Clicking sound when I turn key

Alex03 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-21-2003, 12:28 AM

Whenever I turn the key to start my 390 all i hear is a clicking sound. I put in a new starter and that didn't help. I tryed jumping it across the solenoid and all it did was spark and got hot? Does anyone know what the problem is?

macguyver · #2 (**permalink**) 03-21-2003, 06:32 AM

Can you turn the engine over by hand?

Alex03 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-21-2003, 09:39 AM

Yeah I guess I could. Its a manual so I could just pull it. What would that help?

Alex03 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-21-2003, 09:43 AM

When it started acting up I was testing my compression and had the wire that goes from the distributor to the coil disconnected and I went to turn the engine over and it was still in gear. When I stopped to take it out of gear and went to try it again all I heard was a click. Im Stumped

macguyver · #5 (**permalink**) 03-21-2003, 11:04 AM

I was just wondering if the engine was stuck or if the starter wasn't working (bad cable, starter, weak battery etc.)
BTW As long as you have all the plugs out for the compression test, the engine shouldn't be hard to turn over with a socket on the crank pulley or even by turning the fan.

Mil1ion · #6 (**permalink**) 03-21-2003, 02:07 PM

How long has the engine been sitting without being run?

Sometimes starters seize up a little after sitting a while
(enough though you had it turning briefly).

How good is the battery ?

jimlj · #7 (**permalink**) 03-21-2003, 02:18 PM

Do you have a dead or weak battery? Sounds like you may have run the battery dead while doing your compression test.

daddyswheels · #8 (**permalink**) 03-21-2003, 08:03 PM

Hey buddy! Make sure you check the battery posts and lugs to make sure they are clean and then the lugs tight, If you don't do this once a year on an older vehicle, a small occlusion zone of galvanic do-do forms between the two pieces of metal from the exchange of electrons passing thru and other good stuff out of the atmosphere bonding in there with it and can actually cause a resistive barrier and not let the juice thru in the way you want, it also causes your battery to not fully charge. Clean your terminals and put the battery on the 8 hr 2amp trickle charge (solid link!) I think you will be pleased...the clicking is the solinoid not getting enough juice!

Alex03 · #9 (**permalink**) 03-23-2003, 04:01 PM

I found the problem. It was the sloenoid to starter cable. I changed that and it fixed everything. After I bought a new starter for no reason

Torque1st · #10 (**permalink**) 03-24-2003, 01:36 AM

If you buy a manual there a checks that you can perform with a voltmeter to isolate the problem b4 you spend big buck$.