After having read through scores of "Won't Start" threads and still not identifying the issue I have I had to resort to creating yet another "Help Me!" thread.

Pertinent information : 2003 Monte, 3.4L, Ignition switch recall completed, Fairly Bone Stock

Okay, Now the meat and potatoes of it. About 10 days ago I get a "Hey Daddy, What are you doing" call from my daughter saying the car wouldn't start after stopping at a convenience store. I drive my truck to where she is, take a look and all signs are pointing to a shot Starter. No problem, Get the car towed home, pull the starter and it checks bad. Alrighty I say and get a new starter. Have it installed shortly thereafter, turn the key and vrooom...

Everything is all well and good until 3 days ago and I receive another "Hey Daddy" Call. I proceed to her house and look at the car and it has the exact same symptoms it had before. Turn the key, a single click and nothing. Again I jack the car up and remove the starter. Take it to Ye Ole Auto Parts Store and sure enough, it tests bad. One warranty replacement and I'm on my way. This time I also removed the battery and had it tested. A couple tests on the battery and I am also walking out with a new Battery.

New battery installed, second new starter installed, turn the key and Vroom again. I wipe my hands pack everything up and head back home. Not even 3 hours later I get a panicked call from my daughter. I can hear the clack clack clack clack in the background of the call. Basically she went to start the car to head to work, turned the key and the starter wouldn't start the car, instead it was continuing to try to engage over and over (thus the clack clack) It freaked her out so she turned off the car and removed the keys from the ignition. The starter continued to clack clack clack until the solenoid on the starter completely fried. By the time I got there the starter solenoid was burnt up, and batter power to the car had been disconnected.

So my question is... WTF would cause multiple starters to burn up in a span of days?

 

I would check all the Wiring and Grounds. I would also look over the area of the Starter Relay. make sure that everything is working like it should. Clean up the Wiring, Clean off all posts. Maybe even buy some Acid Cleaner that you can get for Car battery. At times you can look over something, Clean it off with brush and Spray that cleaner and it will show that there is some down the line inside the wires.

I don't want to say for sure that this is going to be the issue, However a few years ago a friend of mine had issue with CLICK Click etc. battery was good Starter was good. So i came over for a Beer and Starter check party lol. After a couple of Minutes I was able to tell by some testing that his Main Starter Cable was bad. The strange thing was, He could at times get it to start and a few times some times more then 20 tries it wouldn't start. Then it would. In short we put in a new cable for the Starter and he hasn't had a problem since.

 

The problem isn't a lack of power getting to the starter. The starters are getting burnt up with constant power. The latest one with the key off and out of the car.

Although I will clean and check the start relay and all associated wiring.

 

Sorry I guess I may have missed the point of the main post? After reading it again it almost sounds like that it wasn't the point of click click so on from her trying to start the car hours later but that the car without her around the car had toasted the starter without key in or car owner in the car?

If that is how I should have read it. Sorry I didn't put that together the first time.

I would make sure there is no aftermarket Remote start system in the car. If there is Remove it. It is no longer any good. Or it could be that it is getting input from the Remote to start car. however that wouldn't make sense because if it was getting a start command from remote then car would just be running. So If there is an Aftermarket Remote Start. Pull the main Unit Fuse as it is not working right.

If there is no Aftermarket remotestart, Then there is a different issue. This could be there is a Short that is making the Starter keep spinning. Could be that there is an issue with your IGN Switch is bad shorting out. Could be a lot of things that is hard to know what it is without looking over the car

This car at the Ign Switch has a HOT at all times, you turn the Key to Start/Crank it passes that power over to the Left side Fuse box PCM/Crank fuse, From that fuse if good to the PCM though the passthrough to the engine area. THe PCM using this info along with other things to check that the car should start. If everything looks ok the PCM sends the Starter Relay a Ground output the that Relay where if the ABS/PCM fuse is good clicks the Relay and by doing this takes power from HOT all time and passes it to the Starter Solenoid where that clicks like a Relay to get FULL power from larger cable from the battery.

I hate to always say that it could be a Computer that is bad. But I would check grounds around the PCM to make sure they are good as well. If there is no Aftermarket RS then I would say it sounds like there is an issue with the IGN Switch or the PCM.

James

 

My 03 mc was recalled for an ignition switch recall, you might want to call the dealer !