Ok - I've been having this weird starting issue (and yes, I searched but didn't find a match to this):

Couple times in the morning, the car won't start.

The car has enough power to turn over (and not sluggishly like a dead battery), but won't run.

There's a loud, rapid clicking from the driver's side dash when it does that. One time, I turned the car off, got out, grabbed something, came back and it started right up. Other times, it just sits and has this rapid clicking noise.

I think a relay's going bad somewhere. Question is, any ideas on which one?

 

it could be your ignition switch,have you bad the battery tested yet , just because it has 12.6 or more volts doesnt necessarily mean its a good battery

 

Battery isn't great, but it still had a problem with a jump. Also, it's weird that it would start minutes after having this problem - I mean I'd let it sit for a minute and it'd start right up. That doesn't sound like a battery to me.

 

A discharged battery(lower than normal battery voltage) and bad or corroded battery cables can cause solenoid clicking

 

Hmm... but it doesn't click in "start" - it does turn over. It clicks when I back off start and have it in "run" only.

 

I had something similar with mine, no clicking, but the not start, then start thing was caused by bad cables. Might look there to rule that out.

 

Good call greenarrow. I am thinking a loose wire, perhaps at the battery.

 

Mine was at the starter, that little ring terminal had almost corroded off.

 

Look for that area like greenarrow said. Also, it would not hurt to find the frame to chassis strap and rub all new metal to metal contacts, because sometimes a low dragging battery will be caused buy the ground not completing a circuit and you coming back to the car is the metal is hot to transfer that poor ground is you are like welding the battery straps or ground straps as there is no contact at the tip or connect points to the ground.

Sometimes a clean, bare, metal to metal re-grounding, sometimes needs addressing just for this problem.

 

Hmm... thanks to those that replied.

Just to clarify - the car turns over ok - meaning the starter engages and the engine spins. It just doesn't start. The clicking is when the key is in "run", not "start", and it's not consistent. Heck, I can't get it to NOT start right now, but it's been a weird thing, and I don't want to get stranded.