Hi

I'm new here and having a few problems with my 71 Challenger. I have spent the last 3 years completing a restoration that was started by the previous owner.
I am almost done and just finishing off making a custom dash board will new gauges. Most of the time I've owned the car its always started and run, sometimes taking a while to start due to it standing but always started eventually.
Recently though, all I am getting is a clicking noise like the starter solenoid is sticking? Try as I may, it just ckicks. I've tried the old technique of giving the starter a bash with a lump of wood but this isn't working.
I've also noticed the ballast resistor is get very very hot, not sure if this is more than usual as I know they get hot but to the point where it smells like burning and smokes (this may be the WD40 I sprayed on it when cleaning and re-fitting)

Anyway, anyone got any ideas on the starting problems, I suspect starter and/or solenoid but wanted to check I wasn't missing anything before ordering a new one.

Battery is fine and kept on a maintenance charger, so always fully charged.

Thanks.

Could be connection at Battery. Remove and clean both terminals. Check connections at starter motor. Remove and clean all terminals on starter motor.

Battery connections are OK, I've had it off recently and its all clean. I will check the starter connections as well, maybe take them off and clean just to be sure
Thanks

Hi, thanks

I assume the battery is OK, it was fine last time it was started and turned the engine over no probs until it fired. As mentioned I don't start that often as I am in the middle of finishing it off but like to start it once in a while and get it up to temp just to make sure everything stays free.
When not running the battery is on a maintenance charger to keep it topped up and stop the alarm draining the battery.
When I turn the key to start it clicks like the solenoid has popped, the when I release the key it clicks back. It does sound like a flat battery but even if the battery wasn't at its best, I'd still expect it to turn the engine, even slowly??
I'll check all connections but from a quick check early all look good. I'll take them apart and spray on some WD40 or something to make sure all contacts are good.
Thanks again

Starter could be locked/entangled with flywheel. Remote chance. If standard shift put in top gear, give car a push with clutch out and see if engine turns over. If locked starter this will normally free it up. Pushing car backward is recommended.

Could engine be hydro locked. Unlikely but just throwing stuff against the wall.

Have you tried jumping car at point where battery cable and ignition switch wiring come together(relay)next to battery,,,,meaning bypass ignition switch to turn over.

Are battery cables clean and tight at each end?

If this all fails would suspect selonoid or starter itself.

Thanks for the comments/ideas.

I thought that too about the engine and sadly don't have a socket big enough to fit the crank pulley bolt and it's an auto so can't put in gear to move it that way. I can move the pulley a very small amount by hand holding onto the pulley itself, which suggest the engine is OK. As mentioned it was running a couple of months ago no probs and the engine oil is clear and relatively new.
I might try the bypass idea you mentioned to take the starter relay out of the mix but the fact that it's clicking suggests the relay is doing what it should.
I might take the one of the batteries out of my truck as well and try that on there, I know they are good batteries on that

You might take off the 2 cables off of the starter & clean the 2 (large/small) terminals with a wire brush then clamp a red jumper cable on both of em and the black jumper cable end to the nearby starter ear then connect the other ends of the jumper cables to your truck battery setting on the ground by the Dr front wheel & see if it cranks. this'd keep the "connection" sparks from messing up the starter threaded studs which it would if you made your last connection at the starter. This'll take the batt/starter/eng lockup out of the way.

Good idea, I was considering removing the starter altogether to try this but makes sense to leave in situ, saves the starter jumping all over my bench as well

Almost sounds like a bad battery that shows it has a good charge...If not I think I would pull all of the plugs if it was me and see if it will turn over freely.
You never know a float may have stuck and it could be hydraulic locked...

First step would be a voltmeter on battery. 12.5 volts as it sits. Crank car. If it stays 12V or so, the starter isnt kicking in and dropping it down. Check for 12V on small terminal of starter. If 12V there and 12V on big terminal, starter is issue. If not 12V on small wire, relay or wiring is the issue. If it drops to like 10V or less, starter is getting voltage on both terminals, drawing power and trying to go. Still might be starter, or battery may just be weak.

Ive had a battery show 12v and still not deliver enough current to starter due to corroded wire. corroded wires and bad grounds are typically the cause of electrical problems on older cars. Sometimes the battery cable looks fine from the outside but cut it open and its corroded and breaking apart.I would try what robert said and deliver full voltage to the starter with good cables as a start

I would not put WD40 on your cleaned cable terminals. Holler with any news

Thanks heaps for the help guys, going to get stuck into it tomorrow when I have a free day. I'll let you know what I find

Went thru the same kind of issue. The very last thing that I checked was the end of the neg battery cable that connect's to the intake or block. Mine looked ok but I turned the end so that the little teeth ground into the intake and it cranked like never before and this was after restoring the car.

OK, managed to get out and do a few more tests.

Battery seems fine as mentioned, so lets assume for now this is OK, holds charge well and recovers quickly once I've tried to crank the engine, which suggests its ok.

Checked power to terminals on the starter

Small terminal 0 volts when nothing is happening and around 11.5v when I turn the ignition key, so relay must be working OK.

Large terminal reads the same as the battery, about 12.5v and then drops slightly when I turn the key, down to say 12.2(ish)

The clicking is deffo the starter jumping out, I can see this from under the car with the dust plate off the bottom of the bell housing. I turned the engine over manually using the flywheel, so its not locked.

What I did notice though is the starter pops out (clicks) but doesn't engage the flywheel teeth, it pops out and then goes straight back in, which would suggest the solenoid is OK as well otherwise it wouldn't jump out at all, right?

I'll check connections etc now as well but these were all fine last time I started it and its not moved since, so can't imagine why they would be bad all of a sudden?

Any ideas?

It has to be either a bad battery, bad electrical connection or simply a bad starter/solenoid! Try another known good battery and remove and check all electrical connections. The fact that is has fired and ran just recently points to battery/connection issue! Good luck and I am sure you will figure it out.

Yeah its a funny one for sure. I wonder if my amps being connected to the battery are having an affect? I also have a capacitor running to one of the amps, which may be messing with the starting current? I'll try removing them from the equation first, then try my truck battery and hope it has enough juice.

The joys of classic car restoration