GregS88

2005 Acura TL Automatic - New battery, 12.7 vdc, new starter, checked cables to starter reading 12.5 vdc. When trying to start car all you hear is a click like there's not enough volts going to the starter. Took old starter to auto zone to check and it passed but still replaced with a new starter and nothing, still all you hear is a click. Appreciate any help, thank you

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Where did the "new" starter come from?

GregS88

cheapest one at autozone. I took it back and was planning on getting a new/more expensive one from Napa. Could that be it?

thoiboi

I've had bad starters DOA.

thoiboi

Also make sure the new battery is fully charged too. Do you have a charger (trickle or otherwise )

GregS88

I took new battery to autozone thought maybe it went dead from sitting on the shelf, it checked out good. The new starter I took back to get checked because I thought maybe Was no good. It checked out good. Maybe ign switch or neutral safety switch? I tried the cheapest autozone starter was thinking about trying a more expensive one before moving on.

thoiboi

I never trust their tests. I've been bitten by them in the past. I'd try charging the battery if the new starter still doesn't work

GregS88

the wire at the solinoid only has 9 volts and I hear it's supposed to have at least 11 to crank the car. Wondering what the issue could be.....

Jackass

Trace all the major power cables and check for corrosion. If you know you have 12.7V at the battery, not under load, you should have 12.7V at any positive power connection. Once load is applied, that voltage is expected to drop, but if it is dropping to 9V, you have excessive resistance somewhere in the path.

If your headlights are working properly even when cranking the car, it probably isn't the battery itself nor the main battery cables.

If your headlights are not working properly when cranking the car, it is probably the battery or the main battery cables.

scchevelle468

Check the ground at the fender. My fender nutsert is not good anymore and the cable "comes loose by itself" occasionally and does all kinds of weird stuff. Powers up my relays and big lights, no headlights, interior lights, etc.

DMZ

Check the condition of the + battery cable. I had a similar problem last year and it turned out that that cable had rotted out on the inside. At this age, it's entirely feasible.
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NoTLoud

Greg - did you ever get your car started?

From the symptoms that you are describing, it makes me think it is the starter... I just had mine die the other week.

If you are hearing one click when you turn the key, it means that the fuse/solenoid should be good. That click is the fuse or solenoid (not entirely sure) for the starter.

I could pretty much immediately diagnose my starter was dead based on two things: that single clicking noise and the fact that my headlights and interior lights all worked at full power.

There's a little trick with starters that you can try to get the car to turn on. Just tap on the starter with a wrench/like object while cranking to get the brushes to move and make contact.Usually a dead starter is a result of those brushes flat-spotting and not making proper contact. I used this trick to get my car to start once when it had died on me 3 hours from my apartment.

Since you bought a "new" starter, it's odd that it would still not start the car, but I believe all of those starters are re-manufactured starters. Depending on the quality of the re-man, you could receive a defective starter, as thoiboi mentioned.

It's been about 17 days since your original post, so hopefully since you ghosted this thread, you got your car started!

Joe Hills

check and make sure that The plate that your battery is sitting on is in grounding out the starter make sure that the rubber boot on the starter bolt it's still there