start, stumble, then click, now dead

[Dave]

Starting my beauty up for a nice ride.  All was well.  Removed cover, connected battery.  Got in to start up and drive away.  Turned key, started right up, stumbled and died.  Nothing unusual, been sitting for weeks.  At this point, one more key turn, and it runs fine... but now, when I turned the key a second time I got only a click, and all is dead.  Battery good and 12v plus across terminals, both when attached to the car and disconnected.  Not sure where the click sound came from - I had the hood up.  Key turns, but everything is completely dead - no lights, no horn, no radio, etc.
Darn!  Thanks in advance to anyone with some expertise for their help.

[Cees Klumper]

Check the battery leads including the connections at the starter. Also, try giving the starter a good whack. No kidding; sometimes something in the starting circuit (layman guessing here) doesn't make its full cycle, preventing starting. I have used a long-ish piece of wood to hit the starter with, with good result. Also try putting the car in and out of gear if it's an automatic; perhaps the starter safety switch is out of alignment (although you should still have power going to the lights etc). Finally, try manipulating the ignition switch, I seem to recall that can cause similar symptoms.

Good luck, keep us posted and others with more knowledge please chime in.

[rb6667]

You mentioned you had 12 Volts at the battery.  A fully charged battery will read 12.6 volts.  It's real important.  12.2 volts is a battery that is only 50% charged.  Check the battery voltage with a tester and see what you get.  Any less than 12.6 volts, Charge the battery or replace it if it has some years on it.

If the battery tests OK, give the battery posts and clamps a good cleaning at the battery.  Sandpaper will do.   Also, check the battery ground where it attaches to the body near the battery.  Poor Grounds are the most likely culprit.  If you still have nothing, jack the car up and give the same treatment to the starter cable and connections at the starter.

Keep us updated on your progress.

RB6667






 

[ctaylor738]

There's also a ground strap on the left side of the engine, running from the body to a transmission bolt.

There was a similar issue with a car in this area last year, and it turned out to be internal corrosion it the cable from the battery to the starter.

Good luck - if you have nothing electrical working, at least it's not a subtle problem.

[Dave]

Tried the hammer - wood block on the starter.  No luck yet.  Boy, it sure was fun, located under both the intake and exhaust!  I jacked up a corner and slid beneath to try and hit it.  Nothing yet.  Battery is good.
Thanks to all so far, I will check every connection, battery terminals, grounds, starter, etc.  Never would have thought about the ground strap - will do.  I'm thinking jack up, disassemble the connections, clean, sand, spray with contact cleaner or brakleen, then reassemble using spark plug boot dielectric grease.  After that, who knows, maybe a starter.

[w113dude]

we had a similar problem like that with my friends 280sl, it turned out to be the three wire connections right under the engine on the oil pan, dirty and oily after cleaning started right up.

[ja17]

Also, if you have clamp-on replacement ends on your battery cable (at the battery)  take apart the clamp connections and clean them. Tey will corrode under the clamp and loose contact where the cable clamps to the connector. Of coase also clean where  cable clamps to the battery post.

[Dave]

Thanks Shaun and Joe.  Good advice.  Will do.

[ja17]

Hello,

If yours is an automatic, also check that the neutral safety switch cableto see that it is not broke or bent. To check this, have someone operate the shifter while someone watches to make sure that the neutral safety switch on the firewall moves. If the cable is bent or broken, the car may only "click" or may start in the wrong gear or any gear.

[Dave]

Thanks to all who responded !
It was a bad negative to ground cable.  Where it grounds on the fender, some corrosion or whatever.  I started at the battery as advised.  A little sandpaper, some dielectric grease, and I re-did all the connections.  Lucky for me it was something really simple.
Took me a few weeks to find the time to start the process, and this morning - Jackpot!