Starting ???

nomobux · February 27, 2005, 10:54:15 AM

Glass 32 .. 350 sbc .. This prob stared about 1 yr ago. It with crank over and run for weeks at a time and suddenly, when you hit the key all you get is sel. clicks. Jump it and off you go. You can shut it down and fire right back up. No probs for along time and then BAM, it does it again. Did it with the old batt and new batt. Did it with the old starter and new mini. Everything is tight. Letting it set doesn't change it ( as far as cooling down ) It can do it first thing in the am or after driving. I'm baffeled. Any ideas ? TIA

Fat Cat · February 27, 2005, 11:03:40 AM

Quote from: "nomobux"Glass 32 .. 350 sbc .. This prob stared about 1 yr ago. It with crank over and run for weeks at a time and suddenly, when you hit the key all you get is sel. clicks. Jump it and off you go. You can shut it down and fire right back up. No probs for along time and then BAM, it does it again. Did it with the old batt and new batt. Did it with the old starter and new mini. Everything is tight. Letting it set doesn't change it ( as far as cooling down ) It can do it first thing in the am or after driving. I'm baffeled. Any ideas ? TIA

Have you replaced the battery cables? I have seen cables that look fine from the outside but have corrosion on the inside.

Also does it have a Ford type solenoid in it? I have seen these do that same type of things.

Stakebed · February 27, 2005, 11:25:08 AM

How is the ground from the battery hooked up? If it goes to the frame rather than the engine or trans you might want to try connecting to one of them. Usually what you describe would be the contacts in the solenoid, but if you changed starters that should eliminate that. Otherwise as Fat Cat said I would suspect the cables.

river1 · February 27, 2005, 03:42:37 PM

last time i had a problem like that i was advised, by the brains here on the RRT, to check the ignition switch. the switch was cheap so i replaced it, problem solved.

later jim

Dusty · February 27, 2005, 06:11:08 PM

NOMOBUX,

Here is one more place to check that gave me fits one time, and never could figure it out.
One time when it did what yours is doing, I crawled under it and jumped across the Batt to Start terminal on the Selenoid. It started right up. So the next time it acted up , I did the same thing and it started right up. The next time I jumped across the Neutral switch on the shift lever, and it started right up.... I ran it for about 2 mos with the Neut. switch jumped, and it never did it again, so I changed the switch, and the problem was solved... Hope this is your problem, cause I stayed awake at night trying to figure it out....

EMSjunkie · February 27, 2005, 06:54:57 PM

I have an 80 GMC pick up that was doing something very similar.
turned out to be the fusible link at the starter.
just my 2 pennies worth.

Vance

Pope Downunder · February 27, 2005, 08:42:48 PM

Quote from: "nomobux"Glass 32 .. 350 sbc .. This prob stared about 1 yr ago. It with crank over and run for weeks at a time and suddenly, when you hit the key all you get is sel. clicks. Jump it and off you go. You can shut it down and fire right back up. No probs for along time and then BAM, it does it again. Did it with the old batt and new batt. Did it with the old starter and new mini. Everything is tight. Letting it set doesn't change it ( as far as cooling down ) It can do it first thing in the am or after driving. I'm baffeled. Any ideas ? TIA

What sort of shifter have you got?
Check the neutral/park safety switch for adjustment, and for wear. The ones in the aftermarket shifters seem a bit fragile, and probably should be wires through a relay. RF also sells a HD replacement version.

nomobux · February 28, 2005, 08:25:05 AM

Ok .. Cables are good / clean / everything tight. Ran the car in the shop for a half hour to build some heat / ran park lites / stereo / fan kick on a couple times. Shut it off, hit the key and CLICK. Could leave my hand on the starter without pain. Took a batt pack and jumped it on the batt side of the master switch. Started rite up. The + cable is only a foot long from the batt to the master and is good. The master is good, so I'm assuming my 70 mo. batt which is 18 monthes old has gone south. Make sense ??

rooster · February 28, 2005, 08:33:46 AM

Quote from: "nomobux"Ok .. Cables are good / clean / everything tight. Ran the car in the shop for a half hour to build some heat / ran park lites / stereo / fan kick on a couple times. Shut it off, hit the key and CLICK. Could leave my hand on the starter without pain. Took a batt pack and jumped it on the batt side of the master switch. Started rite up. The + cable is only a foot long from the batt to the master and is good. The master is good, so I'm assuming my 70 mo. batt which is 18 monthes old has gone south. Make sense ??

A poor connection in the system may not charge your battery and not start the engine. Test the battery!

Fat Cat · February 28, 2005, 08:34:32 AM

Quote from: "nomobux"Ok .. Cables are good / clean / everything tight. Ran the car in the shop for a half hour to build some heat / ran park lites / stereo / fan kick on a couple times. Shut it off, hit the key and CLICK. Could leave my hand on the starter without pain. Took a batt pack and jumped it on the batt side of the master switch. Started rite up. The + cable is only a foot long from the batt to the master and is good. The master is good, so I'm assuming my 70 mo. batt which is 18 monthes old has gone south. Make sense ??

I would still look at those cables. I have seen them look like they were brand new on the outside and when you cut them open there is no copper on the inside just some green slimy stuff.

Bruce Dorsi · February 28, 2005, 10:58:17 AM

It sounds like you are wired so that the starter current passes through the master switch. .....Be advised that many master switches are not adequate to handle the draw of the starter, and that will shorten their lifespan.

If the solenoid "clicks", but the starter does not spin, it can be a faulty battery, starter motor, solenoid contacts, master switch, cable, or connection.

A faulty neutral safety switch, faulty ignition switch, or faulty fusible link should prevent the solenoid from being energized. ...The "click" sound indicates the solenoid is being energized.

We tend to assume that new or slightly-new parts can not be faulty. ...This is a false assumption.

If you don't already own a volt-ohm-meter, you can buy one for as little as $10-$15 at Radio Shack. ....They are simple to use, and it will be your best friend when troubleshooting electrical problems.

32coupe · February 28, 2005, 04:39:02 PM

This must be a world wide problem, my glass 32 does the same thing.
When you solve the problem let me know.

I have bought a battery tender, a small device that keeps the battery at a full charge and it hasn't happened since, you could try that.

Inprimer · March 01, 2005, 01:18:05 PM

Quote from: "nomobux"Glass 32 .. 350 sbc .. This prob stared about 1 yr ago. It with crank over and run for weeks at a time and suddenly, when you hit the key all you get is sel. clicks. Jump it and off you go. You can shut it down and fire right back up. No probs for along time and then BAM, it does it again. Did it with the old batt and new batt. Did it with the old starter and new mini. Everything is tight. Letting it set doesn't change it ( as far as cooling down ) It can do it first thing in the am or after driving. I'm baffeled. Any ideas ? TIA

FWIW I had a brand new battery with a dead cell, althought I was too stupid to realize it at the time LOL bought a gell batt and all's fine.