1999 Pontiac Grand Prix won't start - unsure if it's battery

70

Asked by stacia99 Sep 26, 2016 at 02:54 AM about the 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix 4 Dr GT Sedan

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

A couple of hours ago I started up the car as normal, then realized I'd left my phone in the restaurant. I turned off the car, saw the phone was in the backseat, then started the car right back up -- total elapsed time 3 seconds maybe. When starting up all I got was rapid clicking but the engine wouldn't turn over. We thought it was the battery (the lights were all dim, the radio went off, and the battery is due to be replaced in March 2017 anyway) so we got a jump from a tow truck, but it wouldn't turn over. As we attempted to start it during the jump I noticed the clicking stopped - there is now NO CLICKING at all when we try to start the car. The dash lights are basically normal brightness. What can I do to make absolutely sure it's not the battery or a battery cable? What could the problem be? Thanks.

1 Answer

70

Hi all -- wanted to update a bit. We did a light cleaning on the battery connections and also checked the fuses and relays, cleaning a couple that looked a bit hazy but not too bad. The car started right up. Worked fine until last night when it wouldn't start again. After a couple of seconds (as I was texting my husband to tell him I'd be late) the dome light in the car came on, so I tried and the car started right up again. Since then, we've been hearing a clicking under the hood near the fuse box. We'll be checking the cables, connections and fuses again much more closely this morning as soon as it's light out. I'll keep updating because maybe this could help someone in the future.

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