Clicking Starter

[Oren09]

My friend is having trouble with her Festiva.

When you turn the key, the starter just clicks.
She push started the car to get it home and I have verified the engine rotates. I tried to short the starter and I got nothing. The motor would not spin. The battery is very new and shows 12.6 volts.

I believe the starter has gone out.
Do y'all concur?

[Damkid]

Are you sure there is a good connection? I've had the same issue and it was simply a weak connection at either the starter or battery, check that before replacing parts

[windy1]

clicking

solenoid,s bad just replace starter. make sure connections are tight.

[FestYboy]

just had this issue with my 93's starter. clicks hard but doesn't start. swapped it out to get the car going again and took the old one in to my shop to test with a jump pack and it jumped to life. so i cleand it out with the parts cleaner and threw it in another car... works like new!

test first, then replace if nessisary.

[Flyin4stroke]

This usually will fix the starter for another 10k but once it clicks its only a matter of time. I've played this game before.

[WmWatt]

My understanding is the solenoid is a shaft pulled into the flywheel by an electromagnet which gets charged when you turn the key. If it doesn't work the starter does not engage the flyweel and won't turn the engine to get it started. The clicking sound means the solenoid shaft isn't moving when you turn the key. Hope that helps to understand what's goin on. Sorry it won't get your car started.

[FestYboy]

^ close, but it's more like the solenoid has a 2 fold job. there IS a central shaft in the solenoid. at one end of the rod is a pivot that pushes the cog out to contact the ring gear on the flywheel. as that happens, the other end of the rod has a plate that makes contact with the 2 prongs at the back of the solenoid that allows current to flow to the starter winding. what typicaly happens is that plate becomes corroded or carbon fowled from the arcing current. clean the corrosion or carbon and your back up and running.

[Oren09]

So the starter can be pulled and cleaned up?
Does anyone here have info on that?

She's a single mother and a simple cleaning, even if it only goes another 10K miles, would be a lot better than a new starter.

I'll go back to town today and remove the starter.

[georgeb]

Have someone tap on starter with hammer while attempting to start. If it starts, starter is bad. Or you can always carry a helper.

[Bert]

It is situations like this where I am thankful to operate a manual transmission. Without a starter an automatic transmission car is downright dead. On a manual it can still be push or pull started and if you're like me awaiting a new starter (not on-the-shelf items around here anymore) you make sure to park on a hill or slope for how many days/weeks it takes.

Also the starter location on a manual Festy is much easier to get at then the ornery business of getting at a Festy auto starter which is right at the back of the engine.

[Damkid]

solenoid,s bad just replace starter. make sure connections are tight.

Way to tell him to replace parts before diagnosing, that's the best way for a shop to make money, doesn't help fellow members though