razzele

the battery may only be partially charging ..... it happened to mine, the battery would take charge at 14v, then discharge down to 12.5 when cranking. it made a rapid clicking noise and would not start, though plenty of power for radio+lights etc. when i put a new battery in the car started straight away and has never faulted in that respect since.

1AP12NV

You still can get clicking noises even if the battery is dead.

Try turning the car thats jumping you on and reving it up a little bit while you try to start yours.

-J

vananron

Sounds like a dead battery. If it is a stick, bump start it. If it starts then dies, it is 90% that it is the battery. You could also have a bad alternator, but you would have to take it in to find out.

Ron Smith

Steve@Evolution

Either starter, igniton relay, or the ignition cylinder unit it self. I have the same problem with my wife's 140000 miles Integra right now.

xviper

A rapid clicking is the sound of the starter solenoid and means that there is not enough current getting to the starter motor. Since you said it does the same thing when you try to jump it, it still means that not enough current is getting to the starter motor. You say you have a '99. In 3-4 years, it is possible that your battery cable, most likely the positive one, has sulfated to the extent that it will no longer carry current efficiently. Look at the end near the battery connection. Does it look fat and bulging and possibly caked with a blue/green powdery substance where the wire is exposed? This will be your clue.
If this is the case, you can still start the car by putting the jumper cable directly to where the positive cable normally attaches at the starter motor, although this may be extremely difficult to get at. The negative can go on any solid ground on the engine. If it starts this way, you need to replace the battery cable as your battery will not charge well either.

diGital.James

batteries dead... like viper said probably the postive terminal. push start the mf.

bodo

yeh - start at the basics and see if there is a voltage drop between terminals and posts

S1999+1

Turn on your lights when jumping the car and see if they get brighter. Also try to start it with the lights on, see if they get really dim, or flash simultaneously when you try to start it.

I really don't think it's the battery since you tried jumping it. Assuming you jumped it correctly, it's probably your starter.

mikecl713

its prob a ground cable.

fsiebold

[B]Find a volt meter.

Find out your battery voltage before attempting to start the car.

You should measure somewhere between 12.7 and 13.4 volts DC. If your on the low end of this reading, your battery is quite low. If your on the high end, it's probably not a battery problem. If you leave a battery charger on overnight, and you can't get the reading close to 13.2 volts after an adequate charge, the battery is probably toast. Trying to do a quick charge with a high charge rate is damaging to the battery.

When the battery is okay, troubleshoot the connections between the battery and the starter.

Put one end of the meter on the positve terminal of your battery and the other end of the meter on the stud connection on the starter where the thick wire is attached. There should be two wires going to the starter, a little one to energize the solenoid, and a big one to the starter motor. Check the big one.

Before trying to start the engine, make sure the available battery voltage is adequate. Easy quick way is to attach jumper cables to another car battery that you KNOW is good. You shouldn't need the other car running for this.

Have someone try and start the engine and get a reading on the voltage drop between the battery and the starter. If it's more than a couple of volts, move one end of the meter along the different connections between the battery and the starter to find out where the voltage is getting dropped.

Fix the bad connection if that's what it is.

Your ignition switch is probably okay, as the clicking noise is the starter solenoid engaging.