topic Mechanical Question? in Community Spirit

Mechanical Question?

rabbitearbandicoot — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:03:00 GMT

my car VZ Commodore has started with a click-click-click when I try to start it.... it does it 2 or 3 times ... eventually starts after I bless it a few times .... but I'm worried that eventually it won't ..... so, starter motor? solenoid?

This had to happen when every mechanic for miles around is on 2-weeks holiday.

Re: Mechanical Question?

kopenhagen5 — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:11:03 GMT

Usually when the battery becomes a little old, it may start to click and then turn over.

Try charging the battery and see if it helps, then you know you need a new battery.

Re: Mechanical Question?

nevynreally — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:11:22 GMT

Battery

Re: Mechanical Question?

serendipityricho — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:17:16 GMT

Rabbit-you need Viewmont to be watching --he is the man.

Check the screws are done up tight on the key-try it upside down.

Dont have the key on a ring with all the other keys weighing it down,

Im sure your drama is with the ignition.

ps -if you have a spare key--try that.

If the spare key has not been used for a while-turn it onto accs

for a few minutes first.....................................Richo.

Re: Mechanical Question?

rabbitearbandicoot — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:24:07 GMT

sorry meant to mention ....new battery yesterday when it started happening ....hasn't helped.

Re: Mechanical Question?

rabbitearbandicoot — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:24:58 GMT

@serendipityricho wrote:
Rabbit-you need Viewmont to be watching --he is the man.
Check the screws are done up tight on the key-try it upside down.
Dont have the key on a ring with all the other keys weighing it down,
Im sure your drama is with the ignition.
ps -if you have a spare key--try that.
If the spare key has not been used for a while-turn it onto accs
for a few minutes first.....................................Richo.

don't go away - trying it now ..

Re: Mechanical Question?

rabbitearbandicoot — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:32:45 GMT

@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:
@serendipityricho wrote:
Rabbit-you need Viewmont to be watching --he is the man.
Check the screws are done up tight on the key-try it upside down.
Dont have the key on a ring with all the other keys weighing it down,
Im sure your drama is with the ignition.
ps -if you have a spare key--try that.
If the spare key has not been used for a while-turn it onto accs
for a few minutes first.....................................Richo.
don't go away - trying it now ..

it starts OK now, but, it does usually .... only intermittently does it do it's click-click-click thing - like the other night when I rushed out to get a DVD rental back before the shop shut .... no wallet, no phone, no glasses.... I spent half an hour outside the video shop with the young girl in the shop telling me "it sounds like the starter motor ".... she is evidently 1/2 way through a mechanics course ... didn't have a single thing with me to remove cables and clean up terminals ..... rang a mate, got him out of bed - give me ten minutes he says - ...... tried again and it started .... rang him back ... go back to bed..... drove home ... next morning ... same thing ...rang him again .... 5 minutes ... it started .... rang him back ....

Re: Mechanical Question?

serendipityricho — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 09:59:38 GMT

Rabbit-still think it is involved with the key and ignition barrel.

Noticed Joe just posted on another thread--he may came in here with more ideas....Richo.

Re: Mechanical Question?

joz*garage — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:13:10 GMT

hey richo, don't ask me

i thought the remote ignition key problem on the previous car thread didn't need to be re-programmed

but come to think of it some radios need to be re-set once the battery is un-hooked

hmm, trying to remember if that click click tune ever happened to me and what caused it

where is that clicking sound coming from rabbit, under the hood or near the steering wheel?

Re: Mechanical Question?

joz*garage — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:29:34 GMT

@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:
sorry meant to mention ....new battery yesterday when it started happening ....hasn't helped.

when was the last time you bought a battery for the car?

the alternator could've killed the other battery due to being faulty, and the clicking noise could be coming from the alternator

it could be coming from the solenoid on the starter motor too, depends on the tune 😄

see your local mechanic, for a proper check and quote

Re: Mechanical Question?

serendipityricho — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:31:39 GMT

Hi Joe..Happy New Year.

Rabbit--do you have 2 keys?

It you only have one -look on the back of the plastic bit.

Should be 2 chrome small screws tightened down.

If the one on the left is missing-move the one from the right

to the hole at the left--it hold the thing together and makes it work--

only as a temporary measure.--if not park up and have a few drinks....................Richo.

ps bills in the mail .lol

Re: Mechanical Question?

rabbitearbandicoot — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:57:43 GMT

@joz*garage wrote:
@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:
sorry meant to mention ....new battery yesterday when it started happening ....hasn't helped.
when was the last time you bought a battery for the car?

the alternator could've killed the other battery due to being faulty, and the clicking noise could be coming from the alternator

it could be coming from the solenoid on the starter motor too, depends on the tune 😄

see your local mechanic, for a proper check and quote

clicking seems to come from under the bonnet. last battery was about 18-24 months ago.

As I said, no mechanics until 5th Jan - all gone on hols.

More like a 'tick-tick-tick-tick' really I guess.

Tune? about E I'd say, but mind you I haven't got a perfect ear.

Re: Mechanical Question?

joz*garage — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:15:36 GMT

oh ok, the 5th jan isn't that far away [make sure you book-in for an assesment early though

forgot to ask, why did you change the battery, was it just coz you thought that might solve the problem?

was the old battery charging?

i ask this coz if the other battery was ok the fault might not be coming from the alternator

a faulty alternator will not chagre a battey properly

then i suspect the noise is coming from the solenoid

Re: Mechanical Question?

rabbitearbandicoot — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:26:35 GMT

After getting stuck at the video shop, and the next day it happened again - I eventaully got it started and went on a trip around to see who was open - none of the mechanical garages - so I went to the local tyre service that also sells batteries - I asked them to test the battery - he said it was down to 24% capacity - I took that to mean it wasn't charging properly or rather that it was 76% dead? He recommened I buy a new one ... call me gullible - I bought a new one and it seemed to make the difference - until the next day when the click business started again ....

I can wait until 5th, but I am afraid of getting stuck somewhere especially if I have 'her-indoors' with me and the 'boy'. I guess I might join NRMA / RACQ or whoever.

Anyway, I'm off to bed now. Thanks all for the suggestions. Have a good New Year's Eve . Don't drink and drive - you might spill some.

Re: Mechanical Question?

freddie*rooster — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:27:56 GMT

@joz*garage wrote:
hey richo, don't ask me

i thought the remote ignition key problem on the previous car thread didn't need to be re-programmed
but come to think of it some radios need to be re-set once the battery is un-hooked

hmm, trying to remember if that click click tune ever happened to me and what caused it

where is that clicking sound coming from rabbit, under the hood or near the steering wheel?

And that key is still not working

Re: Mechanical Question?

iapetus_rocks — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:35:05 GMT

Sounds to me like a starter motor problem. If your car is not an automatice, then the next time the problem recurs, turn off the ignition, put the car in 2nd gear and try to rock the car backwards and forwards (push/pull) so that the engine turns over just a bit, then see if it starts. if it does, then your starter motor relay is probably faulty.

Re: Mechanical Question?

joz*garage — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:40:16 GMT

@rabbitearbandicoot wrote:
After getting stuck at the video shop, and the next day it happened again - I eventaully got it started and went on a trip around to see who was open - none of the mechanical garages - so I went to the local tyre service that also sells batteries - I asked them to test the battery - he said it was down to 24% capacity - I took that to mean it wasn't charging properly or rather that it was 76% dead? He recommened I buy a new one ... call me gullible - I bought a new one and it seemed to make the difference - until the next day when the click business started again ....

I can wait until 5th, but I am afraid of getting stuck somewhere especially if I have 'her-indoors' with me and the 'boy'. I guess I might join NRMA / RACQ or whoever.

Anyway, I'm off to bed now. Thanks all for the suggestions. Have a good New Year's Eve . Don't drink and drive - you might spill some.

that battery died young, so, i reckon it's a faulty alternator, and you wouldve needed to buy a new battery anyway, i guess.. if the old battery wasn't able to hold a charge

you have yourself a good one for NY's too, and richo, and all!

Re: Mechanical Question?

jds_noise — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:58:36 GMT

Is there corrosion (a green.white powdery gunk) on the battery terminals and cables? Clean the battery connections. Get a brush made for cleaning battery terminals or a small steel wire brush. Remove the cables from the battery and brush them until the metal (both battery and cables) is good and shiny. Reconnect the cables and that may fix the problem.

Re: Mechanical Question?

this-one-time-at-bandcamp — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:25:53 GMT

If you just purchased a new battery, the installer should have cleaned the terminals. It's most likely a poor connection, creating high resistance, or a starter problem.......if the car is older, sometimes the bearings/bushings in the starter wear, and allow the armature to shift, creating, once again, high resistance. It has absolutely nothing to do with the ignition key or lock.

Re: Mechanical Question?

this-one-time-at-bandcamp — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:31:02 GMT

As far as the old battery goes, there are two states of charge, you can have a 100% charged battery.........until you apply a draw, then the battery may drop to its permanent state.

A few months ago, I had a starting problem, took it to two Les Schwab stores, and received a plethora of recommendations, none of which struck me as viable. Took it the next week to the dealer, and discovered that the 2 year old battery had a dead cell.