"Click" no start... 3800SC 5Speed

greengoblin0129 · Post by **greengoblin0129** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:15 pm

Just got my engine swap done, and drove it about 2 blocks and the car died on me. Alternator mest up, and lost all power. So, I took it home and recharged the battery over night and hook up the loose alt wire. Now, when I turn the key all I hear is a click (starter trying to turn over, then just buzzes). I've tried regrounding all my gounds in better locations and cleaning where they mount. Got a brand new red top optiuma battery. Also dropped the starter and turned the key to make sure it was turning and coming out. I've talk to some people and they all told me different things it could be. Wanting to get a second opinion before I start tearing into things lol.

Thanks, Ryan

Xanth · Post by **Xanth** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:18 pm

You tried just knocking on the starter while attempting to start it? That's how I used to have to start my old Impala :thumbleft:

And in what way did your alt mess up? Did it die or overcharge?

Your avatar scares my avatar :flamethrower:

BC2002SS · Post by **BC2002SS** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:53 pm

been hearing some bad things about optiuma red top battery as of late have it tested or try a different battery.

Dirty Sanchez · Post by **Dirty Sanchez** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:32 pm

I have been using an Optima Red Top battery in my car for the past 6 years with no problems at all. Did you make sure the new battery was fully charged before you used it? When you mounted the starter motor did you make sure to reinstall the shim(s) that were on it? If it isn't spaced properly it will just lock against the flywheel and not turn.
What did you mean by the alternator mess up? If it has a bad diode it can cause a short that will drain any battery fairly quickly.

greengoblin0129 · Post by **greengoblin0129** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:55 pm

Dirty Sanchez wrote:I have been using an Optima Red Top battery in my car for the past 6 years with no problems at all. Did you make sure the new battery was fully charged before you used it? When you mounted the starter motor did you make sure to reinstall the shim(s) that were on it? If it isn't spaced properly it will just lock against the flywheel and not turn.
What did you mean by the alternator mess up? If it has a bad diode it can cause a short that will drain any battery fairly quickly.

I use to have a yellow top, and switch to the red top. It's a brand new battery. The motor didn't have a stater attached to it when I got it, so no shims. I've tried putting 3 shims on it but no luck. There is no shims on it at the moment. I'm using a Fiero starter on it, which is also brand new. The red wire comming out of the connector was disconnected on the alternator, i'm using the 2.8 Alternator on the swap. Only has 150 miles on it.

Thanks, Ryan

p8ntman442 · Post by **p8ntman442** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 8:58 pm

1) its not a hydrolocked cylinder
2) Did you check the clutch safety switch?
3) Did you measure battery voltage?

greengoblin0129 · Post by **greengoblin0129** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:48 pm

p8ntman442 wrote:1) its not a hydrolocked cylinder
2) Did you check the clutch safety switch?
3) Did you measure battery voltage?

1) I hope like hell it's not
2) They're overrated, so i've had it bypassed for awhile now
3) 13.2V

Kohburn · Post by **Kohburn** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:45 am

13.2v when its not running? oh wait this is an optima - not sure about those but never seen a regular battery over 12.5

1. pull the sprak plugs out of the cylinders and see if it will turn over
2. try jump starting - voltage /= cranking amps
3. take it out of gear

if it still doesn't do anything but click then i'm at a loss

Starlite528 · Post by **Starlite528** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:31 am

You say the starter spins and the solenoid clicks in, but the engine isn't actually turning?

That happened to me in a US Army HMMWV (humvee). Someone cranked the starter while the engine was running and chewed a bunch of teeth off the flywheel. This time I tried to start it, the engine had stopped right where the missing teeth were over the starter. The only way we got it started was to manually turn the engine some then try again with the starter.

They made me carry it around for the day, even though it wasn't my fault. It was all in good fun.

Dirty Sanchez · Post by **Dirty Sanchez** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 9:38 am

There should be at least one shim on the starter motor. Every one I have seen or talked to the owners about has at least one. Maybe you have a bad starter motor. Was this "new" starter motor "new" or a rebuilt one?

greengoblin0129 · Post by **greengoblin0129** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:41 am

Only way I can best explain it. The first loud click is me inside the car not the starter lol. You can hear the fuel pump come on, then I crank it twice.

BC2002SS · Post by **BC2002SS** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:59 am

that didn't sound good. pull the plugs and see if it will turn over by hand

greengoblin0129 · Post by **greengoblin0129** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 12:47 pm

BC2002SS wrote:that didn't sound good. pull the plugs and see if it will turn over by hand

Brand new spark plugs:

They smell like gas really bad

I tried cranking it with the plugs out of it, and still did the same thing. What now?

Fastback86 · Post by **Fastback86** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:12 pm

Now that the plugs are out, get a wrench on the crank pulley and try cranking it over by hand so you can determine whether or not the engine is siezed/hydrolocked.

Kohburn · Post by **Kohburn** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:17 pm

out of gear, plugs pulled and it won't turn?
and you said the starter turnes if its off the car?

sounds like something seized. try turning it with a wrench to see if its stuck in a bad spot or have someone turn it while you look at the teeth on the flywheel for damage..

greengoblin0129 · Post by **greengoblin0129** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:44 pm

Kohburn wrote:out of gear, plugs pulled and it won't turn?
and you said the starter turnes if its off the car?

sounds like something seized. try turning it with a wrench to see if its stuck in a bad spot or have someone turn it while you look at the teeth on the flywheel for damage..

out of gear, plugs pulled and it won't turn? Yep
and you said the starter turnes if its off the car? Yep

When I took off the starter all the teeth in that area looked great. The fucker won't even turn by hand. Could that be caused by somthing seized inside the engine or somthing that runs off the belts? What should be my next step here, i'm at a lost with this thing.

Shaun41178(2) · Post by **Shaun41178(2)** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:48 pm

If you can't put a breaker bar on the crank pulley and turn it over by hand, then something is broken inside the motor.

However try turning it clockwise and counterclockwise. See if you can go one way and not the other.

Maybe somethng in the clutch broke and is wedged in the bellhousing

BC2002SS · Post by **BC2002SS** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:01 pm

if it won't turn either way all the way 360* you could pull the valve covers off and see if it is a broken valve

Mach10 · Post by **Mach10** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:10 pm

You can hear the starter solenoid go (sharp click that echos through the car), so it isn't likely an electrical problem.

That the motor doesn't want to turn by hand suggests very strongly that something is broken.

You didn't elaborate on how the car died... Just that the "alternator messed up". I've seen alternators seize up, and that'll effectively kaibosh any attempts to turn the motor over. Happened on my dad's van, and my buddy's Jeep.

Pull the accessory belts off, see if the motor turns over with a breaker bar.

Don't fuck around by putting the starter back in until you can find out for sure what's binding. The starter's a strong bastard, you don't want to break things further.

dratts · Post by **dratts** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:57 pm

You've ruled out hydrolock when you pulled the plugs, and it still won't turn.