'93, Won't start

[bevo39]

This is my first post. I have used some of the suggestions on this forum to try and fix the starting problem, and the solutions have unfortunately been temporary.

The car clicks when I turn the key, a rapid clicking. The battery and starter tested fine, so we tried replacing the starter relay on the firewall, since it was cheap. We read on this forum about jumping the starter, and did so. It started, so we replaced the positive battery cable. It ran fine for about a week, and then saem problem.

We had the starter and battery tested again, and again, they tested fine. We even put in a different starter that we knew worked and it still clicked. Crazy thing is, after putting my starter back in and re-connecting everything, it started back up.

Now it is clicking again. Could it be the negative battery cable? What about the solenoid on the starter? Is there any way to test these items to know for sure? This is the first work I have done on my car so any help would be greatly appreciated, but the description would have to be in layman's terms. Thanks.

 

[pax]

That was the same starter clicking sound on my GM van a few weeks ago. Mine was the alternator not charging the battery up, so the battery was weak, the weak battery don't have enough juice to turn over the motor, thus making the clicking sound.
My suggestion is to jump start the car with another car to see if it would start?
Did you check the condition of the battery cables, the positive and the ground? You seems to have a bad connection on the cable somewhere.

 

[VAHAM]

The other cable

Yes, I would strongly suggest inspecting and/or replacing the negative cable. Corrosion often builds up inside the insulation, and can run from one end of the cable to the other without your knowledge. Slit a little insulation and peel it back, examine the stranded wire underneath. If it is full of corrosion, ditch it. If not. tape it back with a good quality electrical tape.

I would be more suspicious of your wire connections at the terminals, especially down at the starter end. Make sure the connectors themselves are clean and corrosion-free, and that metal fatigue/trail damage hasn't broken one almost in half, or that the wire at the terminal isn't full of corrosion.

Remember, you can still have electrical continuity, but insufficient wire strands left to carry the necessary current to turn the starter (high resistance).

Best of luck

CLH

 

[VBVA]

Its not the starter, the clicking sound means the starter is good and is trying to engage. The clicking happens b/c there isn't enough power getting to the starter. If your battery tested fine then its a cable. tReplacing cables isn't that hard. The pos cable connects to the battery, solenoid, and starter. The neg goes straight from the battery to the frame. You can buy both for under $40.