notes@zeppo.UUCP (10/17/83)
#R:wdl1:-17100:zeppo:5300011:000:979 zeppo!raj May 18 15:10:00 1983 When you turn the key and you hear the starter make a clicking noise, it does not necessarily mean the starter is bad. Most times, if it is a constant clicking (as opposed to one click and then nothing), it means you have a poor battery connection or a drained battery. I had a battery replaced at Sears recently, and when the "mechanic" (ha, ha) put the new battery in, the car wouldn't start. The starter was clicking, so he thought it was bad and he started hitting it with a hammer. After half an hour of hitting it while my wife turned the key (I was at work), he gave up and he tried to tell her we needed a new starter. Luckily, our mechanic had to go home and his replacement saw that one of the battery cables was corroded. He changed the cable and it started right up. I guess the corroded cable was making a good connection to the old battery, but when the new one was installed, this old corroded connection was upset and the new connection was not that good.