95 DeVille, just "clicks", then starts

[TheeMc]

I have a 95 DeVille, 4.6 (I think?) non-northstar gasoline engine, after sitting a while, when trying to start, it just "clicks".
I have had the battery, and alt. tested and both test out OK. After turning the key several times on and off, it will finaly start. When it does start, it turns over fine, (not slow at all). Usually after it starts the first time, it can be shut off, and it will start right back up. We tried jumping it, and tightning and cleaning the batt connections.
Any ideas?
Do these things have a sylenoid like the older GMs, on the starter?

Any help is greatly apreciated!

Mc

[TheeMc]

I have to add, it is not a "click,click,clickclick", like a low or dead battery, it is one single "click", then nothing, and again on, off, on,off...with the key and it starts...
thx!

[mongongo]

Im with you on this one, I have a 98 Deville that is now doing the exact same thing! I tried moving the steering wheel, the shifter etc... And then out of the blue it will start. Of course at that moment I had no idea if what I had done caused it to start. All was good drove home, went to go this morning, and it did not matter what I did, Just one click! So I got in the ol hemi and drove towork. So if you have any luck let me know and Ill do the same.
Driving home battey read 14.7v. Im gonna do the normal clean connections, put batter on charger etc... Did I mention Ive had this car for about two months and not nay a problem, then I put 388 dollars worth of tires on it and ONE DAY LATER it starts this. strange luck.

[TheeMc]

Will do and same to you.
I hate to say, but this will be the last Caddy I ever own due to this kinda stuff. If you have any problems you HAVE to make an appointment with the dealer, no one else will touch them. When I go to the local dealer I get inept service. I went in with a noise in the front of the engine wondering what it was and got, " There is a whrrring noise in the front of the engine, may need an alternater, or power steering pump, A/C clutch or water pump soon", charged me 75 bucks and sent me down the road.

Turned out to be a belt tensioner, which failed sometime afterward and left my wife sitting beside the road. I have too much money in it to sell it off right now, had to replace a $2500.00 tranny with just aver 100K on it, I felt it would be good for at least 200K. But after this one it is back to my Merc's.

Don't get me wrong, I have always liked Caddys, when I am traveling 70 well being real 70+ miles an hour down the freeway, I like to have some vehicle around me. But I had much better service with my Grand Marques.

[NickySantoro]

Bad starter.

[TheeMc]

Bad starter is correct. It locked up at work, leaving my wife stranded once again. This was not a new caddy, I don't have that kinda money, but it was well under 100K when we bought it, and just over 100K now.

One would think for the price it would be good for at least 200K miles, every other car I ever have had was.

Oh well, like I said earlier in this thread, last Caddy for me.

Good luck all!

[mongongo]

Im still dealing with mine, It has been cold, very cold here. Finally got it jump started and in the garage, Fired up wood stove and proceded to take battery out, clean every connection I could get to ,including the one on the block and the front frame.
I even pryed out the metal from the plastic red and black protectors. There was a great deal of corrision inside those plastic/rubber covers. I charged the battery, however the battery showed full charge no less than 10 minutes after being on the charger. Put battery back in and it started first try, I then turned it on off no less than 20 times! and it worked every time.

THEN.......... came home last night, hit the key,,, CLICK. but then fired up second time and then everytime after that??????

So at 530 this morning at 3 degress Im pulling out the battery and will get it load tested after work. If its not the battery Im done.

This was a gift car that "ran good"
So far ive got new radiator 200 bucks, 388 dollars tires, 160 new headlights,
Im just not gonna do it... First 500 bucks takes it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CoupedeVille'73]

had a thing like this a couple of years ago with an old tractor
changed batteries and a starter and things always came up again.
after all that, I realized that the ground connector wasn't as tight to the battery pole as it should. It was tight though, but not tight enough. the ends of the clamp met and you couldn't fasten it more than that (ok, it was the european system with the poles on top of the battery).
Changed the clamp, cleaned the pole and it NEVER happened again.
other thing might be the starter solenoid. It might be stuck somehow in its housing and might need a couple of tries to move...
if its starts right up after one or two LITTLE hammer-bangs on the solenoid, you might want to look further in this direction.

[mongongo]

Id love to bang the solenoid with a hammer, But Id get tired of pulling the intake manifold everytime. I did however take the 6 month old battery back to walmart and it was bad, got a new one for free and brought it home and no change still just clicked once and then would start after about 20 single key on and off clicks.

So this weekend now that were gonna have a heat wave, highs in the 30's.
Im putting new ends on cables, and I am gonna pull the starter and Clean the heck out of it and get it checked also. We will just see.

Itll be a good day in the garage. Im thinking a couple of roast on the ol chargriller smoker cooking for about 12 hours, Kid rocks latest cd in the stereo, Wood stove going, Ol hound dog sleeping on the couch and a cold twelve back sitting outside the door. Yeah my attitude is changing. Im gonna fix this problem one way or another.

The "ONE CLICK" SUCKS.

[NickySantoro]

Bad starter. Symptoms are classic.