1992 Pontiac Firebird runs great but has trouble starting 1 in 3 times (it just clicks) .
Hello, I have a 1992 Pontiac Firebird that runs great but about 1 in 3 starting attempts, it just clicks when I turn the key. After turning the key an additional 5-7 times the car seems to "catch" and starts easily, as if there were no problem at all. My mechanic told me this is a starter issue (has a dead spot) and that it would need replacing. Before I drop the money for a new starter, does this sounds correct or is there something he may be overlooking?
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hey there. YourMechanic is most likely correct. The gears on your starter have to mesh and catch the gears on the engine in order to turn it over. If the teeth on the gear have been worn down, it’s likely the gear will engage and not be able to catch. Once you get into that area and start to inspect the issues, you will need to need to make sure it’s on the engine side that won’t catch. The starter is much more likely to develop these kinds of issues. The worn down teeth will be noticeable. Compare them to the other teeth on the gears and you will find your dead spot. If you would like to have this taken care of by another technician, a professional from YourMechanic can come to your location to replace the starter for you.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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It might be a battery or alternator problem.
A rapid clicking noise when trying to start your car could mean there`s something wrong within the electrical system. Perhaps your battery`s dead, or your alternator, which charges the battery, isn`t working correctly.
Usually a rapid clicking noise is a good indication that your starter motor isn`t getting enough electrical current to engage – basically your solenoid is trying to engage but can`t make the connection.
The starter relay makes a clicking sound, but the engine does not rotate, which indicates that the starter motor is not receiving enough current from the relay. This may also be a sign of low or exhausted battery power. Only when it transmits enough current to the starter, the relay starts to work.
The most common reasons a Pontiac Firebird won`t start are a dead battery, an alternator problem, or failed starter.
If your starter relay has gone bad, the electrical signal will never make it from the battery to the starter motor. As a result, your engine won`t turn over – no matter how many times you turn the key. A faulty relay often produces an audible clicking sound when you turn your car.
It requires a good deal of energy to crank the car`s motor, and if a battery is not replenishing its power properly due to a faulty alternator, it will become drained and ineffective. You will hear a clicking noise while attempting to start the car, and the engine will have difficulty turning over.
1 Start motor engages but the engine doesn`t turn
The simplest cause of this sort of fault is a loose or corroded electrical connection. If there is a fault with the internal windings of the starter motor, bad brushes, or other electrical faults, the starter motor may lack the torque to crank the engine.
You want your Pontiac Firebird to last as long as possible. With proactive maintenance, your Firebird has a good chance of hitting 200,000 miles or more.
However, there was one year in particular that hangs heavy on the minds of our fellow Camaro and Firebird lovers, 1972. This is due to the fact that 1972 was the year that held one of the largest strikes in GM history which led to the slowing of production of all GM vehicles.
This may seem obvious, but if you have a good battery, spark plug, and alternator, check if you have enough fuel in your car. The lack of fuel in the gas tank is a very common reason a car won`t start.
Rusting, power failure, irregular pressure, missing equipment, an incorrect amount of voltage or current, dirt stuck in the system and corrosion are some of the possible reasons why a solenoid valve may not properly close or open.
A bad starter`s tell-tale noise is loud clicking. It can either have a fast tempo, click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click or a slower lilt of click, click, click, click. No other part makes these noises when they fail, so if you hear either, you`re likely going to be on the hook for a brand-new starter.
Do your best to listen for a “click” noise. If the click is strong and loud, it most likely means the solenoid has enough power and is working properly. If the clicking you are hearing is quiet or repetitive, it may be that your solenoid is not strong enough or does not have enough power from the battery.
Common Signs of a Bad Starter
The engine won`t turn over. The most common signal that your starter has a problem is if nothing happens when you turn the key or push to start. Unusual noises, such as clinking, grinding and whirring. If you ignore these sounds, it can eventually lead to damage to the engine flywheel.
Common Signs of a Bad Starter
The engine won`t turn over. The most common signal that your starter has a problem is if nothing happens when you turn the key or push to start. Unusual noises, such as clinking, grinding and whirring. If you ignore these sounds, it can eventually lead to damage to the engine flywheel.
When you attempt to start the vehicle, is there a clicking sound, but it won`t turn over? That may be a good sign. If a jump gets the car running, but won`t turn over again once it`s shut off, a dead battery is likely the cause.
When you attempt to start the vehicle, is there a clicking sound, but it won`t turn over? That may be a good sign. If a jump gets the car running, but won`t turn over again once it`s shut off, a dead battery is likely the cause.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
1992 Pontiac Firebird runs great but has trouble starting 1 in 3 times (it just clicks) .
ANSWER : Hey there. YourMechanic is most likely correct. The gears on your starter have to mesh and catch the gears on the engine in order to turn it over. If the teeth on the gear have been worn down, it’s likely the gear will engage and not be able to catch. Once you get into that area and start to inspect the issues, you will need to need to make sure it’s on the engine side that won’t catch. The starter is much more likely to develop these kinds of issues. The worn down teeth will be noticeable. Compare them to the other teeth on the gears and you will find your dead spot. If you would like to have this taken care of by another technician, a professional from YourMechanic can come to your location to replace the starter for you.
My 2003 ford explorer wont start up just get click click click click click click click click
ANSWER : If the battery is weak and the voltage is dropping to below 9 volts you will get the clicking without the starter turning the motor. Have the battery voltage checked and if battery cannot hold a load then replace it and clean the battery terminals and recheck system to see if it starts.
I changed the fuel pump and truck ran great for 3 days. Now after 3 days, the truck dies. It will start running for a few minutes, then dies like before.
ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. I’d be happy to help. It sounds like you should disconnect the connector to the fuel pump and inspect it for any signs of getting hot. The female connections may be too loose on the fuel pump and lose contact after running and getting hot. If there are indeed any signs of problems, then I’d suggest replacing connector and adding dielectric lube to pins before installation. This should solve the problem, but if you continue to experience issues, feel free to reach out to us for help again.
Some times i turn the key and it starts up like normal but then shuts off after 1 second
ANSWER : You will need to check the purge control valve on the firewall near brake master cylinder. The purge valve may be letting too much vapor into the intake causing the stall or hard start.
There also may be an issue with shorted ignition coils in the spark plug holes. The plug boots may need to be replaced.
If you’d like some assistance with these checks, consider YourMechanic as one of our mobile experts can come to you and diagnose your starting issue firsthand. Best of luck.
Vehicle won’t start, once it’s jump started it only stays running until you turn it off, then it work start again without jumping.
ANSWER : Hi there. There could be two problems here. It is possible that your battery is bad and will not take a charge from your alternator while driving. In that case every time you shut your car off you will not have enough juice to start it again. Inspect your battery – it should have at least 12.5 to 13 volts to start your car, if it doesn’t you will need to replace the battery. The second problem could be that your alternator is bad and not charging your battery, in this case you will need to replace your alternator. Both the battery and the alternator can be tested in your car. If you would like to have the car checked for you, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the starting problem and proceed with repairs.
Wont start (Click), shift gear from P to R then back to P Starts it, after runs for a while it starts up fine.
ANSWER : Your vehicle has something called a neutral safety switch that will prevent the vehicle from starting when it is in any gear position other than park or neutral. Occasionally, this switch can malfunction causing the car to stall as soon as you put it into any gear. This switch usually also monitors gear selection data as well to transmit back to the computer. This switch is connected to the starter solenoid which allows it to complete the starter circuit only when the transmission is in park or neutral. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
Cranks over start than dies
ANSWER : Hi There,
The idle air control valve is a small valve on the engine’s intake system that reads the air intake as it comes into the motor. This is controlled by the car’s ECM which uses this information to make adjustments to the air/fuel ratio depending on various inputs such as outside air temperature, intake air temperature, load and various other things. As you accelerate, your car’s engine is receiving a much higher dose of fuel than when at idle and conversely, when you let off the gas pedal, there is a sudden change in this fuel supply as a result of your foot letting off the pedal. When this happens, the job of the idle air control valve is to bring this deceleration down to a slow and smooth idle rather than suddenly cutting off the fuel supply causing the motor to die. When the idle air control valve is not working properly, this cause a disruption in this process resulting in the engine not being able to idle properly. I would recommend having a professional come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
The idle air control valve is a small valve on the engine’s intake system that reads the air intake as it comes into the motor. This is controlled by the car’s ECM which uses this information to make adjustments to the air/fuel ratio depending on various inputs such as outside air temperature, intake air temperature, load and various other things. As you accelerate, your car’s engine is receiving a much higher dose of fuel than when at idle and conversely, when you let off the gas pedal, there is a sudden change in this fuel supply as a result of your foot letting off the pedal. When this happens, the job of the idle air control valve is to bring this deceleration down to a slow and smooth idle rather than suddenly cutting off the fuel supply causing the motor to die. When the idle air control valve is not working properly, this cause a disruption in this process resulting in the engine not being able to idle properly. I would recommend having a professional come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
Every 3-4 months, my car won’t start. It does turn over though.
ANSWER : If your battery is weak or has bad connections to the battery, then you may have problems starting the vehicle intermittently. This is due to low voltage to the starter which is taking all the power, while the electronic ignition and the electric fuel pump get cut short. This will cause the vehicle not to start.
You may think the vehicle is turning over okay, but the starter is taking in all of the power just to turn over the motor. You should get the battery and it’s cables checked, as well as the charging system, for any problems by a qualified mechanic so they can diagnose the problem and do any repairs needed to prevent this problem in the future.
