Single click

[Frankenbronco]

I haven't been able to get my b2 started lately. When I try to start it there is a single click & nothing else. It has power in the acc. position. I've replaced the starter solenoid, battery and the starter was rebuilt a couple months ago. I'm at a loss, I don't know what to do next.

 

[adsm08]

Two tests to do, the results of which will greatly narrow down the problem.

1): Take wire off the starter, hook it up to a headlight bulb and ground the bulb. Try to crank the engine and see if the bulb lights up.

2) Remove starter. Get jumper cables. Hook negative to a bolt ear on the starter case, then hook positive to the spot where the wire goes. See if the starter lights up.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

adsm08s advise is always good, do it first. I drive old crap and in my experience a single click has always been a bad connection, usually the battery cable ends corroded. If you are re-using old cables, they could be corroded inside the insulation where it's impossible to see.

Richard

 

[rusty7983]

Is the battery dead? Turn the lights on and crank it over do the lights dim as they should? Maybe the battery is low or dead?

 

[wildbill23c]

I'm guessing something is lose somewhere, experienced this problem many times and usually either a battery terminal that's lose, corroded, or a starter wire lose.

 

[RonD]

What transmission do you have?

If manual trans the clutch switch might be disconnected or bad, it's on the clutch master cylinder to pedal push rod(inside under the dashboard).
The clutch pedal must be in all the way for starter motor to work, that's what the switch detects.

If automatic trans there is a Neutral safety switch(NSS) that could be disconnected or bad.
Transmission shifter must be in Park or Neutral for starter motor to work, this switch is in the transmission just above the shift linkage, it can be tested and adjusted or replace without dropping the trans, there are also 2 connectors on the wires that can get corroded.
The connector on the switch itself and usually one at the top of the bell housing where it goes into the main wiring harness.


If you want to test if this switch might be the problem, MAKE SURE TRANSMISSION IS IN PARK OR NEUTRAL!!!!!!!
On the starter solenoid you will see one, or two, smaller posts, you want the post labelled "S", it will usually have a small red wire connected to it, that wire activates the solenoid when it has 12v.
If it has a push on connector remove it, if its a nut leave it.
Use a jumper wire from the "+" battery terminal to this post, make sure key is OFF or in your pocket
MAKE SURE TRANSMISSION IS IN PARK OR NEUTRAL!!!!!!!
Starter should crank when you touch 12v to the post, if other cables are good

The wire on the "S" post gets 12v from the key being in the start position, but that 12v passes thru the clutch switch or NSS switch to get to the solenoid, so you are bypassing the key switch and clutch/NSS switch on this test.
But if key switch was the issue then you probably wouldn't hear any "clicks", the click could be the EEC relay and Fuel pump relay which both come on(click) when key is first turned on.

 

[Frankenbronco]

It started raining before I could get under the bronco. Connections up top look good. There is no NSS.

 

[PetesPonies]

If there is no NSS, then you have a manual trans and a switch on the clutch pedal. But if you hear a click, power is getting through. As was stated, a single click is many times a connection problem.

 

[Frankenbronco]

I got under & removed the starter. I cleaned the connections also, the battery ground & the starter connection. I hooked the starter to my booster pack & nothing happened.

 

[Surrey]

I had the same thing happen in my Caravan. Took apart both battery terminal clamps, cleaned the crap outta the clamps, all the wire ends, and the battery posts. Problem solved.

Is your single click a small click from under the hood (relay) or a big click from under to engine (Starter)?

 

[adsm08]

Well if you hooked the starter case to ground and the cable tab to the hot side and it did nothing you have a bad starter.

 

[Frankenbronco]

The starter is good, I had it tested, I guess my pack was low. I cleaned the cable ends on all the connections. It still just makes the single click. I checked the cable for weak spots or cuts, nothing. Could the wire corrode without the insulation getting messed up? When I replaced the battery the guy said I only needed a 650cca instead of the 1000cca I had, is this ok?

 

[adsm08]

Well the 5.4L only needs a 650 CCA, so there is no reason a 2.9 should need 1000. Infact I ran mine on a 500 for a few years.

Did you ever load test that wire?

 

[Frankenbronco]

No, I didn't. How? I have a meter.

 

[adsm08]

No meter. You need a real load to load test, and a head light is the only thing on the car that draws anywhere close to the same amount of power as the starter.

See the thing about voltage is that is drops across the highest resistance in the circuit. If you open the circuit up by disconnecting it you create a point of infinite resistance at the end of the wire, so if there is spot in the middle with high resistance you might not see it in a meter reading.

You need to hook up a head light bulb to the starter wire and hit the key to see if it lights it up.


Also, keep in mind that a starter that tests OK on the bench may not have the nuts to spin up a load like the engine.

 

[Frankenbronco]

Once again I'm probably an idiot, but I don't know how to do that.

 

[adsm08]

Go to store, buy an old-style sealed beam head light, then hook it up to the starter wire. Use any thing you can find, a bolt, some jumper cables, some test leads, what ever you have, then try to start the car and see if the bulb lights up.

I really have no idea how to explain this any better. It's such a simple concept that I don't think I can simplify it any farther.

 

[Frankenbronco]

Thanx, even an idiot like me can understand that.

 

[adsm08]

Ok.

 

[Frankenbronco]

Instead of buying a light I bought a switch to starter cable. It's still doing the same thing. I also replaced the battery to switch cable. I replaced the engine ground a couple years ago. There is a small wire on the power side of the solenoid going to some sort of relay & it looks rough. There is a connector on the relay that has no wire. How many connections should there be?