smittyd

Battery shows to be fine (15 v). But all I get is a clicking noise when I try to start my 95 Taurus. Any suggestions? Thanks...

jwko

Sounds to me like the Solenoid/Starter has bit the dust.

dmcomputerguy

Try again with the headlights turned on. Do the lights dim when you try to start? Post the results here. It is possible that you have a battery problem. If so, turning on the lights will load the battery enough to make it show up.

The same symptoms can be from a dirty connection, usually at the battery terminals.

It is more likely the starter though. You can bypass the starter solenoid by removing the starter cable from the solenoid and touch it FIRMLY to the battery side of the solenoid. If the starter turns over, the problem is the solenoid.

One thing that you can do to check the battery cables is to put one volt meter lead on the battery post and the other on the battery cable. Try to start the car. If the voltage is over about a 1/2 volt the contact is not good enough. You can move the meter lead closer to the starter and repeat the test. Always keep one lead on the battery post, if you can reach that far.

Eventually, you may find one with several volts. The only measurment that is important here is when you are trying to start, it may be up to 15 volts when not trying to start. You can also try the same on the negative/ground side of the battery.

thefonz

From my personal experience, most of the time when you just get a click or rapid clicks, it is usually a weak battery or bad connection. Make sure connections are clean and tight.. battery>solenoid>starter. The cable can also be bad under the insulation. After this is verified to be good, if it still does not start, bypass the solenoid like 'dmcomputerguy' suggested. Follow his advice but make sure connections are good.

smittyd

Thanks for the reply. The lights do not dim when I try to start and get the clicking noise. The clicking appears to be coming from the solenoid/starter.

thefonz

Have you tried bypassing the solenoid like dmcomputerguy suggested?
Make sure all the connections are clean and tight.
You could remove the starter and bench-test it to help narrow your problem down.