Starting issues
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Starting issues So for 5 days since ive had the car, its worked great.
Fast forward to today, and while starting I thought I heard a grind noise. Turns out it sounds like relay clicking. The motor turns as normal and then click click click click THEN starts up.
Does this sound like a bad relay? Poor battery? (Its an optima red top...those are good right?) I pulled over, and turned on all lights, high beams, fogs, radio, AC, and then cranked it. The clicking was much worse. Turned off everything and it started much faster. Does this point to a starter issue or a battery/relay issue? Maybe the brushes in the starter are worn.
Fast forward to today, and while starting I thought I heard a grind noise. Turns out it sounds like relay clicking. The motor turns as normal and then click click click click THEN starts up.
Does this sound like a bad relay? Poor battery? (Its an optima red top...those are good right?) I pulled over, and turned on all lights, high beams, fogs, radio, AC, and then cranked it. The clicking was much worse. Turned off everything and it started much faster. Does this point to a starter issue or a battery/relay issue? Maybe the brushes in the starter are worn.
Get a volt meter and put it on the battery and see what the voltage is. Should be 12v or a little above IIRC. Start the car and put a volt meter again to the battery. Should hold steady around 14.5 volts. Put it on the positive terminal of the alternator and again, should be a steady 14.5 volts. If it is fluctuating then your alternator is bad. You can take both the battery and alternator into any parts store and they can test them for free.
Are Optima's good? Depends on who you ask. Some don't have any trouble at all, other have major issues with them. Is your car started daily or does it sit for long periods of time?
Are Optima's good? Depends on who you ask. Some don't have any trouble at all, other have major issues with them. Is your car started daily or does it sit for long periods of time?
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Joined: Jan 2013
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From: Las Vegas
U need a load tester to test the battery: http://www.harborfreight.com/amp-6-v...ter-69888.html. If u can't drive to a auto parts store then u will have to remove it and take it somewhere for testing but usually the auto parts do it for free.
Sometimes the solenoid contactor disk inside the starter solenoid gets destroyed from the arcing inside. An old trick with a GM starter was to remove just the solenoid and flip the contactor disk inside over and reuse it - didn't cost a penny and saved not only the starter but removing it. U mave or may not have room. On a '90s pontiac i didn't have room to remove the solenoid but got a screw out and pried it open enough to spray in some contact cleaner - it worked and i was a hero for the quests that owned the car that weekend.
Haven't removed my camaro starter for over 5 years so can't recall how much room is down there.
But test your batt first,
cardo
Sometimes the solenoid contactor disk inside the starter solenoid gets destroyed from the arcing inside. An old trick with a GM starter was to remove just the solenoid and flip the contactor disk inside over and reuse it - didn't cost a penny and saved not only the starter but removing it. U mave or may not have room. On a '90s pontiac i didn't have room to remove the solenoid but got a screw out and pried it open enough to spray in some contact cleaner - it worked and i was a hero for the quests that owned the car that weekend.
Haven't removed my camaro starter for over 5 years so can't recall how much room is down there.
But test your batt first,
cardo
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Well, thanks for the help guys.
Had the battery and alt tested. Both are fine. What's odd is it never does the clicking thing right after I throw a trickle charger on the battery overnight. After a few hours or miles driving, it will do it again.
Its going in for an inspection tomorrow anyways, I will have them diagnose this.
Had the battery and alt tested. Both are fine. What's odd is it never does the clicking thing right after I throw a trickle charger on the battery overnight. After a few hours or miles driving, it will do it again.
Its going in for an inspection tomorrow anyways, I will have them diagnose this.
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Well I may be stupid.
The "clicking" is what I am hearing here:
But..my car fires right up with minimal "clicking". Most times the engine turns over like twice and then fires. So I thought that clicking noise of the starter turning the motor over at its full speed was a bad sound. I guess not? Normal sounding cranking? Does everyones make that sound before it fires sometimes?
Mine ALWAYS starts right up, and runs really nice. Not rough. So I guess the noise is normal?
The "clicking" is what I am hearing here:
But..my car fires right up with minimal "clicking". Most times the engine turns over like twice and then fires. So I thought that clicking noise of the starter turning the motor over at its full speed was a bad sound. I guess not? Normal sounding cranking? Does everyones make that sound before it fires sometimes?
Mine ALWAYS starts right up, and runs really nice. Not rough. So I guess the noise is normal?
