Clicking before starting
 

Recently I have noticed a clicking and kinda of a slow to get power response before I start my car which thus far always starts up. My question is... is this a low battery? Bad compression (though its cold) or is my starter going bad?

Batttery cable was loose. I tightened it and it still made that noise... Perhaps it needs a battery charge.

Did you just tighten it? Or did you remove it, clean it, and then make sure it is seating correctly before tightening?

Often, the corrosion is occuring between the clamp and the battery post, so just tightening the clamp only helps slightly, and the problem will re-occur pretty quickly as the corrosion continues.

(Always disconnect negative first, reconnect positive first. If only one cable is attached to the battery at any point, it must be the positive cable)

I recently cleaned it but I'll try that tomorrow. I did it and took it for a quick ride and something else happened. I don't know how to classify it but as I was driving the car about 35mph kept revving but the speed was going down before I knew it I stopped. despite me attempting to give it gas. The engine was still running... I put it in park for about 2 min... Put it back in drive and it worked fine enough to get me home. RIWWP what would you classify that issue as so I can look it up? Is that power loss? Maybe a transmission fluid issue?

About the clicking noise,

Make sure you are not getting confused with the sound from the auxiliary port valve (apv) cycling when you switch the ignition from the on/off position as you try to start your engine. It is more noticeable in an enclosed area like a garage, but sometimes you hear it in open areas too.

This may have nothing to do with the slow start of the engine, but I wanted to point out the clicking noise from the apv, which tends to throw some people off when they first get an rx8.

I don't quite understand the symptoms you are describing? There is a safety mode in the ECU that ignores gas pedal input under some conditions, but it's not obvious if this is what you are talking about, or if it was responding, just sluggishly or if the engine stalled out or not. Could you be more specific and detailed about what exactly you experienced? RPMs, throttle positions, speed, etc...

I actually don't have too much info because it did it last night for the first time on the fly. But basically I was driving about 35 mph and the acceleration on the car stopped working. However as I was pushing the gas it still revved up to about 5k rpms. I was able to use the momentum to get to the side of the street where I parked but kept the car running. As it idled it was at about 1k rpm's. I was literally about 200 yards from my driveway so I put it in drive and it worked. I parked it in the garage and haven't looked at it yet.

This statement is REALLY confusing. Acceleration isn't a component, so it can't "stop working". To me this is like saying "The wind noise stopped working". It doesn't make sense to me. I'm not trying to be difficult, but if I don't understand what you are saying, I might point you in the wrong direction. I assume you mean that the car wouldn't accelerate, however there are MANY of ways to interpret "would not accelerate", as well as many different manifestations. Fuel cut is dramatically different from running lean, which is different from running rich, which is different from a clogged cat, which is different from a disabled throttle pedal, etc... they all feel, sound, and behave differently for the same "would not accelerate".

What RPM where you at, with what throttle position at what speed? What gear where you in? How did the engine feel and sound? What did changing the throttle position do?


DETAILS! :)

What I mean is the speed was not increasing. But I was still getting a response on the dash from the gas pedal. Engine didn't sound any different and when I parked it just kept running and seemed fine. I'm sorry if I'm short on details. I was kind of panicked and didn't look at all this.

If the RPMs were climbing but the speed wasn't, AND you were in gear, then it's a gearbox related problem. In a MT car, I would point at the clutch. I don't know what would do this in an AT, except I know that the torque converter transmits energy through the transmission fluid, basically one set of blades spins the fluid which exerts pressure on the other set of blades. So there is normally some level of disconnect between the RPM and the speed for AT transmissions.

I have no idea how big of a disconnect you had though, because you don't know what gear you were in or what position the gas pedal was in, so it remains possible that there was just extra resistance from the drivetrain, like the e-brake engaged, brake failure, seized caliper, whatever.


That is about all the advice I can give with the information provided :dunno:

Anything that happens with the car I assume the cat is clogged or the compression is bad. So as long as it doesn't seem like that I feel like I'm winning. But in reality I can't actually afford any type of repair so any help or effort is greatly appreciated.

Have you checked the transmission fluid level?

I haven't. How do you do that? can you point me towards a DIY thread? I have a 2005 automatic so it should in theory have a dipstick somewhere right?

I just found that and I'm about to give that a look.

Clicking on start up could be fuel pump related (depending on how you define a "clicking" type noise). If you have someone else start the car, and poke your head into different areas (under the hood, outside the car, backseat, etc) does the noise get louder/softer?

When the car stopped accelerating as you pushed the gas pedal you said you were going about 35 mph - so I'm guessing the transmission was in 4th gear? Does this sound like a decent guess? When you pushed the gas pedal you said the RPMs increased, but the car continued to slow down, how high did the RPMs go and how hard did you push the gas? (did you floor it? did you apply just a slight bit more pressure? somewhere in between - best guess as to where?). Did the car pull to the right or left at all as it slowed down?

Can you replicate the situation if you put the transmission into neutral while driving? When you bump it into neutral and continue to push the gas pedal - just as you did previously when it stopped accelerating and coasted to a stop - do the RPMs increase to a similar extent to that which you experienced previously?

Your best answers to these questions may provide more insight into what possibly happened.

I just got back in town. Of course I had to take the train. I don't know what it is but I check the Transmission fluid and it looked like it was lower than expected. I'm going to attempt to put some in and drive around the neighborhood tomorrow

Well in terms of the transmission I put some fluid in and it seems to drive a lot better. Haven't had that issue. However Saturday I visited my brother a couple miles away for about 4-5 hours... My car just sat there. I attempted to start it up and it wouldn't start. It wouldn't turnover. It seemed like a battery or an anti-theft issue. The next day I wake up check the battery cables and they were good. Try to start it again and it starts right up. Any idea what I should be on the lookout for?

When you say it didn't start, and didn't turnover - did it make any noises or attempt to start at all, or did you turn the key and nothing happened?

Was the battery disconnected at any point when you were inspecting the cables?

The battery was fine. I tightened up early in this whole issue. It wouldn't turn over or anything. And what made it crazier is its been driving fine today. Minus alil rough idling and reversing.

I feel like I'm a car hypochondriac. Anything goes wrong I fear its a compression issue.