JWLX300

My battery is fully charged but when I try to start the vehicle I hear a quick clicking sound. Help please!

Lexmex

Welcome to the Club.

Have you tried turning on the lights and then cranking the vehicle up?

JWLX300

I appreciate the response. After charging the batter (just to make sure) and turning on the lights, the vehicle will not turn over. Again, just a quickly repeating clicking sound. Any suggestions?

hypervish

Sounds like the starter.

JWLX300

Hypervish...I think you're right. LexMex, it seem you helped diagnose the same issue I'm having back in 09. Not sure if it will work but I've attached a video that exemplifies my issue exactly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoycT...layer_embedded

trhs75

It may be that the battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. I've had a similar noise when my battery is on its last legs; it has enough juice to make it click, but won't turn the starter.

hypervish

x2, after seeing the video it sounds like the battery isn't giving off enough power. Did you do a load test on the battery?

A starter gone bad is usually just one click. The sound in the video, sounds like a battery with a bad cell.

Lust4Lexus

It is the battery... I just changed the battery in my car 2 days ago. My car did the same thing yours is. By looking at the car, one WOULD think that the battery IS fully charged, but it may be enough juice to power your lights but not turn over the car. My lights, stereo, and everything else was perfectly fine, but my car just did not start. The fast clicking sound, in all my previous cars, as well as my LS, have meant a battery issue. Change the battery with a Duralast Gold. Cheap, readily available, and starts the car like hell fire.

AlexusAnja

On my RX and LS that recently had a dead battery, the dash lights comes on, but then flicker just like that. These modern cars will not let you crank and crank the starter all day if it detects that the battery does not have enough juice to start the car up. Just a "safety" feature I guess for the starter to make sure you don't burn it just cranking all day long.

I think if it were the starter that was bad, you'd either get nothing at all, or cranking without startup. I've never had a starter go on me in a Lexus, so I would not know how it behaves, but on my Honda that did have a bad starter, it did crank weak, just would not fire up.

Anyway, easy thing is try to jump start it and see if it fires up. If it does, then it's your battery. If still not, then possibly the starter. Battery is $80 and done, starter is $150+ job.

redbluejay

I have the same exact problem. What did they diagnose?

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Take it to Sears (or any auto battery place) and test the battery under load. If it's the battery, replace it. If not, then it's the starter ($$$).

salimshah

Welcome to CL.

Please read the sticky having problems start here thread.

Stickies are a must read for newbies.

Salim

DeadRX

I park in a garage. I recently put in a new battery. They made me turn car on and off after replacement, and that caused my starter to just sound terrible--that one start only. I assume it was not only because I had turned her on and off, but because I had reset all with a new battery. However, I am now afraid to leave the auto lights on, because when I go to turn car on in garage, it will require more power to get those lights on too, or please correct me if I'm wrong.

Do the lights being on or off have anything to do with causing my starter to possibly go. It hasn't made such a dead sound since, but it is coming up to the end of it's second year in my car--and it's no Denso...

Corrections and opinions greatly appreciated.

JAB

What year and how many miles on your car? This scenario is frequently explained by worn contacts in the starter. Parts cost about $7 and are easily replaced. I have rebuilt my 99 RX starter twice in 220,000 miles.