Click but wont turn-battery charged

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sportmarty - 26 Feb 2005 04:57 GMT

Last night I drove my car into the garage no problem woke up this morning
tried to start the car and all it did was give one loud click like the
hammer on a gun hitting. The horn, headlights, and dash lights were
operational. Came home from work charged the batter for 3 hours and tried
again. This time I noticed all lights worked but the electrical window
motors clicked when activated but would not roll down. I when turning the
key you hear a click from the fuse box area as well as a click by the
radiator??? Any ideas what this could be?

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sportmarty - 26 Feb 2005 04:58 GMT

oops I forgot to let you all know it is a 2001 galant ES-6

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Nobody U. Know - 26 Feb 2005 12:17 GMT

Check the ground on the starter, battery, and alternator. Start with the
battery, then alternator, then starter. If the battery terminals are
corroded, use some baking soda and water on them for a quick clean up. Then
brush them. If the battery was completely discharged, it may not come back
and will need to be replaced. If you have another car lying around, just
swap the battery for a quick verification of the problem.

The alternator ground is not a likely problem, but sometimes does symptoms
like this. It isn't very hard to check it and can be easiely eliminated. The
starter, on the other hand, usually isn't easy to get too. I don't know the
engine layout for that car, but it is probably under the intake and a lot of
other crap as it is on the transmission. The ground strap is hard to get
too, but if it is loose it will have the same effect you are describing.
I've done many a clutch job to have this little problem bite me.

Signature

Todd Honea
\

> Last night I drove my car into the garage no problem woke up this morning
> tried to start the car and all it did was give one loud click like the
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> key you hear a click from the fuse box area as well as a click by the
> radiator??? Any ideas what this could be?

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Bob Shuman - 26 Feb 2005 14:09 GMT

Todd's recommendations are absolutely right on. If these all are good, it
is most likely a bad solenoid contact. Sometimes you can verify the
solenoid is bad by tapping gently on the solenoid or start assembly from
below while someone is turning the ignition key. If it starts right up upon
a tap, then you have confirmed that the solenoid plunger contacts are dirty
or worn away and need to be replaced.

I am not familiar with the starter/contacts on the Gallant, but have
replaced many in Nipondenso starters as they have a known proficiency to
wear out every 5-8 years based on usage. There are sights on the web that
will sell you just the contacts for these, but you need to know the right
ones as there are 4 basic shapes. Do a Google search to find them and one
sight I have visited shows nice pictures to allow you to order the right
ones. That sight sold them for $10 a pair. That beats the $200 or more
they wanted for a rebuilt starter and in every case (5-6 Chrysler & Nissan
vehicles) its fixed the problem for me.

Good luck.

Bob

> Check the ground on the starter, battery, and alternator. Start with the
> battery, then alternator, then starter. If the battery terminals are
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>> key you hear a click from the fuse box area as well as a click by the
>> radiator??? Any ideas what this could be?

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sportmarty - 27 Feb 2005 04:37 GMT

Thanks to both of you I have got my car back on the road. It was a faulty
battery. I charged the car overnight and this morning it was still on the
fritz. I jumped the car with a My Astro van after cleaning the terminals
with baking soda and water and it started. I let it run for a while and
then shut it off and bam dead again. took the battery out (even though it
showed green in the indicator circle) and took it to kragens where they
told me I only had 7.8 volts and time to replace.

thanks

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