[khanart]

Hey guys just bought a 79 TA SE acoulple months ago and it won't start. Im sure its the starter. Im a novice, any advice or tips on how to change the starter. thanks...I can't stand not driving it.
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[PunchT37]

Originally Posted by khanart

Im sure its the starter. Im a novice, any advice or tips on how to change the starter. thanks...

Are you sure it`s the starter? Have you checked voltages and connections?

[khanart]

Im not 100% sure but it was working fine, after I came back from a cruise around town I turned it off. I tried to start it 5 mins later and it wouldn't turn over at all. I kept trying and it finally started but it struggled to. I got it home and it hasn't started since. It makes a clicking sound thats it. the voltage gage does go up every time I try to start it. I did not check any connections.. Im learning as I go, this is my first project car I bought, I appreciate the help though.

[PunchT37]

Check for any loose connections. That means the starter too. Just remember to disconnect the battery before you check the starter wires or you replace the starter. It`ll let you know if you don`t.

[khanart]

Cool, thanks. I let u know what happens once I get to it.

[Grand73Am]

The first and easiest thing to check is the battery itself. If it's not a sealed battery, pry off the caps and check to be sure it has water up to the inner rings in the cells. It may have dried up and needs water and might still hold a charge if you have a battery charger to put on it. While you're at it, check the terminals for corrosion. Clean all corrosion off the battery cable terminals and the battery posts by scraping with a knife or use a battery terminal cleaning tool, available for cheap at the parts store, and reconnect them and see what happens. It may just be a corroded terminal or it could be the battery has died, due to being dry, or to having a bad connection, so it wasn't getting charged up properly. Sometimes it's that simple.
Another easy check would be to use jumper cables to jump your car off with another car. If your cars turns over with a jump, you know your starter is fine.
If you don't have a battery charger, you could take the battery to a store, like Autozone, that checks batteries for free to see if it's still any good. If it's bad, a new battery doesn't cost much with your trade-in.

If the battery is good and the cleaning doesn't work, then you have to look for other causes like the starter connections, as mentioned above.

[SctH]

Have you tried Jumping it? Since it is making the Clicking sound, it sounds like it's not getting enough juice from the battery. I would check the connections as well as the battery itself. You can also check the alternator by disconnecting the battery cable with the car running. The alternator should keep the car running, if it quits, then the alternator is not properly charging the battery.

[khanart]

I checked the battery and its clean, no corrosion, and the connections is tight. I then tried to jump start it. No luck same result, it makes one click sound as if I turned on a switch. I didn't think it was the battery because the car would basically start on the first try before it stopped working. also when I put the key in now, the radio and so on still work. So its back to either the starter or alternator or connections?? I still beieve its the starter but what do I know?? thanks for all the advice. I probably will try to change the starter when I get the chance. What level of difficulty would you say changing a starter is?? What should I know besides to disconnect the battery? Thanks

[Stuart]

You should get yourself a set of factory repair manuals, but in the meantime Auto Zone has information on how to replace the starter on a Firebird on their website:

http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us...rInfoPages.htm

Generally, turning the key and just hearing a click means there's power getting to the starter, but only the starter solenoid is engaging and the starter itself is not turning over. As others have mentioned, most often this is caused by either a low battery or by loose connections on the battery cables (check both ends of all the cables - at the battery, and at the other ends. The negative cable goes to the engine block. I'm guessing on this because I don't have a Firebird, but the positive cable probably goes to a junction block on the fenderwell, then another cable goes from there down to the starter.) Clean all connections well - use a wire brush or even a penknife to make all the connections shiny, then put a LIGHT smear of grease on them before you put them together and make sure they're tight.

There can be enough current in the battery to still turn on the radio and to make the starter solenoid click, but if it's nearly dead it won't have enough current to make the starter work. An easy test for the battery is to take it out and try it in another car; if that works, the battery is OK, and then the next thing to check is the starter itself.

Follow the procedure described on the Auto Zone website to get it out, and take it to a local auto parts store. They should have test equipment to check it out on the bench. If it's bad it probably can be rebuilt, but since you're a novice it's probably best to get a rebuilt one from the parts store.

[moonrider1]

You should check the wires going to the starter that travel through the heat shield. I had this same problem one time and it was the heavy wires running to the starter that deteriorated from the heat and old age. Once I replaced the wires with the proper gage wiring, it started fine. Doesn't hurt to take a look.