Help! GW starting problem.

[WAGON KING]

I drove the 87 GW to pick up breakfast this morning and she started just fine. About 15 min. later I go to run another errand and she just clicks at me. Battery, alternator, and starter relay are all only a few months old. Any ideas? I checked battery connections and they are tight with no corrosion. Thanks in advance for your help!

[andy d]

Originally posted by andy d:
try crossing the big terminals on the solenoid. a pair of slip joint pliers will work ,briefly. if it cranks then it is time for another solenoid.( or possibly the ignition switch)if it doesnt crank, its either the battery,the starter, or the connectionsMAKE SURE THE RIG IS IN PARK!!

[Rich 89 Gr. Wag]

Have you checked the connection at the alternator? I didn't and bought a new alternator. Then when I was playing around with the old alternator the night before I was going to swap it out, I noticed the connection at the alternator was pretty loose. I pushed it in nice and hard, started the Wagon, and the voltage meter was well north of the halfway point on the guage. Shoulda checked the easy stuff first.

[RdHawg]

Check the connections on the starter switch. I had a bad one that caused the problem you describe intermitantly for three years. Finally caused it to short out so I could find it - just followed the smoke signals :D I don't recommend this method except as a last resort.

[garcia]

Lots of times starter solenoid problems show up as a "click-click-click". The solenoid is mounted on the starter motor. If you can't trace any other bad connections, check there. The heavy positive battery cable goes in there, and also a couple wires from the ignition. Clean up the connections, fine-sand metal contacts, make sure things are tight. Its really very easy to open the solenoid and polish the plunger and clean up internal contacts. The chore is getting the starter off to do it, but its not that bad. Just a couple thoughts ... mark