

iTrader: (6)

^ I'm not trying to sound like a *****, but... OP can just go to local parts store and get the battery tested without going through that.

trey1010

iTrader: (3)

Okay everyone, Went and got the battery tested and the machine says "battery is good, but low on charge. It also did a starter test and it says cranking is normal (9.66v time 765ms) Well so i take it home get underneath it and try to feel around the starter to see if a wire feels loose, it doesnt feel like it. I pull the starter relay and it looks fine cosmetically. Well after all this i try to start it and it trys (actually cranks with power) and it wont start. I try again and click click click click and if i keep trying you can hear the starter turning the flywheel slllooowwwly. UGh. I tried banging on the starter and it makes no difference.

So i now have the charger on my battery

DisasterFormula

iTrader: (1)

Might be time to test the alternator, too. Check that the connections to the starter are clean. A little bit of rust can kill the current.

trey1010

iTrader: (3)

Alternator is new and checked out good in advanced autos test . I tried checking the starter connections but the bolts must have been torqued by chuck norris! I feel like I am going to break them they are so tight. Well ever since this morning it has
Started fine.

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

After you weed out all the electrical stuff.......and it still randomly does this.

Change the Crank Shaft Position sensor......if thats not it, return it for a refund. Takes 10 minutes to change. Drop the starter and its right there.

.

trey1010

iTrader: (3)

Okay I will need to do that. But I am really starting to think that it is the battery even though it checked out good. I parked it for 3-4 minutes with the head lights on after driving it on the highway for an hour and it acted dead!

trey1010

iTrader: (3)

I keep reading that a dead battery symptoms can be very similar to a starters symptoms. But if it were the starter that was bad would it always start easily when I jump it?

DisasterFormula

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, they can test good when they're crapping out on you. Do you have another battery you can throw on there to see if that's the problem?

LS6427

iTrader: (2)

If the starter was bad it would never start....

.