just clicks when i start

[jcoleman_11]

Hey all, i got a weird problem
it all started one day when i went to start my car and it didnt crank, all i heard was a clicking sound. tick tick tick tick. After maybe 10 seconds of ticking i could smell a burning, almost like electrical components. When i pressed on the gas my throttle cable was really tight and made a clicking noise every 3mm or so. That time the car finally started and the noise continued every time i pressed on the gas.

a few days later, again my car wouldnt start. The same old tick tick tick, no cranking. this time my throttle cable completly seized, couldnt even press in the gas pedal.

So i replaced the trottle cable and my car started fine, but the very next day, same starting issue. this time i lifted the hood and wrapped my hand around the throttle cable, it was hot, and my pedal did the clicking again for every 3mm or so i pressed it in.

It almost seems as if there is an electrical problem and current is going through my throttle cable causing it to heat up to such a great temperature that the rubber melt and causes it to seize.

What is going on??

[C91BLX7]

Check your grounds.

[jcoleman_11]

which grounds though, cause i did the big 3 upgrade, so my battery (-) to chasiis and battery (-) to tranny and battery(+) to alternator are all 0 gauge. What other grounds should i look at?

[bobbycos]

Check your grounds.

question?

what is connected electrically to the throttle cable ?

i looked at my 90 and could find nothing electrical that is connected.

could it be he has a shorted wire that is touching the cable.

i would follow the cable from the TB to the pedal and see if anything is touching it or wrapped around it. i've seen cables break but not melt unless it was laying on an exhaust manifold

[jcoleman_11]

nothing is touching it, its a brand new one from teh dealership, only contact is has is on the throttle pulley and the pedal...well, and the little groove it holds in somewhere in the middle. no wires even near it.

[jcoleman_11]

would the starter have anything to do with this?

[deevergote]

Clicking could be a dead starter. It could be a weak battery or a weak current (dirty or loose cables will do this). It could be that your grounds aren't doing what they should be doing... I've read from other people that upgraded their grounds and had problems... ask 460sx about it.

Could also be a bad ignition switch.


Plenty of options.

[jcoleman_11]

damn, i hate options!

there is a large amount of battery acid on my positive terminal, but if i put the key on accesories my stereo turns on fine, and theres enough juice to power 650watts rms of sound so i doubt my battery is weak. could it still be an issue?

[deevergote]

It could be. I had no problem with accessories when my battery cables/terminals were covered in corrosion. I freaked out... push-started my car to get it home from work, spent $300 on a new starter and battery, and got stuck with the same result... click. Nothing else. In my case, the click turned everything off, though. Still does that when the cables come loose (the Optima terminals are a little small for my cables, apparently)

In defeat, I opened the last can of Coke in my fridge and stood staring angrily at my car. Then I remembered the stupid old email that was going around "Coke cleans battery terminals"... Yeah, Coke isn't really the best thing to use... but I did it. Cleaned the cables with Coke. And the car started. I wasted $300 on new stuff (well, it's always good to have new stuff...), and spent the whole day chasing nonexistant problems. The answer was simple, and I overlooked it.

[C91BLX7]

Could be your engine ground having high resistance. Making the starter get low amps, and could be trying to pull power from the body thru the throttle cable, to the engine.

[deevergote]

The throttle cable is a mechanical device... I don't think it's related to the clicking at all.

However, it probably indicates a separate issue.

[Isdoyra]

The clicking happened to me as well, but in this case it was only the battery replace, mine threw acid out of it as well, somebody told me that when that happens, the battery is good for nothing!

[deevergote]

If it's really bad, then the battery should be replaced. Most batteries will develop some buildup around the terminals with age. That's why they make battery terminal brushes

[Gotz Cb7]

I had this problem about 2 months ago. Car started everyday, perfectly. (new engine). Then, one night when I was leaving work, tried to start...nothing. Click....Click.....Click. The mechanic who put the engine in, tow'd the car back to his shop, and replaced the starter. No problems since. It was kinda odd that the starter never gave me any warning. It went from perfect to...dead.

[jcoleman_11]

same thing!! it started fine, no hesitation, instant start, then this. and i just noticed that one of my 0 gauge wires is grounded directly on the starter, alot of rust on it though, maybe this is the reason.