no start

[Djtb78]

ok i just bought a 91 CV and it wouldnt start this morning. i dicovered that the neg battery cable was loose. so i tightened and tried to charge,but it would nt take it. new battery still no start. been driving it for week with no starting issues. when i turn the key everything comes on but alli get is a loud click can someone point me in the right direction? any help is apprieciated!

[sly]

one loud click and no crank, sounds like the starter might have died. Check the solenoid on the fender if equipped. If it's not passing enough voltage to the starter, there won't be enough juice to turn the starter. Also, check the connections on the solenoid and starter. If they are loose, same issue. If the loud click is just the fender mounted solenoid click and you don't hear anything from the starter, it's most likely the solenoid. Check for voltage on the big lugs during start to verify. Should be the same or VERY close.

[mitymerc]

Quick test...
Rap the solenoid see if it starts.

Rap the solenoid on the starter w/some authority, see if it starts.

Does the battery have a good charge?....

[gadget73]

make sure the cable down at the starter is clean and tight too. If it is, give the starter a whack. If it goes, replace the starter.

[Djtb78]

the solenoid replaced,starter replaced, no start still loud click. missed work today

[sly]

do you hear the starter engage the flywheel? Nice metal thunk? Or just the loud click? If just the loud click... try jumping the fender solenoid with a screwdriver from the large peg that goes to the battery to the little peg on top. If the engine turns, there's something not triggering the solenoid and you're tracing wire. If the start bangs in and nothing turns, the engine may be very unhappy (seized). If you just get a click and nothing happens... the engine ground wire may be broken/disconnected. Follow the negative battery cable that parallels the positive starter cable and make sure it's good. if it's hanging free, you'll need to fix that. There should also be a few other grounds to various places on the engine, but those are small and not made to handle starter current, so we'll check those later.

[gadget73]

Are both wires plugged into the starter down bottom? A '91 will have both a fat cable and a thinner wire. The fat cable is constant hot, the thin one comes off the starter relay to engage the starter. If both aren't good and clean it won't do squat.

[Djtb78]

Here"s where I"m at all wiring is clean and snug. I do hear the starter engage the flywheel when jumped across solenoid.
Sly when you mentioned the motor being siezed my heart rate jumped,so I put a socket on the crank and it turned.
It must be wiring, no? The car ran a little rough (it seemed like vacuum isuue)but nothing like it was on it's last leg.
By the way thank you guys for you're time, I am a novice.

[lincolnlarry]

If the starter is engaging the flywheel, then the firewall relay and wiring to the key is good. Must be bad starter motor or, + battery lead from battery to starter ,or - battery lead to engine block.

[sly]

If the starter is engaging the flywheel, then the firewall relay and wiring to the key is good. Must be bad starter motor or, + battery lead from battery to starter ,or - battery lead to engine block.

This.

[Djtb78]

It lives! the constant hot to the starter was the problem,it looked ok but alittle small. My son in law is a mechanic and was coming by tonight after work.
Well I couldn't just sit here so I kept going over the things mentioned in the last two posts, that wire was the only thing that bothered me.
So i changed it out and vroom! thanks guys! I had just donated most of my savings to my HS graduate son.

[sly]

victory is always sweet. Glad you got it fixed and it wasn't anything really major.