Car Makes a Clicking Sound When Trying To Start – Art’s Berkeley

What causes a car to make a clicking sound when trying to start it? There are a few possible causes. It also depends on if you’re hearing a single click every time you turn the key to the start position or a rapid series of clicks when you turn the key to the start position. (The same applies to push button start smart key systems).

Single Click When Trying To Start

There are two possible causes for a single click when trying to start. To determine which is likely, pay attention to where the click noise is coming from. Is it coming from inside the cab or does it sound like it’s coming from under the hood?

Car Makes a Single Click Noise From Under The Hood When Trying To Start

If your car makes a single click from under the hood every time you turn the key to the start position or press the power button, the most likely cause is a failed starter motor. Here’s what you’re hearing. When you turn the key to the start position the starter solenoid is energized. The solenoid is an electro-magnetic linear actuator that performs two tasks:

1. It connects the positive battery cable to the starter motor winding via a conductive copper disc. When the disc hits the terminals, it makes a click.
2. It moves the starter pinion gear forward into the flywheel ring gear connected to the engine. This also makes a click, but it occurs at the exact same time as the disc click.

Normally you won’t hear this click because the starter motor is starts cranking the engine and that noise drowns out the solenoid click. So, why isn’t the starter cranking? A single click can indicate a problem with the starter motor brushes or a poor electrical connection between the solenoid terminals the copper solenoid disc. It could also be a frozen starter motor, bad armature, frozen engine, or poor battery cable connection, but these are far less common.

Car Make A Single Click Noise From Under The Dash When Trying To Start

When you hear a clicking noise from under the dash when trying to start the car, it’s likely just a relay that activates or deactivates when the car goes from ON to START mode. Unlike the click from under the hood, it’s not much of a clue. Why isn’t the starter cranking? It could be nearly anything.

Car Makes A Rapid Series Of Clicks When Trying To Start

If your car makes a rapid series of clicks when trying to start, it’s almost certainly an issue with your battery. Here’s what’s happening:

• When you turn the key to the start position, the starter motor engages and starts to draw a lot of current.
• Your battery cannot handle the current and its voltage drops.
• When the voltage drops, the starter solenoid de-energizes.
• When the starter de-energizes, the battery voltage comes back up.
• When the battery voltage comes back up the starter is energized again because you’re still holding the key in the start position.
• And this cycle continues until you give up on starting the car.

What’s wrong with the battery? The symptom alone isn’t enough to tell. It could be the battery is bad, or it may just be discharged. For more detailed information on possible causes of no-crank, check this page out.

Summary

• Single click from under hood when trying to start = probably a bad starter
• Single click from under the dash when trying to start = diagnose as normal
• Rapid series of clicks when trying to start = probably a battery issue

Do You Live In Or Near Berkeley? Need Help? Call us!

If your car is clicking instead of cranking and you need help, give us a call. We service Toyota, Honda, Subaru, and Mazda only. If you drive something different or don’t live in the East Bay Area, check out our How To Find a Good Mechanic page for tips and local referrals.