861-starter relay clicking but starter not engaging?

Blueox4

Member
I?m pretty sure it may be my starter. When I turn the key on and push the starter button I hear the relay clicking but the starter does not seem to be engaging. I?m heading out to pull the starter but wanted to check and see if I?m on the right track here? Should the relay click when the button is pushed?

Thanks !
 
Generally low or weak batteries will produce a relay chattering since when the relay first connects the battery to the starter, the starter current draw is high and drops the weak battery voltage where the voltage no longer can keep the starter relay engaged and it lets go. Of course the voltage then returns to the higher voltage, where the relay again engages and the process repeats.

I would get a pair of jumper cables and jump the battery directly to the starter. See if the starter turns the motor. If it does, remove the ground. If the starter still turns, then the contacts in the relay are bad, if not, then the ground is faulty. You can prove this last step by jumping the ground to the starter case and see if the relay will turn the motor.
 
Corroded battery post connections, or ground cable to frame connection can give similar symptoms to weak battery. Often times visual observation will not reveal the extent of corrosion.
 
Thanks a lot everyone. It was the battery. It was showing 12 volts at the battery but when I jumped directly to the starter it would not start. I put a new battery I had already in and it fired right up!
 
Graham is spot on ? it?s a weak or dead battery. 99.98% of the time when your solenoid just click click clicks the root cause problem is the battery and should be the first thing you check. Take it to a trusty local starter/alternator or auto parts store and get it bench tested under load on their special machine. They almost always will test it for free. Having the correct battery cables is essential as well. 6V cables need to be a heavier gauge than 12V. 00 gauge, thick as your thumb is best, and keep posts clean and tight.

You need a strong battery to:

1. Spin the starter
2. Engage the Bendix
3. Provide voltage to the coil.

The following is courtesy of Bruce(VA), tips on battery care and performance:

As the battery gets weaker, the first thing to fail is your spark. The more current you use to spin the starter, the less you have for the ignition. If your starter pulls that battery down much below 5.2 volts (ref: 6-volt battery), the module in the EI will not fire. It doesn't really matter much if the battery is "fully charged" until you test it correctly. 4 Volts is an almost dead unit. Bench test under load and specific gravity must be tested. Your trusty local starter/alternator shop can bench test it on their special machine, usually at no charge ?no pun intended. No matter what else you do, the battery must be fully charged.
A float charger is helpful; not a trickle charger, but a float charger, like the DELTRAN Battery Tender Jr. ? ? is a popular brand, available at Walmart. A battery charger, even a "trickle" charger, left unattended will eventually boil out a battery. I use float chargers for two reasons: battery longevity and a sure start. Battery sulfation occurs at a specific rate at "X" temperature. Over time, sulfation reduces battery performance and eventually its effects are irreversible. Sulfation of batteries starts when specific gravity falls below 1.225 or voltage measures less than 12.4 for a 12v battery, or 6.2 for a 6 volt battery. Sulfation hardens on the battery plates reducing and eventually destroying the ability of the battery to generate current. Using a float charger significantly reduces sulfation. Your battery loses 33 percent of its power when the temperature dips below freezing, and over 50 percent of its power when the temperature falls below zero. A fully charged battery will not freeze until -76?F; however, a fully discharged battery can start to freeze at 32?F. So??keep the battery fully charged! If you have a digital volt meter, 6.03 volts on a 6 volt battery and 12.06 volts on a 12 volt battery is only a 25% charge!

BATTERY TENDER JR (6V) BY DELTRAN:
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Tim Daley(MI)
 

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