Hi All
I posted this problem on Team Camaro but haven't had any luck getting it resolved as of yet. I wanted to get some input from some of the Chevelle guys here because I see some posts on the site from guys that have had a similar problem...

I have a '68 Camaro with an intermittent starting problem. It starts fine at times but other times all I get is the dreaded "click".

In the past week I have done following:
- Rebuilt Delco starter
- New Battery
- New positive and negative battery cables with factory ends
- New wire going to "S" terminal on starter
- Replaced "pigtail" wire going to junction box behind battery
- Tried starting car in neutral to bypass neutral safety switch and still get the occasional "click". (if the switch was bad - I wouldn't even get a click correct?)

Last night, I tried starting the car with the head lights on and there is virtually no difference in the amont they dim when the car starts and when it "clicks". The only dim about 20% (if that) no matter if the car starts on not...

Does any one have any suggestions as to what i should do next?? The only thing I can think of is the ignition switch ( a nightmare to change on my car). I have the negative battery terminal connected to a stud on my chrome water pump. Should I change the connection to the block somewhere instead of the chrome water pump?

This is driving me nuts!

The clicking to me suggests poor connection to the battery/ground or a bad battery. Since you just replaced the battery, I'd focus on the connections. As you mentioned, the ground sounds questionable and I'd go to the block directly.

Make sure the small starter wire on the solenoid is tight. That one's hard to tighten with the starter on the car and if not connected properly the solenoid won't do it's thing when you turn the key - it'll kind of click like it's not making a connection. If loose enough, it'll click then lose total connectivity. That's my guess. I've actually gone to creating a pigtail for this wire (you can buy one ready-made also) so I can mount it when the starter is off and all I have to do is plug it in.

Next time it just clicks, get under it and jump across with a screwdriver from battery cable connection to the starter wire terminal. If it cranks then something is awry with the wire from the ignition switch or its connection.

Let us know!

Thanks Pro

So u think it might actually be the negative battery wire?

So does it finally start?
I mean what do you do to get it started at the time it is doing this?
Or does it just go click click click click and then start?

IF the neutral safety switch wasn't passing enough current through in "P" it probably would act the same in "N"

Like Pro68 suggested, the negative battery cable is a much better ground to the starter if connected directly to the block.

You can add a piece of 14 gauge fllexible "test wire" to the starter's "S" terminal along with the purple wire and bring it up near the battery to make it easier to check the voltage at the time of failure.

That same wire can also be used to bypass everything, you just have to be sure the transmission is NOT IN GEAR.

Dean
Well, it starts...sometimes. Then the next time I turn the key it just clicks. Then it starts 3 or 4 times. Then it clicks twice etc etc etc

When it clicks, I have to turn the key off and just try again.

I'm going to switch the neg. cable to the block. If that doesn't work, I'll just bypass the N/Safety switch and see if that cures the problem. The reason I didn't think it is the N/Safety switch is because I always thought when they do go bad, you don't get any sound at all. Not even a click....

Yes, fix the ground...and make sure the purple wire is tight on the solenoid. Reach down there and try and rotate it. If it moves, it's not tight enough.

I would think that usually IF the NS switch is bad it wouldn't even click at all but it's not impossible that it could have a high resistance connection thru it.

New wire going to "S" terminal on starter

What size wire did you use? factory was a 12g, I use a 10g whenever I replace one and use some plastic tubing to protect the wire from heat.
Tried starting car in neutral to bypass neutral safety switch and still get the occasional "click". (if the switch was bad - I wouldn't even get a click correct?)
Starting in neutral does not bypass the NSS. If you want to bypass it, would would need a jumper for power to go around the switch.
Does any one have any suggestions as to what i should do next?? The only thing I can think of is the ignition switch ( a nightmare to change on my car). I have the negative battery terminal connected to a stud on my chrome water pump. Should I change the connection to the block somewhere instead of the chrome water pump?
Move ground right to engine block. Electricity follows this path to reach the starter "S" terminal, check all connections along this path......
To check the entire starter circuit, electricity flows from the battery to the junction block, to the 4 way splice, to the horn relay, to the bulkhead connector, to IGN switch, to neutral safety switch if automatic or clutch switch if stick shift, to the starter "S" terminal. Check all connections and switches along this path. You may have a bad connection or high resistance in a switch.

Just wanted to "wrap up" this thread. I moved the negative cable right to the block and that seems to have solved my problem. In a million years I wouldn't have thought that's what it was. I'm thinking the stud (in the block) on the water pump started to corrode and I wasn't getting a good connection..


I'm a Camaro guy but I have to give thanks to the Chevelle guys here!

Thanks!!