werewolf

Hi all

Went to start up the GS today and no love. I thought I had a dead battery but found a ticking sound coming from the fuse box when I went to attach the battery charger

The mighty google suggested that it might be the relay but I have no clue on electricals

Any suggestions? Thanks!

werewolf

Gerf

Sounds like low voltage.

werewolf

big problem or small problem?

byungkuk

check the battery terminals..connection.. clean, reconnect/retighten and try again

werewolf

Done - no improvement - I've taken both battery terminal connections off and will try to charge the battery overnight to see if that can get the car to start

bclexus

You most likely do have a dead battery. Attaching a battery charger may have caused the ticking sound as various loads (door/dome lights, ignition, etc, would essentially be trying to be run off just the charger, which I presume is a small low amperage trickle charger. If you tried starting the engine with a dead battery and the charger hooked up, you're not going to get the engine to turn over.

Your best bet is to replace the battery with a new one. Hopefully you won't have any trouble after replacing the battery.

Lwerewolf

As others have said, check battery voltage with a multimeter. Sounds like a classic case of bad battery.

p.s. almost the same nick, nothing personal

werewolf

Hi all

Thanks - replaced the battery, MMeter showing 13volts passive and also a clean bill of health for the two relays in the fuse box

Yeah Japanese electronics!

Margate330

Already so many great posts.

Just like to add if it walks and talks like a duck it may be a duck... lol

Cicking relays is classic when coil voltage is fluctuating right at that sweet spot of pulling in the relay contacts which is usually approx 1/2 the relay's coil rated operating voltage.
Could be other things too like bad frame ground and I had a car one time that made obnoxious clicking sounds when key was on and that was it's nature so just a guess.

Plz add- if you know which relays are clicking this can be traced out to the Ecm responsible for pulling in the relay and mayble laser target the faulty ecm or it's voltage supply/ground. Some relays coil's ground side are manipulated by Ecm's which also have ground reference too that could be faulty. I had a car one time that cycled the relays when key was on with a perfect rythim and timing and it was normal had another car that when the voltage was low the ecm would also cycle the relays with precisie timing. Not sure on our cars but if clicking rhythm is perfectly timed this could be something else. just thinking.