Starter problem....? HELP - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

pandalove182 · 03-01-2009, 09:16 PM

OKay so I bought a 2000 Camaro SS 6 speed with 18,000k miles on it. The previous owner bought it new and used it for 3 years then let it sit for the next 6 years only starting it a handful of times.

When I drove it home it drove fine everything was okay I had no problems with it other than a blown speaker.

About two weeks ago I had a problem starting it one morning in about 5 degrees farenheit. I got it started and while letting the clutch out it would die. When I finally did get it moving I noticed that whenever my heater engaged that my lights would go a little dim but after driving it for about 10 mins. it was fine.

NOTE: when I bought the car I bought a new battery from napa, because I noticed my car battery meter never reached the middle it was always low. Even when I bought the new battery it stayed half way between middle and low.

Today, I tried to start my car and nothing happened, it wouldnt even turn over. All you heard was a bunch of clicking. My father later today did in fact get it started and pulled it in the garage he said it was fine. Well, about 4 hours I got home and gave it a shot and nothing I showed him and we haven't been able to start it since.

Note: we had it on the charger and tried jumping it...and nothing happened also....yesterday I got it a carwash and had an undercarriage was done with that.

Symptoms:

The car does not turnover or make the clicking sound, ONLY when it is hooked up to the charger.

pandalove182 · 03-01-2009, 09:20 PM

when it does make the clicking sound you also see the security light stay on and the gages all go crazy and jump up, my rpm and speedometer everything jumps up also I noticed that the rear hatch would also unlatch itself. When I dont try to start the car everything works fine the horn, lights are bright, and radio/stereo works fine

I talked to my mechanic he said it sounds like starter trouble but how does that explain the the crazy gages and the also the curious sound my heater made when it started to engage

Also, I noticed that before I hooked up the charger the keyless entry would not lock or unlock and when it did it sounded very weak

I was talking to my dad he thinks that maybe a wire could be grounded from the carwash, a bad battery,

We thought alternator but how could that be it if all my electronics work

*CamaroSpike23* · 03-01-2009, 09:22 PM

pull the alternator and take it to Autozone and see if its working properly.

the starter sounds fine. usually when its clicking (which is the starter solenoid tripping on and off), but not engaging, it isnt getting enough power to spin the starter. I've had problems with my car that the battery is fine, but the terminal connections are jacked up and they have to be just right, (not too tight, not too loose) to work.

but a friend of mine had the same problem you are describing just a couple weeks ago in his 01 trans am. his alt and batt were both dead.

pandalove182 · 03-01-2009, 09:28 PM

funny thing you said that because when I bought the car the guy said he bought a brand new battery a month before selling it but when I got it, it was bad. Now I want to say that maybe do you think my alternator just isnt charging up my battery? And maybe it drained this one? but now that would draw the question if I have my charger putting out 50 amps, why is it not starting my car still even if the battery was dead?

craigd853 · 03-02-2009, 08:24 AM

Load test the battery, if your alternator is bad it could possibly have ruined this battery as well. If the battery is good, fully charge the battery and try to start the car again. It sounds like the alternator is not putting out enough amps. If you get it running. there are a few ways to check the alternator itself. With engine running, take a volt meter and check the output at the battery. It should be around 13.5- 14 with no electronics on in the car. If you don't have a volt meter, start the engine and dissconnect the positive wire from the battery. If the engine dies then it is the alternator. When using this method ensure that you don't let the positive cable touch any other part of the car or you could have some sparks. Good luck.

Mr Twisty · 03-02-2009, 01:25 PM

I agree, check the alternator. If it is weak, you'll still want to replace the battery, they don't survive long under full discharges like you described. Check your starter wires while you're at it, make sure you don't have any loose.

*CamaroSpike23* · 03-02-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandalove182

funny thing you said that because when I bought the car the guy said he bought a brand new battery a month before selling it but when I got it, it was bad. Now I want to say that maybe do you think my alternator just isnt charging up my battery? And maybe it drained this one? but now that would draw the question if I have my charger putting out 50 amps, why is it not starting my car still even if the battery was dead?

50 amps might not be enough. your alternator puts out twice that to charge the battery. but the fact that the battery has had such a drain put on it repeatedly, i would be willing to bet that it has lost is usefulness.
do you have a spare battery you could swap in (like one from another car that you know is good)? that way you can see if its just the battery or if its a combo of the battery and the alternator.

Mr Twisty · 03-02-2009, 02:51 PM

Spike, I think you nailed his problem most likely the alt.

If he uses a fresh battery with a bad alternator, it's gonna run till the electrical system sucks it dry. That cold weather is sucking his batteries down also.

*CamaroSpike23* · 03-02-2009, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterCamaro69

Spike, I think you nailed his problem most likely the alt.

If he uses a fresh battery with a bad alternator, it's gonna run till the electrical system sucks it dry. That cold weather is sucking his batteries down also.

thats the problem ive got with my Z now. she's been sitting so long and its been cold as crap lately. ill get around to buying a new battery next week if I feel like it.

Supercamaro64 · 03-02-2009, 04:20 PM

ok...this is a little freaky... the exact same thing is happening to my 86 RITE NOW. im just carrying around a booster pack, becuz everytime i jump it, its fine, but other than tht, same problem. i was going to get a new battery in about an hour, cuz it worked fine until like 3 days ago. the only thing is, i didnt hav one single problem until this started. idk wat to do

*CamaroSpike23* · 03-02-2009, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Supercamaro64

ok...this is a little freaky... the exact same thing is happening to my 86 RITE NOW. im just carrying around a booster pack, becuz everytime i jump it, its fine, but other than tht, same problem. i was going to get a new battery in about an hour, cuz it worked fine until like 3 days ago. the only thing is, i didnt hav one single problem until this started. idk wat to do

check your alt.

Vash · 03-02-2009, 05:35 PM

Hum did you triple check the Pos battery cable? Normally there is corrosion that occurs on the postive terminal. On GM's the pos side connector tends to corrode out.

pandalove182 · 03-02-2009, 09:45 PM

okay guys this is what the problem was the terminals were not tighten enough. Spike said that it had to be tightened to a certain amount and I think taht was the problem

*CamaroSpike23* · 03-03-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandalove182

okay guys this is what the problem was the terminals were not tighten enough. Spike said that it had to be tightened to a certain amount and I think taht was the problem

these cars are finicky.

03-01-2009, 09:16 PM	#1
pandalove182 Drives: 1985 camaro Z28,2000 camaro SS Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: bloomingdale, il Posts: 45	Starter problem....? HELP OKay so I bought a 2000 Camaro SS 6 speed with 18,000k miles on it. The previous owner bought it new and used it for 3 years then let it sit for the next 6 years only starting it a handful of times. When I drove it home it drove fine everything was okay I had no problems with it other than a blown speaker. About two weeks ago I had a problem starting it one morning in about 5 degrees farenheit. I got it started and while letting the clutch out it would die. When I finally did get it moving I noticed that whenever my heater engaged that my lights would go a little dim but after driving it for about 10 mins. it was fine. NOTE: when I bought the car I bought a new battery from napa, because I noticed my car battery meter never reached the middle it was always low. Even when I bought the new battery it stayed half way between middle and low. Today, I tried to start my car and nothing happened, it wouldnt even turn over. All you heard was a bunch of clicking. My father later today did in fact get it started and pulled it in the garage he said it was fine. Well, about 4 hours I got home and gave it a shot and nothing I showed him and we haven't been able to start it since. Note: we had it on the charger and tried jumping it...and nothing happened also....yesterday I got it a carwash and had an undercarriage was done with that. Symptoms: The car does not turnover or make the clicking sound, ONLY when it is hooked up to the charger.

03-02-2009, 01:25 PM	#6
Mr Twisty Drives: the 2nd amendment home Join Date: May 2008 Location: OK Posts: 14,707	I agree, check the alternator. If it is weak, you'll still want to replace the battery, they don't survive long under full discharges like you described. Check your starter wires while you're at it, make sure you don't have any loose. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

03-02-2009, 02:51 PM	#8
Mr Twisty Drives: the 2nd amendment home Join Date: May 2008 Location: OK Posts: 14,707	Spike, I think you nailed his problem most likely the alt. If he uses a fresh battery with a bad alternator, it's gonna run till the electrical system sucks it dry. That cold weather is sucking his batteries down also. __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

03-02-2009, 04:20 PM	#10
Supercamaro64 Right, right. Drives: 79 Z28, 86 Camaro, 94 Burb 4x4 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Posts: 1,350 View My Garage	ok...this is a little freaky... the exact same thing is happening to my 86 RITE NOW. im just carrying around a booster pack, becuz everytime i jump it, its fine, but other than tht, same problem. i was going to get a new battery in about an hour, cuz it worked fine until like 3 days ago. the only thing is, i didnt hav one single problem until this started. idk wat to do __________________ "You wanna lay the fate of the world on the kids camaro? Thats cool." "When reporters asked what it was, one official stated, 'It's a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.'" The Creampuff Fleet-

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03-01-2009, 09:20 PM	#2
pandalove182 Drives: 1985 camaro Z28,2000 camaro SS Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: bloomingdale, il Posts: 45	when it does make the clicking sound you also see the security light stay on and the gages all go crazy and jump up, my rpm and speedometer everything jumps up also I noticed that the rear hatch would also unlatch itself. When I dont try to start the car everything works fine the horn, lights are bright, and radio/stereo works fine I talked to my mechanic he said it sounds like starter trouble but how does that explain the the crazy gages and the also the curious sound my heater made when it started to engage Also, I noticed that before I hooked up the charger the keyless entry would not lock or unlock and when it did it sounded very weak I was talking to my dad he thinks that maybe a wire could be grounded from the carwash, a bad battery, We thought alternator but how could that be it if all my electronics work

03-01-2009, 09:28 PM	#4
pandalove182 Drives: 1985 camaro Z28,2000 camaro SS Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: bloomingdale, il Posts: 45	funny thing you said that because when I bought the car the guy said he bought a brand new battery a month before selling it but when I got it, it was bad. Now I want to say that maybe do you think my alternator just isnt charging up my battery? And maybe it drained this one? but now that would draw the question if I have my charger putting out 50 amps, why is it not starting my car still even if the battery was dead?

03-02-2009, 08:24 AM	#5
craigd853 Drives: 2010 SS Camaro Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: MD Posts: 202	Load test the battery, if your alternator is bad it could possibly have ruined this battery as well. If the battery is good, fully charge the battery and try to start the car again. It sounds like the alternator is not putting out enough amps. If you get it running. there are a few ways to check the alternator itself. With engine running, take a volt meter and check the output at the battery. It should be around 13.5- 14 with no electronics on in the car. If you don't have a volt meter, start the engine and dissconnect the positive wire from the battery. If the engine dies then it is the alternator. When using this method ensure that you don't let the positive cable touch any other part of the car or you could have some sparks. Good luck.

03-02-2009, 05:35 PM	#12
Vash Drives: 00 Blazer Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 5,104	Hum did you triple check the Pos battery cable? Normally there is corrosion that occurs on the postive terminal. On GM's the pos side connector tends to corrode out.

03-02-2009, 09:45 PM	#13
pandalove182 Drives: 1985 camaro Z28,2000 camaro SS Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: bloomingdale, il Posts: 45	okay guys this is what the problem was the terminals were not tighten enough. Spike said that it had to be tightened to a certain amount and I think taht was the problem