T
Makes a clicking noise when starting and won’t start. Any help is appreciated!
906UP
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H
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T
2014 700-4 after dining more research I also came up with starter solenoid but thank you for confirming!
906UP
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Use a test light, check for power at the starter while someone turns the key to start, if you have power the solenoid is good and the starter is bad, no power to the starter is a bad solenoid. You did check to make sure the battery is charged.....right?
T
Battery charged check. It does start if I have jumper cables (trickle charge) so I’m thinking solenoid.
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If it starts with a charger hooked up to the battery.
Then...
It's a bad battery.
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CID
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A clicking solenoid usually means the battery is to too weak to turn the engine over. It's possible to read 12 + volts on a VM and not have enough amps to start. Any auto parts store can do a load test for you.
T
You sure? We checked the battery was at 16 volts
T
The reason I ask again is this was happening with the old battery so I bought a new one thinking it was the battery. Same issue.
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R
Kinda new to the forum, but this is what I'd do. Note: this is not safe by today's standards.
Start with a FULLY CHARGED (12.8V or better) battery. Try to start with the switch. If the solenoid clicks but doesn't spin the starter, leave the key in the run position and use a cheap box end wrench (the arc will leave a mark or 2) and bridge across the 2 largest terminals. They're usually copper coated and easy to find. Your pic already shows one exposed. If the starter engages, most likely a bad solenoid. If it doesn't, bad battery or connection. If you have a voltmeter, and you can measure across the battery terminals while bridging the solenoid, a drop of more than 2 volts indicates a bad battery. Remember, a battery can have a bad cell inside and still show 12V under little or no load. If the solenoid is bridged and voltage drops big time, almost certainly a battery problem.
Start with a FULLY CHARGED (12.8V or better) battery. Try to start with the switch. If the solenoid clicks but doesn't spin the starter, leave the key in the run position and use a cheap box end wrench (the arc will leave a mark or 2) and bridge across the 2 largest terminals. They're usually copper coated and easy to find. Your pic already shows one exposed. If the starter engages, most likely a bad solenoid. If it doesn't, bad battery or connection. If you have a voltmeter, and you can measure across the battery terminals while bridging the solenoid, a drop of more than 2 volts indicates a bad battery. Remember, a battery can have a bad cell inside and still show 12V under little or no load. If the solenoid is bridged and voltage drops big time, almost certainly a battery problem.
Remington
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Since it's done this with two batteries, make sure all heavy gauge wire ends are tight - typically two on the battery (but you just changed that), two at the soleniod, one on the starter and the chassis end of the ground battery cable. You might have a loose connection in the high amp starting circuit.
Remi's right, 16 volts ain't right. When I had one battery, it showed 14.4 volts when running (all day). When I added a second battery, that dropped to 13.8 volts running but that's with a different voltmeter (I switched to a dual vm). Standing voltage (not running) is 12.7
T
Ok thanks. The solenoid was cheap enough so I ordered one. When I get it I’ll check all connections again upon installation. Thank you all for the advice!
P
From experience!!!
The solenoid can click but not make contact inside because the contacts are worn or burnt from normal use. Using a wrench to cross the solenoid terminals works but beware it make lots of sparks and put burn marks on the wrench but it will confirm a bad solenoid. Again from experience.
solenoids are cheap and I bet that’s your problem. Good luck.
Its 100 percent the battery. when solenoid clicks its due to low voltage. A battery that has 16 volts is usually smoking and melting not sure what u used to test it but it's not the solenoid.
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