hello

i have been recenlty having starter issues. its getting progressively worse. a few weeks ago it would take 1 second for the car to start while holding the key in crank position. week after that it took 5 seconds. this morning it took 4-5 minutes. it seems to be getting worse the colder it is.


now when i turn the key i hear 2 clicks. one is the fuel pump in the rear. the second click sounds like it is coming from the front passenger side possibly near the ecu. anybody know what this clicking is? and does this sound like the starter is failing?

 

Is the starter turning slower? The normal failure mode for a starter is progressively slower and slower cranking speed, finally the engine doesn't crank at all, and you just hear a click of the solenoid on the starter.

Make sure it isn't a weak or dying battery - it will give very similar sympoms to a dead starter.

Dale

 

yes i hear a very loud click from the front somewhere. doesnt sound like the car is turning over at all. ill check the battery though first, because it is an optima red top and i searched and found others had a bad battery. thanx

 

dale is right check the battery charge and the terminals. make sure they are clean and tight. the bubba test is just to wack the starter with someone trying to crank it. otherwise if the battery is good, you should see voltage on the big terminal on the starter. and when you crank it you should see battery voltage on the small S terminal wire. voltage with no start (usually) = bad starter. no voltage at the s terminal = sarter circuit problem (neutral safety switch, ignition switch etc..)

 

My car sometimes take a few turns of the key to start...

However, I have 3 aftermarket guages, one with a box, plus a turbo timer that obviously request and rob more power out of the car as it starts up.

The other clicking you hear is normal. Do you have any/many aftermarket parts that require power/electricity? Do you let your car sit for 4-5 days without being fired up?

 

i have turbo timer, stereo, gauges and all that. i have been letting the car sit 2-3 days between drives, but the drives are pretty long so there is plenty of time for the battery to recharge. there seems to be plenty of power when i turn the key to ACC, but ill check the battery first before i mess with the starter.

 

the voltage available does not mean a whole lot. the starter will pull a bunch of amps. even if the lights seem ok a bad cell in the battery or a crappy terminal connection can cause starting probs. you may also want to check the car for any drain when it is off.