All I hear is click-click

[Sonyman]

When i turn the switch to crank the engine i hear only the click of the solenoid switch on the starter. It happens an average of 4 out of 7 times before the starter spins the engine to run. The starter has been double checked as good. The ignition switch was replaced new four years ago. I dont think those things would go bad so soon. The wiring from the purple wire from the starter to the Park/Neutral switch, to the yellow wire from the Park/Neutral switch to where it goes into the firewall on the otherside of the engine bay is good as well. And the battery is good so what do you guys think?

[Sonyman]

The car description is 91 pontiac grand prix ste with a 3.4 dohc with a automatic 4t60e

[gsEnterpries]

hate to say it but your starter is bad or the solenoid is bad. I fix cars for a living and I have run into this problem a lot and that is what it normally is.

[Sonyman]

When i took the starter off and had it checked, it performed perfectly all three times. i purchased another one, the one on there now and it does the same.

[gsEnterpries]

check out your ground and positive cables from the battery, as well as the terminals

[Sonyman]

The cables were replaced both positive and negative. Oh yeah and i dont believe in the 3.4 "nomes" Those mysterious figurines that haunt 3.4s! Its strictly facts with me.

[OldSkoolGP]

Your starter has a dead point in the windings. That's why whn you took it off and had it tested it worked. It got jostled around enough to get it to a good point and it worked again. I had the exact same problem with my car. When you get a new starter though, get one off a '96 Monte Carlo. It's a gear reduction starter which makes it smaller, a lot easier to install, and I think it's even cheaper.

[Sonyman]

so your saying in your behalf its the starter altogether? well i did this, i got a wire and directly hooked it to where the purple wire connects to the solenoid on the starter to the positive on the battery and it turned over every single time no matter how quick i touch the battery terminal, the starter turned over. A auto zone guy said the starter have to get a certain amount of volts a full 12V to work. Any less will just move the gear inside (or make the clicking sound) not enough to engage the flywheel and turn it.

[55trucker]

Two points you might investigate....load tested the battery to ensure it is delivering the rated amps to turn the starter...and if you've got the starter out again...pull off the front cover and have a look at the armature brushes to see what condition they and the commutator surface are in. If the brushes are worn out that will prevent the armature from turning, but it won't prevent the solenoid from closing (the *click click* from the starter you can hear).

[Sonyman]

If and i mean IF i buy another starter and it does the same thing, then im more than sure the starter is not it. As with most automotive issues, im sure its something minor causing a major issue.

[pocket-rocket]

Don't buy another, warranty that sucker out and pay the difference for the newer one if you go that route. My first guess as to why you're having problems is that you are shopping at Auto Zone. I personally avoid that place like the Swine Flu at all costs. I've had way to many bad parts from there to shake a cord of firewood at. 9 alternators and 2 clutches on the same car in 1 years time comes to mind... But if you choose to shop there, by all means, pay the $20 difference for the lifetime warranty parts every time, that way you don't have to fork out another $100 for an alternator or starter in a few months time. Also if you don't have the dough to buy a new one right away, beat that sucker like a rented mule. I've had to do that to the 91 to get it to start before fixing it way to many times. Tire irons have a hidden use besides swapping tires.

[Sonyman]

You know what, thats the third time i've heard that about auto zone. i cant return the starter. i have no choice but to buy a whole new one from some where else. I was told to try NAPA.

[pocket-rocket]

I take it you didn't get the lifetime warranty? I believe Auto Zone keeps their records in a central place that allows them to pull your warranty history from more then one store, so it shouldn't be a big deal if you lost your receipt. That's one thing I don't like about Advance, no centralized records, it's all store dependent, but I do get a discount there. NAPA does have good parts. I used to think they were expensive, but now that I have one down the street from me, I really don't think they are anything to gripe about over Advance and Auto Zone and I'm sure they would price match if you asked them to.

[no_doz]

thats a bad solenoid, the starter may be all peaches & berries but your solenoid isnt holding a charge to stay open, so the initial charge to open it still happens, but then its hold held until you release the key, resulting in the clicking that your hearing. you can always wire up a push button & bypass it, its not hard & costs like 15 bucks, i did it on 2 of my old 1st gen luminas before rather than buying a new starter.

also i get brand new junk shit from autozone about once every 5-6 times i buy an important part there. & its not just a couple things, theres about a 15-20% chance of failure even when buying new stuff. hmmm, sounds kind of like dell... (im in customer service & we get calls all the time about people with new computers that dont have working modems & such, & as shocked as people are that something new may not be perfect, its the same concept). autozone should replace this, & if they try & tell you they shouldnt then ask them what their explanation is, considering power is getting to your solenoid but not from the noid to the starter (its not magic, the problem lies over a 2-3" span found on their product, not your vehicle).