My 95 monte carlo ticks when I try to start it but will start if boosted. It has a new battery. My mechanic just retired and since I live in an exceedingly rural area it is not easy to find a new one. Ignition switch, starter,relays? Any suggestions on narrowing this down?

 

The first thing I'd check would be the battery cable connections. Make sure they are clean and tight - both at the battery and the ground point on the body/frame and starter motor. If you've made several attempts to start the car charge the battery to insure you have adequate amperage to power the starter. If the car started on its own (without a jump) right after installing the new battery then lost power over time your alternator may be bad. Another cause could be the battery cables. Over time they oxide (even under the casing) and create excessive resistance. If this happens the starter cannot receive sufficient amperage.

 

I have gone through connections and that does not appear to be the problem. Thanks for giving it some thought though.

 

What voltage does the battery read? I've seen batteries have bad cells before also. In the case of ticking, it's a power issue - you either have loose connections/grounds or that battery is bad. Especially when jumping it starts the car.

I have also seen where on a full battery tester, the battery passes, but it still couldn't start the car. Just a heads up.