ok...its an 02 LS cavalier, 2200, 4 spd auto.
starter has been intermittenly grinding for the last 6 months. originally once a month, now once every few days. for about 1/4/-1/2 a second AFTER the engine is already started.
sunday, all day running errands the car is FINE. runs fine. didnt blast the system at all. didnt really beat on it, cuz the exhaust is rumbling for some reason.
i go to leave my last errand, and all i get is CLICK CLICK. im getting 12v from my voltmeter, so im thinking that the starter seized up.
i changed it early this morning.
after done, it cranked for 1/2 second, and then stopped, and again, click click.
im thinking the battery now...but its only 2 years old, its an optima yellow top, and i bought it BRAND NEW...plus i got 12v from the meter with the car on...so i kinda doubted it....
what do you guys think? battery? defective starter? seized crankshaft??
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this useless post brought to you by the alcoholic known as LUNDiS
Check for loose connections at the battery and starter. Also check those same areas for corrosion.
lundis wrote:im thinking the battery now...but its only 2 years old, its an optima yellow top, and i bought it BRAND NEW...plus i got 12v from the meter with the car on...so i kinda doubted it....
check the battery with the car off. with the car on all you're checking is the voltage from the alternator. also, check what zsquee24 said
either that or if you have a napa in your town take you battery there and have them test it. its free and the longest time it takes is an hour and thats only if the battery is bad. but it sounds like a bad battery or loose connections. good luck!
Does the car have the GM starter recall relay on it? Check that. Mine had water get into the relay somehow, corroded it... and I had all sorts of problems - from the car starting itself to the starter refusing to disengage even while the engine was running.
it was actually none of those. i figured it out on my lunch break, after changing the starter and battery ($350 bux total with cores and tax). something with my amp wiring is f'ed up, cuz with it connected, it only starts once, then wont start again. without, it fires right up, no problems. so i get to tear apart my amplifier wiring later on tonight/tomorrow and figure out wtf is going on.
john, my insurance company has a program (progressive direct) where they have all the TSB's and recalls right online...and according to them, no recalls currently apply to my car.
i couldnt have the old battery checked, ti was an optima yellow top, and standard testers wont give proper results with that kind of battery, so i bought a red top to replace it with so in the future, i dont have to worry about guessing.
got my car at my job (volvo dealer) now...gonna test the alternator just to be sure on my way out.
thanks for the help guys!!
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this useless post brought to you by the alcoholic known as LUNDiS
Hmm... I'm surprised they don't have your year too... I think it was for all years up to 04...
04002 FEB 04 Recall - Ignition Circuit Defect
...j
