Ticking?

[chertel]

When I turn the key to start my car it won't turn over and just ticks. Does this mean that the Starter is shot?
Thanks
Chris

[solo_ryder]

Possibly or your battery terminals are loose, check those first.

If they are tight and you have good voltage I would say starter. Check the wires on the starter to make sure they are on well as well with no corrosion

[chertel]

I checked the battery and the connection is fine, I am going to put it on a slow charge to make sure the battery is good but I have a feeling it's the starter.
Thanks, just wanted to make sure before I tow it to the shop.

[Inodoro Pereyra]

No, it doesn't mean it's the starter. Even if the battery is fine, the starter is only one component in the starting system. And the starting system can be a real pain to deal with.
If you can, take your starter out, get it to an auto parts store, and have it tested. AAP and Autozone will test it for you, no charge. If the starter is good, and so is the battery, check the starter relay, then the ignition switch (inside the steering column, behind the lock cylinder), and then the grounds.
It is uncommon, but I had a ground problem in my '92. It involves somebody before you being an idiot, but if it happens, it can drive you crazy.

To make it more clear, my '92 would start perfectly almost always until one day it'd start with the ticking for a while, and then start like nothing.
I got the starter and battery tested, I tested the relay, the switch, the wires...everything perfect. After 3 weeks going crazy over it, I decided to give the grounds a once over, and found that some genius seemed to have seen a loose ground on the engine, and instead of cleaning it and tightening it back up, he just tightened it on top of the grime...
Long story short(ish), I took it off, cleaned both surfaces thoroughly, tightened it back up,...and never again a problem.

Take your time, and troubleshoot your system properly. You can end saving a lot of money.

[wytbishop]

Start by actually removing your battery teminals and cleaning and reinstalling them. Get them nice and clean with emery cloth or steel wool and then nice and tight.

A dirty battery terminal is the most common cause of the problem you're having. It's very similar to the ground issue Inodoro's talking about.

[SuperK]

the starter also has a ground, that, for some people, can cause a problem. Trace the ground wire for the starter and see if it frayed/broke/came loose. Reattach it to the head and try again.

[chertel]

Thanks for all the advise, I haven't taken my car to the shop yet so I will check out everything tomorrow. I do think it's the starter because I have been having trouble for some time now. Before I would turn the key and nothing, no ticking, over and over then finally it would start. The ticking is only recent. It is a 92 and I have owned it for over5 years and never changed the starter. They probably don't last forever.
Thanks again

[SuperK]

It's a 92? You know what? I think it actually could be the clutch switch!

I know my 92 has this problem, sometimes you have to turn the key several times and it ticks, then finally it catches and cranks!

Try turning the key, and pumping the clutch to see if it's the clutch switch that's not catching right. they're these funny mechanical switches behind the clutch that just goof up. I ended up taking mine apart and reassembling the springs and such, but it wasn't ever perfect and still goofed.

In fact, there's a method to bypass the clutch switch altogether with a little wire. Anyone know it? I don't remember. Pat did it on his car.

[Mad Cow]

Mine has a clutch switch problem too, you have to press it stupidly hard to get it to start, but it doesn't tick, it just shuts off everything as if it's starting but doesn't start. Check your connections on the starter too, one day my car wouldn't start, I thought the starter fried. I took it off, sanded down all the connections and now it works better than it ever did.

[_-Night-Shade-_]

Where is the ticking coming from? If it's the starter relay than maybe you just have bad connection on your starter. I had that too, one day my car magically wouldn't start, so I wiggled around the wires and the starter and it fired right up lol.

[mitmaks]

my aunt had same problem. It turned out to be a battery, have your battery checked first. Chances are its not taking charge and you're due for new one.

[Tunes67]

What is the voltage reading at the battery? And yeah.. I have the same clutch switch issue. But.. the clicking/ticking sound you are likely hearing is the starter solenoid. Its kicking the starter drive gear in.. but for one of several possible reasons.. the starter itself isnt spinning. Here is a list of possibilities (Most listed above already even).

Bad ground connections - on either the battery or the starter
Dirty battery terminals
Weak or dead battery.
Alternator has gone bad. Resulting in a battery that has run down its charge.
Bad starter motor brushes - starters can wear out eventually
Bad clutch switch.


There are always other possibilities but these are probably the most common. If your battery has vent caps.. pop them off and make sure the water level is good. Be sure to only use distilled water to fill the levels up with.

Tunes67