Random no start-solenoid clicks

[Still2slow]

This is a problem I've been dealing with for years with my car and its at the point where I drive it less because of it.

I've been chasing this problem for years and its driving me crazy. The battery is fresh and I keep a battery tender on it, new alternator and replaced the starter. About 50% of the time when I go to start it cold the starter solenoid clicks but the starter does nothing. When it's warm the problem usually goes away. If I put the charger on it at 40 amps it turns right over. You would think its the battery but its not. I replaced the starter and it was fine for a while but the issue came back not long after.

The security light turns off when I turn the key to "on" so I don't think it's the key/vats. I've replaced the positive cable from the battery, new starter and battery as mentioned above. My research shows it could be the ignition in the column but would the solenoid still click? Could the advance auto starter be junk? Any help is greatly appreciated

[Fastbird]

The advance starter could easily be junk. I say that because we just had a customer come in with an 82 Vette, same symptom. We put his "Bestest" el cheapo starter on the car, same problem. Swapped it for a Napa starter, no more issues.

[Homerandabe69]

I had this exact problem on my Maxima about a year and a half ago. I checked the battery and alt and they were good. I pulled the starter and took it apart and cleaned it and re-installed with a better chassis ground and the problem went away for a while. It ended up coming back a little over a month later when my mom was driving it. She took it to the shop and they replaced the starter with a new OEM unit and the problem hasn't come back since.

[Chris]

High voltage drop between the battery and starter.

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[95droptopz]

Check the voltage at the small starter wire when trying to start the car.

[SSlowBoat]

i have had the same problem, the solenoid will randomly do a one loud click and thats it, wait a few minutes try again and turns right over like nothing is wrong. i changed the starter twice, two alternators, two batteries, all brand-new bigger cables positive and negative, and also ignition switch on column and the pigtail. STILL randomly have this problem. i will be trying the ford solenoid swap soon, see if that helps.

good luck

[Still2slow]

Thanks for the advise guys. The one thing I haven't done is crawl under it with a multimeter. I know as soon as I do it'll fire the first time.

[Soxxpuppet]

I had that happen to me not long ago. I purchased a LT4 starter to replace the Powermaster proxs that was giving me similar issues. The wires and solenoid ends looked nasty. I cleaned them up and replaced the starter and no more issue. Im sure if I had left the starter it would have been fine.