I've got a 97 Z28, essentially stored since 2004 and never cranked since. Jumped it over the weekend and attempted to start. Interior dash lights up like a Christmas tree when the key is inserted, but when I turn to start it I get some pretty rapid clicking and the dash lights seem to flicker in unison with the clicking. Car has 60k miles. Is this a bad starter? Can starters go bad from just sitting?

 

What is the condition of the battery? Have you cleaned the baterry terminals, and inspected the wire ends (battery and starter) for severe corrosion? Doesn't take much corrosion to reduce current flow to the point the starter will not operate, even though the lights will.

 

Thanks for the quick response. Battery was new when I put it away, those terminals look good. Did not inspect the wire ends. Will do that next. Thanks.

 

Your 9 year old battery is probably low or doesn't have any cranking capacity. I suppose you could try charging it, but you should probably just get a new one if you are going to drive the car more than a couple times.

The other thing is that if you suspect the motor is frozen up a little, maybe you should get a socket on the crank bolt and pull some of the plugs out and see if you can get it to move. I would try the battery first, though, since that is most likely and a lot easier to do.

 

I' guessing dead battery also..... next did you put some fuel stabilizer in the gas ??

 

Huh, even if i was jumping it, it matters that the battery is likely shot?

And I definitely put fuel stabilizer in the car before I stored it.

 

yes I have 13 cars a dead or bad batt only takes like 6 months or a yr to be totally drained .. = clicking starter selinoid not having enough juice to engage starter

 

A "dead" battery can have an internal short, causing it to drain power from the "jumper" source. Disconnect the cables from the old battery and hook the jumpers directly to the cables.

And even "stabilized" 9 year old fuel isn't going to work too well.

 

My 95 z sat for 6 years. New battery, new fuel pump,fuel regulator. Had nothing in fuel tank, it was clean.Also changed the fuel filter........
Running great now