99 GM won't start

[xhale]

99 GM, 70k miles

This has me totally confused. The car hasn't been driven since the 24th. All seemed fine then - it turned over easy, drove like a dream.

This morning it wouldn't start. When I turned the key the interior electronics just die and the engine clicks. The interior lights don't slowly dim (like you'd imagine with a dying battery), they just cut off, and after I stop trying to get the engine to turn over, they come back on. From what I've read, this implies a problem with the starter, not the battery.

After clearing a little crud from the positive battery terminal, I've hooked the car up to a trickle charger, and after an hour or two of charging, the engine turns over a little then starts clicking again. This seems to imply that it is the battery after all.

So I'm confused. After searching a lot of posts I can't narrow the problem down any further than the starter or the battery.

I'm not at all a car mechanic, so any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

[way2old]

If charging the battery helps, replace the battery and be sure all the cable connections are clean and tight. How old is the battery? If it is 4 years or older, replace it.