Dorito23

2002 camaro. All stock. I am sure this is a fairly common question. In my search I have found plenty of threads about a high idle but none with my exact symptoms. Any help would be appreciated.

Normally car starts fine. However, when I go to start it early in the morning in around single digit weather the first key turn all I hear is a loud clunk. Not just a click like my starter clicking but a clunk coming from the engine bay. Sounds like near the starter. Turn the key off and try again. At this point the volt gauge shows around 10 or 11 volts. Car cranks slowly but fires up pretty quick. Car immediately starts idling around 2000 to 2300 rpm. Volt gauge jumps to max at 18 volts. After about 2 minutes idle slowly starts to come down. Volts are at 17 at this point. I barely touch the gas pedal and it shoots back up and sticks there for about 30 seconds before coming down. This happens 2 or 3 times before it starts coming down a little quicker. Volts are still at 16 or so. Very slowly coming down. Finally stops at 15 and wont go lower. After letting the engine temps warm up to normal I drive home. When I get home and go to pull in the garage I feel the car pulling harder than normal when im on the brakes in the driveway. I let off and its like the throttle is sticking a bit and its trying to go faster than normal at idle. It is even spinning the tires a bit on the ice patches with my foot on the brake. Volts are still high at around 15 or maybe a tad higher.

Just need advice on where to start checking. Battery might be bad? starter or wiring weird? The cold making my throttle cable stick? Any help is really appreciated.

Also if it helps a month ago I drove the car again to work and when I went to start it in the morning it wouldn't start. Wouldn't turn over. Starter wouldn't click. Nothing. But the lights would come on and off inside and on the gauges. had the battery hooked to cables and a friends car for about 15 min trying to start it. This was in -50 weather... Could my battery be junk after that and that is causing these issues? like I said it is only when its cold. it starts great later in the day.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Maybe. What does your voltmeter say on the gauges when you go to start in this condition? You may try to jump it the next time you have this issue and see what happens. If the car jump starts - it's likely the battery. (Looking at the voltmeter may give you a clue if it's week, but that isn't a reliable indicator. The battery can still give full voltage and be down on cranking capacity.)