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Ok the battery shows full charge and my power windows work fine. I cleaned the battery terminals and checked the starter connections. If I try to start the starter just clicks. If I use booster cables and boost the car it starts no probs and keeps running. I swapped out a battery about 3 weeks ago for a fairly new one cus it was doing the same thing then. Someone said it's a bad battery for sure. History: a few months ago when I was setting up the ZE it ran really bad a few times and stalled then the starter would just click untill I disconnected the battery ground and cleared the ECU memory then it started fine. This could just be two bad batteries but it's got me thinking, is there more to this than a bad battery. Suggestions? Thanks

How many CCA is the one in there?
I think it's Satan.
How's your Karma?

Aound 680cca. A mechanic said the battery could be shorted inside but it only shows when it's under load during a start but the starter isn't turning, just a click from the solinoid? Satan no but I'll bet ya that damn EGR is involved one way or the other.

Bump. Anyone else

replace battery.

fowljesse wrote:How many CCA is the one in there?
I think it's Satan.
How's your Karma?

I have "Instant karma", it got me right in the head.

Dantotheinski wrote:Ok the battery shows full charge and my power windows work fine. I cleaned the battery terminals and checked the starter connections. If I try to start the starter just clicks. If I use booster cables and boost the car it starts no probs and keeps running. I swapped out a battery about 3 weeks ago for a fairly new one cus it was doing the same thing then. Someone said it's a bad battery for sure. History: a few months ago when I was setting up the ZE it ran really bad a few times and stalled then the starter would just click untill I disconnected the battery ground and cleared the ECU memory then it started fine. This could just be two bad batteries but it's got me thinking, is there more to this than a bad battery. Suggestions? Thanks

A battery can have a good reading but still have bad cells. That may be your prob.

Trade one from your other cars, also check the starter, play with the wheel a bit when you try the igniton.

My 2 cents.

Stablo87, why is it we're only willing to pay you a penny for your thoughts but everyone wants to give their two cents worth? lol Hey thanks for the advise, Ya you too Ryan. I was curious because the last battery and this one read good and even load check seemed OK. I'll pull the battery out of my other MX-3 and give it a go. I have another MX-3 to work on today. My friend bought one, not the best of shape and I think the engine needs everything adjusted and replaced. It'll be a busy day for Dano today.

Ok, right off the battery was fine. I just didn't understand why a boost would help but if you think about it we're increasing available amps with a boost right. I decided to check further and found a little green on the Starter wire. I disconnected it from the Starter and after trimming back 1/2 an inch of wire insulation found it was all green. Of course this means great resistance to current flow so. I cleaned all the corrosion off the wire, reconnected it to the starter and viola, car starts no problem. Everyone including two mechanics and myself said battery. But with everything else working fine (power windows etc) I just had to relook. Saved myself over $100 bucks by being thorough. (Pats self on back). I read a post by Nd4spdSE and he said "these cars are getting older' and that statement stuck so corrosion in the wiring kinda made sense. On to the next problem.

Since I didn't want anymore starting problems I re cleaned and lubed the battery posts again.

Good to know! Something else to look out for.

By the way, thanks for posting the solution. Alot of people (including myself) will fix something, and be so glad that we don't post the fix, and the next guy with the same prob won't benifit.

I think we all tend to follow the same course of action when problems arrise. I just had a hunch that something else was at issue. Hard to argue whena boost fixes it but like Nd4SPUDS said, cars afe gettingold so we need to think outside the box. I think I just got lucky (removes horse shoe from as*)

I am having the same issue right now i slammed on the brakes tonight and killed the car and now she only starts when i pop the clutch on a roll.

Clean your battery terminals and connectors well and charge the battery. If still no go, buy a new battery. Goes without saying it could be an alternator but usually it's just the batt.

If I would have caught this when you first posted I would have had you replace the battery cables and clean the grounds as this what must people forget to do or just ignore because the "starter is clicking" so it must be getting juice there-fore it is not the cables. Just remember when all else fails .......check the damn cables.