Hey all,

After taking a 400 mile trip without issue, my 2000 S40 began to experience issues starting. First, when I turned the key, my dashboard would dim/momentarily turn off and the engine would reluctantly turn over. That occurred a couple of times. After letting the car sit for a couple of weeks, I attempted to start it again, and heard a rapid clicking noise, but with no power loss to headlights, radio or dashboard. The car again reluctantly turned over. Today, I tried to start again, but I observed the rapid clicking noise, again with no power loss, but also no start. I'm guessing this is either a starter or alternator issue, but I'm leaning towards starter because I still have power.

Do you all agree that it seems like a starter issue? If so, does anyone have instructions on removal/replacement?

Thanks a lot!

 

Honestly that just sounds like a dead battery. There's enough power to power the lights, but not enough to engage the starter. The clicking noise is the starter solenoid snapping on and off. When it turned over a little bit before, you actually had a little more power, just enough to engage the starter; the starter pulled all the available power leaving little or none for the lights.

Try a jump start and/or get your battery checked before assuming it's something bigger.

(that said, if your battery is very low but checks ok and holds a charge, then you're going to want to solve why the battery wasn't being charged up during your trip... THAT may indeed be your alternator, it wasn't supplying enough power so your electrical system was slowly draining the battery. I had this exact problem with my wife's corolla a few years back; I could charge up the battery fully, and drive around fine, but after about a week the battery would be too weak to start the car again. this time got shorter and shorter until I gave in and had the alternator replaced.)

 

+1 dead battery. The rapid "click, click, click" is the clue.

 

Have the battery tested and charged. After you deal with that, make sure all of your battery cables are clean.

 

A new battery seems to have fixed the problem. Thanks all!

 

just curious though, did you get your old battery tested and confirmed that it wouldn't take/hold a charge?

 

Yes. I had AAA come out and test the alternator, battery and starter and the 'technician' stated that it was a dead battery.

 

good, just wanted to make sure you had everything covered... didn't want to guide you to the bad battery diagnosis without ensuring related issues were checked.