Have a friends 2001 Focus that won't start. When the key is turned a continuous clicking noise is heard. The battery has plenty of power. All lights function normally. I'll have to run by in the morning to see if I can tell exactly where the clicking noise is coming from but was wondering if any of you had any ideas of where to look.
Starter relay. Not a big deal. Your owner's manual should tell you where it is, but usually it's in the engine compartment.
I had an older Nissan that had a small relay in the engine compartment do that. However, it would only click once rather than a repititious clicking that this does. That would be great if its just a relay. I assume there is a relay/fuse box under the hood?
Had simil;ar problem with daughter's 2000 Focus. Problem was the battery. Put new one in all OK. Don't believe battery OK just because lights etc work. The starter motor takes a huge amount of current to turn engine over compared to what lights take. The clicking noise is the starter motor solenoid cutting in to start with then dropping out as the voltage drops due to the very large load placed on the battery as the starter motor tries to operate. If the key is held in the start position this continues until you move the key away from the start position.
The headlights take quite a bit of power. While not as much as the starter they would normally dim when the key is turned if the battery were weak. In this case the headlights shined bright.
"Miles" wrote
If it is the battery, a boost should start the car. But we could kick this around on the newsgroup all day. You need 10 minutes in a good automotive electrical shop.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.