Up until this point the car has been running fine. I just went to wendys. When I finished, I got back in the car and it wouldn't start. No previous symptoms. I could hear this clicking noise coming from underneath the switch box that is behind the fusebox on the top right under the hood. I thought it might be the battery but all electrical components seem to work fine including the horn which I am told draws the most power asside from starting the engine. The noise happens when the key is in position 2. Thanks for your help.

Also, I should mention, it is not one of the switches. I opened the box and checked them. The noises is coming from below the switches.

How old is your battery?
Are all of the connections (cables) tight and dry?

['just for fun. If you could convert the horns on the QE II from steam to electric
they still would not draw as much current as your starter.]

The "clicking" is usually a sign of a discharged battery...or poor connections.('Even in a discharged state the battery will still run all of the ancillary devices...just not engage the "Bendix" on the starter because of the
TREMENDOUS amperage draw)

You need to put a multimeter onto the battery and check the resting voltage.

'Below 12.2 volts D.C. and you're walking.

I had the same problem. Ihad been working on the inside. Left doors open, trunk open. Anyway, would not start, but everything seem to work.
I got the same clicking. We pulled my old Taurus net to it and connected cables, let run for about 15 minutes, and she fired right up.
Your most likley have a battery going bad. The engine pulls a lot of amps when first starting.

They're right - start with the cables as a bad connection, then the battery because those are cheap fixes. If that fails, a "clicking" like that during a failed startup can also be a starter solenoid.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

It's a pretty new battery. About 3 months old. It doesn't even crank when I turn the ignition. If it's the battery that would only happen if it is completely drained, I would think. I had started the car sevreal times yesterday with no problems before this happened. That might lead me to believe that it is the alternator but I don't think so since jumpstarting the car today didn't work.
So, based on this information, I would deduce that it is infact a bad connection or what POS said, a bad starter solenoid. Is that located where the noise is coming from? I'm gonna try to get access down there and see what I can find.

Thump the starter with a hammer (not kidding here) and try to start it.

__________________
The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

You could have a poor feed to the starter solinoid caused by bad ign sw, NSS, or K38 relay circuits.
The easy test point for diagnosis is at the plug to the left of the Master cylinder fluid reservoir, on the engine inside firewall. Unplug this 3 wire connector and run a jumper wire from the bat + post to the center terminal on the firewall plug [ not the harness you just unplugged]
Be sure the car is in Park.. This jumper brings direct 12v to sol, which should energize the starter and verify circuit
..if NO starter engagement, then sol/starter/or wires to it are suspect.
This is just a test point in the circuit that we use to seperate the relays and switches of the start circuit in the cabin from the actual feed in the engine compartment..
If that makes the starter spin, your problem is upsteam in one of the relay/switches I mention in the cabin..if not , then you know the problem is downstrean from that point.

This happened on my old Toyota, the ground wire came loose and it was still attached but not tight. My mechanically proficient friend Mary told me to check the battery for corrosion and the the ground wire connection. She was right, tightened the bolt to the fender for the ground and it started up.

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1991 190E 311K [Brilliant Silver/Black MBTEx] -retired
1996 E300 315K [Black/Grey MBTex]

Want to put a tank in the trunk for WVO/SVO in the E300 Need to find a place to store my OIL!
Still procrastinating about the biodiesel/WVO
Made some biodiesel but so afraid to pour it all in - I've added some and think I'll supplement my fuel to see how I make out

Made some biodiesel but the process scares me - methanol fumes are not your friend! Need to do this outside.

Sounds like a sticky starter motor to me. Give it a few taps with a hammer.

Smack the starter motor with something.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Sorry for taking so long. Hopefully someone is still listening. Please disregard my first reply stating that the noise was coming from under the switches. The noise is actually coming from inside a large white relay switch, part # 201 821 02 47. I just got my replacement part yesterday. Unfortunately that part was not the problem. I get the same exact noise with the old switch and the new one. Thanks to Arthur Dalton for the idea of running a wire from the battery. I've been starting my car that way for the past month or so. I guess that means it's not the starter. What would cause that noise in a part that isn't broken? Is it as simple as a brokn wire? I should mention that the other things that run electricity through this relay work fine.

That relay is for hazard warning and wiper speeds..
Try to turn key to start position and hold it there while moving shift lever back and forth thru the 'N" position..
This is NSS test

Sorry for taking so long. Hopefully someone is still listening. Please disregard my first reply stating that the noise was coming from under the switches. The noise is actually coming from inside a large white relay switch, part # 201 821 02 47. I just got my replacement part yesterday. Unfortunately that part was not the problem. I get the same exact noise with the old switch and the new one. Thanks to Arthur Dalton for the idea of running a wire from the battery. I've been starting my car that way for the past month or so. I guess that means it's not the starter. What would cause that noise in a part that isn't broken? Is it as simple as a brokn wire? I should mention that the other things that run electricity through this relay work fine. And yes, it still doesn't start when I turn the key.

Is this a repeat message??