For the past few years on occasion the car just makes a *click* when I turn the key. I'd try it a few times. Bang the steering wheel(I believe this helped but have no proof) and bang, she'd fire up.

2 months ago I dropped the column and replaced the ignition switch. Took apart the old one and found all the roller contacts to be flattened and in bad shape, so I figured, that was a done deal. Worked perfectly for a few months.

Just started again yesterday.
Any ideas? Other gremlins to chase?

-Pete

 

Starter. Either brushes, or more likely the contact disk in the solenoid. This risk gets pitted from arcing. It rotates a little every time you start, so sometimes the pits in the disk line up with the terminals and pose too much resistance.

 

Ya think so Joe?
I'm not ruling it out...but when I changed the ignition switch the problem subsided for awhile.

The starter is a power master mini starter that's about 2 years old.
I like their products...but as always with anything new I realize there is a rather high propensity for failure.

-pete

 

Unfortunately I don't have any experience with the mini starter solenoids, only the OEM Delco.