I've had my red camaro (95 3.4 v6) in the shop 4 times in the last 2 months and it will NOT do this for them. I can go 2 weeks and it crank fine so it's a hit and miss. The battery is almost 12 volts and I know that it should or could be higher than that but it has a small drain somewhere on it. I haven't determined what's doing it yet. The battery is less than a month old. You turn the key and it's like a rattling/clicking sound but not like you hear when it's the battery. Sometimes you can go out several times a day and hear this and then randomly it will turn over. Or to get it to crank, just jump it from another car and it will crank right up. I'll try to get a video of it later, we're getting ready for a funeral and I dont want to get dirtied up.

 

If jumping always fixs it then its the electrical issue. Under 12v is an issue and needs to be addressed. Your battery has 6 cells each cell has 2.1 volts. Your battery should be 12.6 volts when fully charged.

Now if you starter is older it will be less forgiving of the lower voltage. So the issue is the charging system/battery/brain on the battery but that problem might be showing you the starter is reaching the end of its days. Starter could last a couple more years if you fix the issue but if you keep starting the car with low voltage you will fry you old starter. Low voltage = more AMPs=more heat=old starter dies fast.

 

Jumping it will crank it but doesn't necessarily "fix" it. We've had a new alternator, battery and ignition switch. Next to change out is the starter and I want a new fuel pump in it. They did some rewiring and we had some ground wire issues that they fixed for me. The shop foreman at GM dealership said he thinks that if jumping it cranks it that we're giving the starter extra voltage to crank it and that it needs replaced. I tried cranking it 3 hours ago and battery was just under 12 volts. I haven't tested it but it's dead now cause it wont do a thing and my rear view mirror light is barely lighting. Whatever drained it in those 3 hours was fast.

 

Let me add, too, back in late Feb we went out of town for 3 days and I had it in GM shop. They put it on something that monitors the electrical system over a weekend and it never showed anything. Battery stayed above 12.

 

If you are jumping from a running car then yes you are getting some added voltage. A start draw test would show if the starter was the issue but that is not a common tool. Any real garage should be able to do it. I think most parts stores can test your starter for you. Heck if you want to replace the starter go for it and it may need it. I would not replace a starter based on how it reacted to a battery that was showing less then 12 volts. You really should focus on the draw. It will kill your new battery and alternator pretty quick. It is not a deep cycle battery it is not designed to be drawn down every night and recharged the next day.

 

So you dont think the solenoid could be the culprit of the drain?

 

I never seen one cause a drain. The power that runs the solenoid comes from the ignition switch so the windings should only draw power when the ignition is turned tp the start position. The disk could short and cause a issue if it was broken but if it was broken I doubt the car would start. What have you checked so far for the draw? 80% of the time its the lighter or the ligher socket (that assumes you have already disconnected any aftermarket wiring).

 

Cig lighter isn't in it's place. We pulled it out last year. Bulb was removed from console. I make sure the stereo and blower are completely off when it's parked. They did put in a second fuse box under the hood because if you recall when I first bought the car it had spaghetti wires. When it was in the shop, it doesn't do this. I can drive it 2 weeks straight and it not act up whatsoever.

 

This is why I don’t like to try to help people with electrical issues over the forums. What you are saying makes no sense. You’re saying the reason your new battery is not at 12.6 volts is because you have a draw in your system. Then 4 posts later you say you can go weeks without a draw problem. We just made a big circle. If you have no draw most of the time than your battery should be fully charged and sitting over 12 volts. If you have no draw and your new battery is under 12 volts you have a charging/battery problem. If your battery is showing fewer than 12 volts due to a draw then you need to track down that draw and fix it. Tag,,, someone else can take it from here.

 

I can go weeks with it cranking anytime I want it to. I'm sure the "draw" problem is always there. It just may be bigger at times. I've kept a chart of it and couldn't make any sense out of it. It can sit 48 hours and not be cranked and battery can hover around 12 volts or it can show a 11.89 after sitting 24 hours. It's an intermitent problem.