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Cadillac Repair/Clicks when attempting to start

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Expert: - 5/7/2009


Question
I have '73 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, I recently replaced the starter, battery and battery cables.  When I attempt to start the vehicle all I get is clicking.  I took the starter and had it tested and it checked out.  All cables are tight.  I was told to check the ground cable from the motor, not exactly sure where the engine ground is.  Any other things I should check?

Answer
Hello,

Yes, it does sound like a bad connection of some type. You are limited in what can be wrong. You say the starter was checked, and yes the starter could spin on a test, but you could still have a bad solinoid which forces the gear forward to the flywheel. You could have a bad battery or connections. Easiest way to clean is wet the battery down, put baking soda on the connections and any corrosion will bubble off. Rinse. Take a knife or a battery teminal brush on the connections.

The ground at the battery hooks to the engine block. Remove the bolt and scrape the connector and bolt. Refasten. There are more than one ground straps on the engine and they will be bolted to the framed. There should be another ground strap or two at the bell housing of the transmission.

Good Luck!

Rob

Cadillac Repair

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Rob Painter

Expertise

Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?

Experience

Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.

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