automobile help: 1992 pontiac Grand Am: Once in a while after shutting the car off it doesnt turn over im guessing its an electrical connection or maybe a sensor. - Help.com

Does it make a rapid clicking noise or a brief cough when you turn the key, or is there no noise at all?

it sounds like a starter problem. if you’re not car savvy, though, you should have someone who is check it out.

electrical connection probably, check the battery clips and see if they are loose or rusted on the inside. Or, i’m not sure if that model has one(i don’t do pontiacs) it might be the voltage regulator on the alternator, if its messing up it can cause the battery to overheat and lose its charge until it cools down.

Assuming that you have power enough, a sharp click almost as a slam and no more, could point to worn teeth in the starter. But it is more likely that the solenoid on the starter does not pull the starter gear into engagement. If you get a whining from the starter engine in this stage, it is just the solenoid. But without the whining, the problem is earlier in line. There is a thick “plus” cable attached to a small cylinder on the starter beside two more and smaller connections. You can test it by touching the small connectors with a short cable from the “plus”. A whining noise means that the starter is engaged without pulling the solenoid. The slam is when the gear goes engaged. Both of them will turn the engine (and the car, if you forgot to disengage the gear switch on a manual).

Now almost every Grand Am -92 is automatic. There is a sensor checking that the gear shift is in either “neutral” or “park” position. Having the gear shift in other positions, the car shall not be able to start. Sometimes that sensor goes a bit out of line, then it may help to keep the key in position as if you start the engine, while rocking the gear shift a little. If the engin starts then, there is the problem and you have to get that sensor fixed or adjusted.

These GM products are notorious for having bad ignition control modules. If it starts fine one time and then it won’t crank the next and then goes back to being fine, then I’ll bet a nickel that it’s a bad ignition control module.It’s an expensive enough repair that you’d want to get a mechanic familiar with GM to look at it.

Inspector10 wrote:
My ,92 grand am starts fine, but then gives a few rapid clicks from under the dash, and while this is going on, the head-lights dim and then return. Any thoughts?

A possible loose/dirty connection or maaaaaybe early signs of alternater trouble. Start with taking a wire brush to the battery terminals and making sure there’s no rust interfering with your connection.

Under the dash would seem to indicate that a relay is going bad. When you turn the key from ‘on’ to ’start’ you’ll notice that whatever electrical devices you have on in the car get turned off… That’s because the starter motor needs all the power that it can get from the battery. The device that turns everything off is a relay…my bet is unit is going bad.

Nyxotic - what would it mean if there is no noise at all?

hindman_96 wrote:
Nyxotic - what would it mean if there is no noise at all?

That you’re not getting any power to the starter at all so the connection is blocked or severed somewhere OR your batter or alternator are just plain dead.