SCM3

My car won't start. Battery checked O.K. Click..Click...Click and nothing. Seems like it might be the starter. Where is the starter located?

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Couple of things:

1) How do you know the battery is ok? Did you have it checked? The little green eye (which is not indicative of a good/bad battery)?
2) Cables connections nice and tight on the battery?

Starter is located under the intake manifold. Not a pretty job and something you want to make sure is really bad before tacking.

Let us know

SCM3

I replaced the battery 9 months ago. I had it checked at Autozone. Does the Intake Manifold have to be removed to get to the starter?

JohnnyCake

The click sound is the solenoid sending the drive pinion from the starter to the ring gear on the engine flywheel. Generally, click-click-click means that the starter is engaging but simply doesn't have enough power to turn the engine.

Do you have bright headlights? Do they go out when you turn the key to start the car?

Have you tried to jump the car?

My first inclination is that AutoZone did a bad job testing and it really is the battery.

If the battery really is good, then definitely check the connections to the battery and clean any corrosion. This could inhibit the electrical flow from the good battery to a good starter resulting in click-click-click.

BTW, you said click...click...click. I'm assuming that is all on a single turn of the key. If you meant one click per turn of the key, that is a whole different diagnosis.

SCM3

Yes, it's one click per start attempt. It's clicks once and makes a low motorized noise.

I will check if the lights dim upon start later today.

JohnnyCake

My bad. I thought you were getting click,click,click.

If its just one click, then I'd still check connections first, but am starting to think solenoid or starter.

SCM3

Not your bad. I could have stated it better to start.

How can I rule out Selonoid vs Starter? Is the Selonoid easier to get to than the starter?

PHXSC

Solenoid is usually piggy-backed on the starter, and both are removed as a unit. Although you can replace one or the other individually, you might as well replace both while you have them both removed from the vehicle.

SCM3

I'm taking it in for repair this week. The car has 77k miles, is there anything else I should have done while they are at it? Tx.

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

new intake gasket a must along with any small associated gaskets. Replace some of the small smog hoses since there will be there as they tend to age and get brittle. New FI o-rings-do it right.