Will not start, it just clicks once?

Hi,

If the click is coming from the starter motor, the circuit is being completed. So, either we have a faulty starter motor, or the engine is locked. After thought, it could be a loose connection at the battery, starter, or engine ground from the battery.

Have you checked those things?

Let me know. Also, let me know if there were any engine issues prior to this happening and confirm for me it is the starter motor that is clicking.

Here is a link you may find interesting and helpful:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/starter-not-working-repair


Take care,

Joe

We replaced the starter. It has not had any issues before I had the valve covers changed.

Okay, I need you to check the ground from the battery to the left front of the passenger compartment and the right front of the engine. Something was damaged or loosened when you had the valve covers off. (See pics one and two)

Also, I attached the wiring schematic for the starter. Take a look through pics three and four and confirm the fuses and relay are working properly.

When you check a fuse, you are actually looking for two things. First, is the fuse good? Second, you need to make sure there is power to and from it.

Here is a link you may find helpful:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-fuse

Also, please confirm for me that the click is from the starter and not a relay.

Take care,

Joe

See pics below. Note: I had to cut the wiring schematic for the starting system in half to make it readable for you. I did overlap the two so you can follow from one to the next.

Today we had it out of park and off the ground and the flywheel won't turn. What does that mean? The guy who changed my starter said everything else looks good. But he only does starters and oil and tire rotations so he didn't know what it meant if the flywheel wouldn't turn.

If you can't turn the flywheel, the engine is locked. Try turning it at the crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer.

Was anything other done than the valve covers? Also, and don't laugh, could something had fallen into the head before the covers were reinstalled?

Let me know if you can turn it at the crank pulley.

Joe

My uncle changed the oil and the starter, and we put on a new battery. And I had new connectors put on and it ran for a week then wouldn't start one morning. Knowing all of them it's very likely something could have fallen in.

See if it can be turned at the crankshaft. If it doesn't, my concern is the timing belt broke. This is an interference engine which means if the belt brakes and timing is off, there will be contact between the pistons and valves causing internal damage. In this case, it may have locked the engine.

If it won't turn in one direction, see if you can turn it the opposite way.

Let me know.

Joe