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2003 STS - No start

1887 Views 22 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Submariner409
Okay, so last Tuesday I went out to start my car at about 10 AM. It was considerably cold (about 31°F) and when i turned the key my car wouldn't start.... All I got was multiple rapid clicks and the headlights were flickering along with the clicks. The clicks were in about a 8-10 click sequence. And it would last maybe 3 seconds. Even if I turned the key in the off position. So I went and jumped it from the under the hood positive terminal thing. And it started right up. After that it ran fine. Until today. (5 days later) I went out with my girlfriend to grab some food about 4 miles from her house....When I came back, the car wouldn't start. It did the same exact thing. It would click rapidly and the lights would flicker with the clicks...... The weird thing is that every electrical thing worked. (Windows, radio, dic, inside lights, headlights, etc). After turning all electrical thing off, I tried starting it again and it still just clicked. I checked the battery voltage on the DIC and it read "9.4 ok"...now that seemed extremely low to me, because I thought it was supposed to be at about 12.4. Anyway. We called my girlfriends mom, and she came and I jumped my car and again it started right up. Now here is my question. If the battery was bad, wouldn't the car not even have the ability to power any of the lights or radio? And wouldn't the car not even click? So what could it be if its not the battery. And how can I find the source of the problem?

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Oh today when it didn't start it was also 28°F. I don't know if that has any relevance
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Re: 2003 Seville Sts No start

It IS the battery. Replace it.

Now here is my question. If the battery was bad, wouldn't the car not even have the ability to power any of the lights or radio? And wouldn't the car not even click?
No, it has enough power to run lights and radio and operate the solenoid (that doesn't take much). The clicking you hear is the solenoid engaging the starter pinion with the flywheel ring gear, but it does not have the power to turn the motor over.
Re: 2003 Seville Sts No start

Maybe, but it's not holding a charge. Batteries don't last forever and they rarely fail at an opportune time. Replace it while it's at YOUR convenience. It WILL fail again.

And don't try to cheap out. You NEED a series 79 battery with side vents as it is under the rear seat.
Re: 2003 Seville Sts No start

$135 - $150
Re: 2003 Seville Sts No start

"Dead" battery is a loosely used term. Too dead to start the car (virtually useless) , but not dead enough to not run accessories.
Re: 2003 Seville Sts No start

If you want to prove the battery bad, just remove it and temporarily replace it with another one from your buddy's car. Hell, you don't even have to remove it. Just set the test battery next to it and touch the cables to the terminals. Then have someone start the car. Just don't jump it. Both cables come off your battery and go on the known good battery. You want your battery completely out of the equation.
Re: 2003 Seville Sts No start

Any car battery will work for the test. The only difference between most batteries and your 79 series is the two side vents that the vent tubes connect to.
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