Clicks but won't start

[JSin]

I've searched the forum and even followed the tech article on car starting diagnosis, problem is, I go through all the steps and check everything and then my car still isn't starting. The steps I've done:

1. Battery- all accesory light and headlamps are bright, but I pulled the battery and slapped a charging unit on it and tried the battery again, then ran it in to sear's and had it tested, good.

2. Starter- not the battery, must be the starter... what a pain in the ass getting it out, take it in to autozone, all tests pass, twicem hmmm....

3. Starter relay- Even though I hear the starter relay click whenever I try and turn the engine over, I pull it out and do a continuity check thats good on it.

4. Ignition fuse (Engine fuse)- pull both fuses and check them... both of them are good.

5. Battery is grounded- yup.

I'm out of options at this point. The car made a popping sound and then wouldn't start the other morning. now it seems like it has a short somewhere. I turn the key it clicks I hear the fuel pump click and all the interior lights dim slightly and then seem to "charge" back up. Other than that, I don't know, anybody got any suggestions?

1997 Eclipse GSX M/T

 

[JSin]

6. Ignition switch- tested and its good.

I have no idea what to do next.

 

[seth98es]

Check the ignition switch? I am in the same boat as you, I cant figure out why my car clicks! Only thing I havent tried is to add some grounds to the block/trans.

 

[MikeCordell]

Hate to sound like a broken record but have you checked the clutch switch?

 

[MrBoxx]

+1 on checking the clutch switch. Mine went out and the car would just click once when I tried to turn it over.

 

[talontsi9095]

Well i had the same problem spent alot of time trying to figure it out it still ended up being my ground to my battery. But the point is though you might have checked your ground and cleaned it it could still not be good enough to start your car so i would adjust it and mess with it and keep trying to start it after you play with it a bit. Also check your power wire from the battery to the starter it might be grounding out so if you have a multimeter check it too. Hope this helps cause it took me forever trying to figure it out and then one day i messed with the ground and it started. Even though i still have to mess with it every time i start my car atleast i can get it started.

 

[JSin]

Oh yes, good call, I have checked the clutch switch. But even if the clutch switch was bad the car wouldn't even send a signal to the starter relay to click over, it would just be silent. I'll have to go play with my ground today, since that sounds like the only other possibility.

 

[JSin]

Good call talontsi... it turned out to be a grounding problem. I went through and made sure all the grounds were secure. What do you know... next turn of the key and it fires up no problem. Odd that a ground can just come loose even though that bolt was locked down pretty solid. Oh well...

PROBLEM RESOLVED

 

[seth98es]

Which ground was it? I moved my ground on my battery to a different location and my car still clicks.

 

[talontsi9095]

Yeah glad i was of help to you. seth i would keep playing with it and maybe add another ground to it and see if that works but unless you check all the other things like your starter being bad it could still be somthing else. You will need to give more info on what you have tried so far then we could be of more help.

 

[seth98es]

Dont mean to hijack threads. But here is my thread on the same issue:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233927

Basically I have replaced everything in the starter circuit.

 

[MikeCordell]

Dont mean to hijack threads. But here is my thread on the same issue:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=233927

Basically I have replaced everything in the starter circuit.

When I was having trouble with the clutch switch I went through and upgraded and replaced the ground wires that were visibly part of this system. It didn't solve my problem but based on talontsi9095's experience, it may very well help.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

+1 on checking the clutch switch. Mine went out and the car would just click once when I tried to turn it over.

What about if you have an a/t? Because I have the same exact issue as the other two guys.

 

[JSin]

What about if you have an a/t? Because I have the same exact issue as the other two guys.

Check the Park/Neutral position switch for A/T, its the equivalent to the clutch switch.

 

[Rice Over Wheat]

^^^^

Alright, thanks. Btw, is your car still starting up on the first try now? I'm asking because I cleaned up my entire engine bay and all the battery terminals/wiring with engine solvent and thought I had the problem fixed. After one day it went back to the same issue. Tomorrow I'm going to try the ground replacement and see if that helps.

I read some other sites on this problem that the starter can be checked for binding by having someone turn the key and when it clicks another person raps it lightly with a wrench to knock the gears loose. I'm going to try that as well.