Starter?

Well i finally got around to changing my spark plugs because my car would always take forever to start in cold weather. now that, that is finished i went to turn on the car and when i turn the ignition all i hear is "click, click,click, click, click". sometimes it will sound like my car is making a slow churning sound like the battery doesn't have enough power.


could this problem be the starter?

Charge the battery- and check battery connections for corrosiont, then see if problem persists.....

Charge the battery- and check battery connections for corrosiont, then see if problem persists.....


for some reason i suggested that but everybody kept saying the starter. as a matter of fact i noticed a small bit of corrosion on the positive terminal(side post battery). the rubber boot on it was melted so i removed a good bit of it not too long ago.

also i noticed that my interior lights are way dimmer than they used to be. i tried taking the battery to pepboys like a month ago to see how much juice was left, but it is held in place by a bolt that won't budge for any reason. i will have to borrow my friend's battery charger if i can. thanks.

does anyone know the exact location of the starter on an 88 park ave? i want to see if i can get under the car and possibly change it myselt before it gets dark tonight. tomorrow i was just going to pay a mechanic to do it.

also, how big is the starter? i looked to see how much they cost on the internet, but i couldn't get a good judgement on how big a starter is. a friend said my starter solenoid is bad, and that i might as well change the whole starter.

How did you come out on cleaning the battery connections? Were you able to get the battery out and tested? That would be an easier and less expensive task...

How did you come out on cleaning the battery connections? Were you able to get the battery out and tested? That would be an easier and less expensive task...


i bought a new batter like an hour ago and put it in, and i could tell the old battery was weak because the new battery gave enough power to at least keep cranking while the old one would crank for like two seconds and die, but the car still doesn't start. as i turn the ignition it just keeps trying to turn, but it won't.


i don't know if its the starter or something else. another person told me to check the carburator because maybe its not getting gas, or something like that.


thanks for the feedback

do you know for sure the new battery was fully charged?

Did you have the battery tested before you bought the new one?
When you say it "the new battery gave enough power to at least keep cranking ..." does that mean it turns over fully for 5-10 seconds? Its confusing because you say as well "as i turn the ignition it just keeps trying to turn, but it won't." If you keep turning the key to start, say 5 or 6 times will it finally catch and really crank? There may be a dead spot in the starter. But make sure the battery is fully charged just to eliminate that as a possibility. Next check the cables connecting to the starter. Be sure those are clean and making a good contact.

How many miles do you have on the car. I all honesty you really probably need to put a new starter on. Not hard at all. Eventually the starter will drain the the new battery to nothing which will futher wear out the starter until your stranded somewhere. Mine was ok and just started to mess up out off the blue. I chased everything but the starter when mine was going bad since it just stop working out the blue. Save yourself futher head scratching and just change it. It cost $80.

Wasn't the 3.8 fuel injected by 88'?

Hope it helps cuz I felt like an idoit for chasing a problem that was right in my face.

On the other side of CMan's token, I have replaced a starter, and had to replace it 4 more times because they were all bad. This was on a 66 El Camino, and they were refurbished starters bought from Big A auto parts, so knowing where to buy what starter to get a good one might prevent that, but I'd just as soon buy a battery until I know the starter is bad, because I am leery of replacing parts when I don't know they are bad and it could just be a power issue, and starters will definitely do that when it's just a low battery or a bad power/ground connection to the starter.

How many miles do you have on the car. I all honesty you really probably need to put a new starter on. Not hard at all. Eventually the starter will drain the the new battery to nothing which will futher wear out the starter until your stranded somewhere. Mine was ok and just started to mess up out off the blue. I chased everything but the starter when mine was going bad since it just stop working out the blue. Save yourself futher head scratching and just change it. It cost $80.

Wasn't the 3.8 fuel injected by 88'?

Hope it helps cuz I felt like an idoit for chasing a problem that was right in my face.


it has just recently hit 100k miles and yeah most of the parts on here are the original ones. when i changed the spark plugs you could tell they were the original factory ones installed. i bought a new battery from pep boys so im guessing it was charged all the way(if not, im getting my money back), and the starter is just probably old and worn out like you said. eventually i wanted to put new aftermarket parts on virtually everything since i don't plan on selling this car for a while(interior and exterior is really good shape) so even if the problem isn't the starter, its good for me to get a new one anyways.

thanks everybody for your repsonses. i really appreciate them because before i had a car i knew nothing about them, and now with all the small things im starting to learn.

Also, if the problem persists after the starter i will just videotape when im trying to start the car and put it on youtube so you all can get a better idea of what i mean.

i basically wasted a bunch of money on things that didn't neccesarily need being repaired at the moment(new starter, new battery, but both were fine before and wasn't the problem). now someone is saying the car not starting has something to do with an ignition module, and another person saying the car might not be getting fuel, but the fuel pump is working. changing the fuel filter should be least expensive so i guess i will do that next.

and for anyone that was confused at my terminology used in earlier post, i apologize. the engine just won't turn over.

well I would not kick yourself too hard. The number of folks who have not replaced a part unnecessarily is probably a small minority. But the lesson learned is test the basics and do the simple things first;in example cleaning the cables. Not the problem?so what, its out of the way and did not cost you anything! And when someone suggests the battery connections you can say you did that already.
Now, so the more experienced folks on the forum can help you, try to clearly describe what happens when you try to start the car. Such as, When the key is inserted and turned, to start, does the starter engage?, and turn over, fast enough to start the car? If it does, and still does not start, open the hood. Do you smell gas? Have you tried to just push the peddle to the floor hold it and crank the engine? Does this start the car?
There is more than enough experience on this forum to walk you through the problem, just be patient . Also,There are sometimes transient problems for which an obvious answer is just not there. I have a "once in a great while" starting issue with my '95 LeSabre. I took it to a trusted mechanic who could not find the problem. Drives us both a little crazy!
In your case it may be a sensor( camshaft or crankshaft for instance) that is failing or has failed. Tricky to pinpoint these without proper testing. Good luck. I'll let the more wise among the forum help you out. Good luck.

well I would not kick yourself too hard. The number of folks who have not replaced a part unnecessarily is probably a small minority. But the lesson learned is test the basics and do the simple things first;in example cleaning the cables. Not the problem?so what, its out of the way and did not cost you anything! And when someone suggests the battery connections you can say you did that already.
Now, so the more experienced folks on the forum can help you, try to clearly describe what happens when you try to start the car. Such as, When the key is inserted and turned, to start, does the starter engage?, and turn over, fast enough to start the car? If it does, and still does not start, open the hood. Do you smell gas? Have you tried to just push the peddle to the floor hold it and crank the engine? Does this start the car?
There is more than enough experience on this forum to walk you through the problem, just be patient . Also,There are sometimes transient problems for which an obvious answer is just not there. I have a "once in a great while" starting issue with my '95 LeSabre. I took it to a trusted mechanic who could not find the problem. Drives us both a little crazy!
In your case it may be a sensor( camshaft or crankshaft for instance) that is failing or has failed. Tricky to pinpoint these without proper testing. Good luck. I'll let the more wise among the forum help you out. Good luck.

the one mechanic who said it might be because the car isn't getting fuel had listened to when i try to start the car over the phone, and he he said the starter was moving fast enough to start the car.

sometimes before i put the key in the ignition i push the gas pedal a few times to circulate some of it since my car hasn't been driven in about a week and a half, and when i try to start the car i smell lots of gas.


normally when it was cold oustide i would hold the pedal to the floor and after a few tries of me turning the ignition the car would start(it would cut off if i took my foot off the pedal), but now when i do that, the car just continues to crank, but doesn't turn over. once again sorry if i use the wrong terminology. when the key is in the ignition and i am turning it so the car starts and i hear the fast repetitive sound from the engine i consider that cranking.

Have you checked for spark? Basic troubleshooting-101!

Have you checked for spark? Basic troubleshooting-101!
well about two days ago i had someone change the plugs and wires for me, so i didn't really think it was the spark plugs causing the problem. maybe he put them on wrong.

is there any walkthrough guide or type of way you could explain how to check the spark plugs to me. if the directions are right in front of me, i can follow them lol. btw my spark plugs are really easy to get to from the front and back of the wires. one more thing, he just eyeballed the old spark plug to the new one and said the gap was about right, could that be the problem, or if he somehow put on a wire that wasn't exactly the right length to the one he removed, would that be the problem? man my brain now has this rush of ideas that it could be the spark plugs. at least before it seemed like my engine would try to jump(im guessing thats caused by the spark plugs), but now it just steadily tries to start without any jumping from the engine. thanks HOTZ, you always know what you are talking about :iceslolan

i guess before i go to work tomorrow i will check back in this thread to see if someone replies on the correct way to check a spark plug. once again thanks, i feel like such a green horn when it comes to cars.

bemorebuick88, you are making a classic rookie mistake...jumping around replacing parts without doing the proper trouble shooting and testing. Why did you replace the plugs and wires if you " didn't really think it was the spark plugs causing the problem.". It makes it very difficult for anyone on the forum to help you. Do you have a basic manual for your car such as a Chilton or Haynes? Also, are you doing this work by yourself or are you taking it to other shadetree mechanics? Did that guy do anything other than replace the plugs/wires? Its easy to check the gap of a plug and more accurate thatn "eyeballing!"
The key to tracking down a problem like this is "being methodical". Look at a manual under troubleshooting, read on how to do some of the technics that others on the forum are going to suggest. Start with looking up "checking for spark"...if you don't have a manual Google the topic.

bemorebuick88, you are making a classic rookie mistake...jumping around replacing parts without doing the proper trouble shooting and testing. Why did you replace the plugs and wires if you " didn't really think it was the spark plugs causing the problem.". It makes it very difficult for anyone on the forum to help you. Do you have a basic manual for your car such as a Chilton or Haynes? Also, are you doing this work by yourself or are you taking it to other shadetree mechanics? Did that guy do anything other than replace the plugs/wires? Its easy to check the gap of a plug and more accurate thatn "eyeballing!"
The key to tracking down a problem like this is "being methodical". Look at a manual under troubleshooting, read on how to do some of the technics that others on the forum are going to suggest. Start with looking up "checking for spark"...if you don't have a manual Google the topic.


sorry if i am confusing you. the reason i changed the spark plugs was because when i first purchased the car back in march of 08 the previous owner said i would have to change them because in cold weather the car has a little trouble starting. he included some brand new spark plugs and wires with the car so i could have them changed. well since it got close to spring, i didn't really have any problems with my car starting until this winter. so i figured hey, i was suppossed to been change the spark plugs, so i might as well do it now. the guy who changed them for me, was the guy i bought the car from.


I don't have any car manuals like you asked though.

also i did google check for spark, and all i got was vids or sites telling me to remove the old spark plug and look to see if it was damaged, which is useless since i know the spark plugs are in good condition seeing as though they are brand new and have just been put in a few days ago.


anyways, while at work yesterday the mechanic showed up past my house and when i came home, he said it was the crankshaft, and he would pull the part today and install it. too bad we had a snow/icestorm so i will have to wait another day.

As Z said troubleshooting 101. Do you know for sure that the part is defective? {in otherwords have you or the mechanic tested the part}
Try this before he replaces the "crankshaft" position sensor.( I am going to make an assumption that is what he is going to replace:}. Pull one of the spark plug wires off and remove that spark plug from the block. Then put it in the spark plug boot/holder. Place the tip of the spark plug on a grounded metal part of the engine block. Have your mechanic friend turn the ignition and turn the starter over; look for a spark at the tip. If there is none you may have another problem. If there is, then start checking to see if you have fuel to the fuel rail/injectors. You said you smelled gas but that does not necessarily mean the injectors are working properly. Again, work through it methodically. Unless you have a ton of money throwing parts at it without doing some basic testing is just a gamble.

You should do basic elimination as everyone mentioned. Getting a haynes manuel seems to be a good idea since you seemed interested in learning. Its more of a "how to do a job" book than "troubleshooting problems" but i can give you a lot of insight.

The spark plug gap is .060 inches. You cannot eyeball the gap on that. You can get gap tools from the autoparts store for less than $2 What kind of spark plugs are installed in the car you should use only AC Delco spark plugs and good quality wires. Also what did the old spark plug look like It can tell you a lot about conditions with engines. mine tend to have carbon foul up due to bad valve stem seals. Now its only on one side since I changed out one side, waiting till the weather warms back up for the other.

If you do test for spark the easy way to tell if you have bad coils is by the color of the spark. blue: good/ orange: bad.

I went thru back thru these post and was wandering have you did basic maintence items like changing the fuel filter, or have you changed the air filter. Have you checked for cracked vaccum hoses. I hope you find your problem. It may help someone else one day.

thanks again everyone for the feedback(broken record ftw)


it was the crankshaft. everything is good now and the car starts right up no matter the weather. :cool:

As C-man siad knowing what you had done to solve the problem may help someone else with a similar issue. Glad to know it starts up and runs well.

It is very unlikely it was the "crankshaft". To replace that he would have to tear down the whole engine. It's more likely it was the Crankshaft position sensor since that is the word you picked up on.
What exactly did he do to determine this was the problem? Was this just a lucky guess?

When reporting back to the forum its a courtesy to report accurately. Remember folks are taking the time to help you.

As C-man siad knowing what you had done to solve the problem may help someone else with a similar issue. Glad to know it starts up and runs well.

It is very unlikely it was the "crankshaft". To replace that he would have to tear down the whole engine. It's more likely it was the Crankshaft position sensor since that is the word you picked up on.
What exactly did he do to determine this was the problem? Was this just a lucky guess?

When reporting back to the forum its a courtesy to report accurately. Remember folks are taking the time to help you.


i never got to even see or talk to the guy because he always came when i was at work. when i asked someone in the house what he said the problem was, they said it had something to do with the crankshaft, so i can't really give out anymore accurate info than that.

i don't know if its normal, but now when the car is in park the serpentine belt and fan are spinning way faster than they used to.

As C-man siad knowing what you had done to solve the problem may help someone else with a similar issue. Glad to know it starts up and runs well.

It is very unlikely it was the "crankshaft". To replace that he would have to tear down the whole engine. It's more likely it was the Crankshaft position sensor since that is the word you picked up on.
What exactly did he do to determine this was the problem? Was this just a lucky guess?

When reporting back to the forum its a courtesy to report accurately. Remember folks are taking the time to help you.Based on the most recent feedback, I think it is safe to assume that the engine did not have spark & the CKPS failed. Of course, we will never know how the mechanic determined that! :smokin:

just in case you all were wondering i actually got to talk to the mechanic today and he said he replaced the crankshaft sensor, and he said my igntion module is also going bad.

Thanks for the feedback & clarification on what the mechanic replaced. When the crankshaft position sensor (CKPS) fails, you will not have spark to the plugs. In addition, the ignition control module (ICM), ECM, or bad wiring can cause the same condition. Did you ask the mechanic how he determined that the ICM is going bad? Did he notice cracks in the exterior, or spray it with a mist of water to see if it had spark arcing?