Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

WillieT

Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by WillieT » Sat Jan 05, 2013 1:18 pm

I own a 1997 pontiac bonneville and when i try to start it there is a loud clicking noise and all the lights flicker i was wondering if it might be the battery that causes this even though i just put in a new one.

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TerryAuto
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Re: Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by TerryAuto » Sat Jan 05, 2013 7:26 pm

If the new battery did not fix your problem, then you must have a loose cable or a bad starter.

Follow the black ground cable from the battery down to where it bolts and grounds and make sure it is clean and tight. Do the same for the positive cable and follow it to the starter.

If you cannot find a loose connection, then most likely the starter is bad. This can cuase your clicking and lighting problems.

It is possible you can have a bad ignition switch, since that is what controls voltage to the cars electrical systems.
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melissasomera619
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Re: Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by melissasomera619 » Fri Apr 05, 2013 2:57 am

TerryAuto wrote:If the new battery did not fix your problem, then you must have a loose cable or a bad starter.

Follow the black ground cable from the battery down to where it bolts and grounds and make sure it is clean and tight. Do the same for the positive cable and follow it to the starter.

If you cannot find a loose connection, then most likely the starter is bad. This can cuase your clicking and lighting problems.

It is possible you can have a bad ignition switch, since that is what controls voltage to the cars electrical systems.
im having a hard time with my 1992 pontiac bonneville. its a 3800 engine. the battery went dead. the coil was smoking. i replaced the coil and the battery. it clicks like it wants to start and it dont. my question is. could it be the starter or igniton?

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Karl
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Re: Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by Karl » Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:54 am

Yes, if the starter is just clicking and the engine is not turning over, you probably have a bad starter. Sometimes banging on it with a hammer while trying to start it will free it up to get it started.
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carriedi
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Re: Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by carriedi » Thu Apr 11, 2013 3:02 am

what do you mean when you say it clicks like it wants to start? Is the engine turning over? Or does the starter solenoid just give one big click every time you put it in the start position? Or does it do a bunch of clicking until you release the key. If you get a click from the starter and then the rest of your electrical system acts weird but goes back to normal when you take it off the start position, you most likely have a poor connection. It could be at the battery terminals,(most common) or at where the battery cables connect to the vehicle. An ignition switch could also be a problem.

What happened to your coil? you can't really check for spark unless the engine turns over. If the engine does turn over normally then you can check for spark, fuel injection pulse and fuel pressure.

do you know why your coil was smoking? If the battery was jumped wrong or installed wrong for an instant you may have ignition problems.
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josh

Re: Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by josh » Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:27 am

i would also check out engine to ground on frame to car

alliecatneshoba
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when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by alliecatneshoba » Fri Jun 05, 2015 9:01 pm

was driving down the road car was fine pull up to a stop sign and the lights on dash are on and now the car is sputtering. give it gas to pull off from the stop sign and it stutters and shudders along until i can pull off the road, get out pop the hood and the egr valve is smoking.got it towed home had a friend come look at it by this time the car wouldnt even turn over. checked the starter, new battery,checked alternator, replaced egr valve and gasket. what else could it be? when i try to start it now (replaced battery again) it just clicks and all the interior lights flash

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carriedi
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Re: Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by carriedi » Fri Jun 05, 2015 11:35 pm

it sounds like you may have more than one problem. Or maybe not...

what happens now when you try to start it? You say it doesn't start it just clicks, and replaced the battery again. If you checked the starter and battery and alternator, what did you fond? Why replace the battery (again)? How many batteries have you put in it? And why change the battery?

you should turn on your headlights. then go and have someone try to start your engine while you watch the headlights. When they put the key into the start position do the headlights dim? If there is a click from the starter and the headlights stay bright, then there is no draw from the starter. Probably needs a starter assembly (or starter solenoid if you can determine what part of the starter is the problem). If the headlights do go dim then the starter is drawing power from the battery. So then you might have a badly dragging starter (so you will need a new starter) or the engine will not move so the starter is not able to crank the engine over. Engine froze up. You can take the key out of the ignition and then use a socket and breaker bar or long ratchet on the crank bolt and see if you can rotate the engine by hand. If you cannot turn the engine by hand it might be froze in place.

If the engine is froze up (unable to rotate by hand) remove all the spark plugs and try to rotate by hand again. If you are still unable to rotate the engine then one or more of the cylinders is actually stuck. If you are able to rotate it now, one of the cylinders may be full of fluid. Here's the thing, you don't know what the fluid may be. That's why you have to crank the engine by hand. If you have a hydrostatic lock because one of the cylinders may be full of fluid: If it's coolant from a blown head gasket, it will come out the spark plug hole when you rotate the engine. If it's fuel from and an injector stuck open, gas will come out of the spark plug hole. If you crank the engine over with the starter and gas shoots out of the engine and the spark plug wires are laying around, it could start a fire. A BIG FIRE! because the gas will be pumped out of the spark plug hole under a lot of pressure and if a spark from the spark plug wire ignites the fuel, it will be a flame that shoots all over the engine and out over the side of the car. Very dangerous. so, only turn the engine over by have with the spark plugs out.

So, check some things and let me know what you find.
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jakieboy

Re: Clicking when trying to start my Pontiac Bonneville

Unread post by jakieboy » Wed Aug 28, 2019 5:55 pm

For anyone stumbling across this site as I did, with a similar problem, also check for blown fuses - in both the panel under the hood - and under the rear seat bottom, along with the battery.

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