Stumped by Electrical Issues
 

I've been having an issue with my 2000 SS failing to start. It has around 75000 miles. At first I thought I had a dead battery because when I tried to start my car I would only hear the clicking of my starter and my lights would dim. I got a jump but it took over twenty minutes for the car to start. I still thought this was an issue with my battery that was only over a year old. The next day my car started right up and I took it to work. After work my car started just fine and I drove almost all the way home when I stoped by a grocery store and found that my car wouldn't start afterwards. I was again having the same problem. I pulled out the battery and had it tested at Checkers and it was good. They gave it a quick charge but when I put it back in my car my car would still not crank. The starter was clicking though. I got a jump for about twenty minutes again and then the car started. Three days later I took the alternator to get tested and it was fine. I put the alternator back in the car and tried turning on the car and it worked. Yesterday morning I tried to start my car and again I only got the clicking starter. I tried again in the evening and the car started. I pulled the starter today and got it tested and it was good. I put it back in the car and the vehicle started right up. I decided to see how how many times I could turn the car on and off before I got a failure to start. I sucessfully turned it on three consecutive times but on the fourth it would not turn on. I noticed that when it failed to start all the lights would remain dim and when tried to I set my alarm the horn sounded very week. I tested the battery with my voltmeter and it read over 12v. I played with my keyless remote locking and unlocking my car. The lights would eventual brighten when I was playing with the remote and I was able to turn on the car. I checked the voltage on the battery while the car was running and it read around 13.8v. I have no clue whats going on. Is this an issue with the ignition, BCM, or PCM? The car runs fine so long as I can get it to start.

Make sure the ground from the battery to frame has a good connection. The bolt might be wobbling loose.

It's on tight.

did you make sure the battery terminals were on nice and tight after you had it checked at Checkers? are the terminals clean?

When they test a starter do they check all of the teeth? It sounds like you could just be missing a tooth or two preventing the start sometimes.

Or do they just see that it works mechanically right.

when this happens crawl under the car and make sure u dont have a dead spot in the starter...just tape it with a hammer and have someone try to start it. thats the first thing id do cuz its simple and easy to rule out. next i would check to c what kind of voltage you are getting to the starter. from what i read the only reason u would think that it is the battery is becuz ur lights dim, which they should when you try and start the car. let us know of any progress.

I actually had to buy new terminal connectors becuase I lost one. There is some grease inside the battery terminal threads that I can try removing and see what that does. I tightened terminal connectors very tight when I re-installed the starter last night.

My car is totally stock right now. No aftermarket equipment. I did have a radar dector that I've since removed from the car for fear that it was draining the battery. I had Checkers perform the starter test twice. It ran and passed the test both times. I'm not sure how conclusive their tests are. They didn't attach the starter to any kind any gears to check the teeth and I didn't check for any missing teeth. What is weird is that when I turn the ignition and it fails to start all the interior lights and even the radio will remain dim even after I've moved the ignition to the acc position. The dome light will also be dim if I open the door. Also, if I set my alarm immediatley after it fails to start the horn sounds very week and the lights flash but they appear dim also. I usually only atempt to crank the car for maybe two to three seconds. Could the dim lights just be a result of the battery recovering from the temporary drain during the attempted start?

What kind of voltage should I be getting at the starter?

Thanks for all the suggestions. This is a great forum with a lot of good information. Wish I found it sooner.

DOnt remove the grease. Its there to keep it from corroding. NOw i'm not surre if there is a relay between the switch and the starter. But it sure sounds like. I'm notto familiar with the 6th Gens.

he says he can here a clicking. generally that means the relay is working. u should be gettin at least 12 volts to the starter.