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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 11:06 AM
  #11 (permalink)  
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It's the battery... if the lights go off and it just clicks, it's the battery.
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 02:42 PM
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i took the batter to napa auto parts and they said the battery is just fine i think its the starter
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Old Jan 3, 2003 | 02:45 PM
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if the battery is fine.. then it is probably the starter.. as body rollin said, give it a few easy taps with the hammer
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Old Jan 4, 2003 | 04:27 AM
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Originally posted by "GearGrinder"

i took the batter to napa auto parts and they said the battery is just fine i think its the starter
In that case, it's a bad connection somewhere. It can handle the load for the lights and radio but when the starter tries to draw a big load, the connection breaks down and everything dies. Clean the battery terminals good, check for corrosion at the starter solenoid as well as the connection to the starter and the ground strap from the engine block to the body. You might even try some different battery cables. Sometimes they will corrode or break in the middle somewhere and you can't see it. You have either a loose connection or corrosion somewhere.
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Old Jan 4, 2003 | 01:22 PM
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I agree with Dr Dirt check the connections. I have replaced more than a few batteries for other people because of the "clicking". Starters click when they do not recieve enough amperage to turn the flywheel/driveplate. In some cases its just a connection, but in many its the battery. Also keep in mind that batteries produce less cranking amps in colder weather.

The reason your interior items and electronics function fine is because they pull low amperage, which if have ever replaced any interior fuses you might notice that a lot of them are single digit amperage ratings. While if you look at the top of your battery you should find a few different ratings including cold cranking amps which should be a 3 digit number. This is how many amps your battery produces cold (it should also indicate what temperature it was rated at). A starter will use a larger majority of this amperage to turn a engine over.

Also if you don't have the right size battery, it might check out ok but not produce enough cold cranking amps to turn your engine over in the cold weather you are experiencing right now. Check your local parts store or a manual to make sure the battery you have is rated for your car.

Remember a battery is no more than a chemical reaction in a container, the liquid inside can be greatly effected by operating temperature.
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Old Jan 7, 2003 | 11:51 AM
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it was the starter
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