Car clicks but won't crank. Battery or Starter?

[guybo]

The batt terminal may look fine visually, and a lot of people make a mistake by leaving it be and spend a lot of $$ to chase other "problems" at garage that may not be so reputable. But they'll always be "nice". So after a BS TB service, injector "cleaning" and several wallet flushes the problem still exists.

Remove the battery terminals with a 10mm socket. Clean the terminals and posts with a wire brush no matter how good they look. Reassemble and observe.

[JERM^]

Originally Posted by guybo

The batt terminal may look fine visually, and a lot of people make a mistake by leaving it be and spend a lot of $$ to chase other "problems" at garage that may not be so reputable. But they'll always be "nice". So after a BS TB service, injector "cleaning" and several wallet flushes the problem still exists.

Remove the battery terminals with a 10mm socket. Clean the terminals and posts with a wire brush no matter how good they look. Reassemble and observe.

Done all these this morning. Car started up fine just like yesterday at noon. Now it's just a waiting game. Hopefully a very long waiting game. Thanks for all the help guys.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by JERM^

Done all these this morning. Car started up fine just like yesterday at noon. Now it's just a waiting game. Hopefully a very long waiting game. Thanks for all the help guys.

How did everything look?

[JERM^]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

How did everything look?

Well... No visible white substances or anything. Gave the baking soda + wirebrush treatment and put WD40 on battery terminals anyways. Tightened the connectors more tightly this time.

Car started fine just like Saturday so can't really tell if it did anything LOL.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by JERM^

Done all these this morning. Car started up fine just like yesterday at noon. Now it's just a waiting game. Hopefully a very long waiting game. Thanks for all the help guys.

Iffen that don't work, Bubba says to put second battery post clamp on it .....


humfrz

[JERM^]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Iffen that don't work, Bubba says to put second battery post clamp on it .....


humfrz

That must have done it.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by JERM^

Well... No visible white substances or anything. Gave the baking soda + wirebrush treatment and put WD40 on battery terminals anyways. Tightened the connectors more tightly this time.

Car started fine just like Saturday so can't really tell if it did anything LOL.

Good show!

Did you put WD-40 directly on the battery posts ... ??

I don't know whether that would set up them for a "varnish" like barrier to a good connection or not......

@Tcoat will chime in ...... he has a lot of past experience with old junk batteries ......

Next time, I'd suggest it would be OK to put a squirt of WD-40 on the clamps bolt's threads ...... but, I'd leave it off the post itself.


humfrz

[JERM^]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Good show!

Did you put WD-40 directly on the battery posts ... ??

I don't know whether that would set up them for a "varnish" like barrier to a good connection or not......

@Tcoat will chime in ...... he has a lot of past experience with old junk batteries ......

Next time, I'd suggest it would be OK to put a squirt of WD-40 on the clamps bolt's threads ...... but, I'd leave it off the post itself.


humfrz

WD40 markets themselves for this very use

https://wd40.co.uk/knowledgebase/pro...als-corrosion/

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Good show!

Did you put WD-40 directly on the battery posts ... ??

I don't know whether that would set up them for a "varnish" like barrier to a good connection or not......

@Tcoat will chime in ...... he has a lot of past experience with old junk batteries ......

Next time, I'd suggest it would be OK to put a squirt of WD-40 on the clamps bolt's threads ...... but, I'd leave it off the post itself.


humfrz

Cleaning contacts is one of the things it was made for. It will be fine.


https://www.wd40.com/img/WD-40_2000_uses.pdf

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Cleaning contacts is one of the things it was made for. It will be fine.


https://www.wd40.com/img/WD-40_2000_uses.pdf

Oh, OK ...... what a list !...... I'll take your word for that ...... too much fine print for my old eyes.

Sorry for the unwarranted concern, there OP .....


humfrz

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by JERM^

WD40 markets themselves for this very use

https://wd40.co.uk/knowledgebase/pro...als-corrosion/

Good research!

(back in my day, we just used a mixture of coal oil and 3in1 oil to loosen stuff up ...... didn't want to put that on batter terminals ..... )




humfrz - stuck in the 50's

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Good research!

(back in my day, we just used a mixture of coal oil and 3in1 oil to loosen stuff up ...... didn't want to put that on batter terminals ..... )




humfrz - stuck in the 50's

When did you make it that far?


Oh wait you didn't specify which "50s"

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by JERM^

Well... No visible white substances or anything. Gave the baking soda + wirebrush treatment and put WD40 on battery terminals anyways. Tightened the connectors more tightly this time.

Car started fine just like Saturday so can't really tell if it did anything LOL.

Be prepared for more chasing. Never hit the same spot twice. When you find it, you'll know it.

[JERM^]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Be prepared for more chasing. Never hit the same spot twice. When you find it, you'll know it.

Yea will do and next diagnostic will likely be as per @e30kawi.

Originally Posted by e30kawi

I've had this issue in the past, where the car won't crank one minute and the next it will. One time was a bad connection at the solenoid and a couple other times the solenoid was on the way out.

It's my understanding that once the solenoid goes bad or starts to go bad, it will or can try to draw twice the cranking amps as it normally would, making it seem like a weak battery.