# Occasional starting **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** starting, ford, ranger\ **Created:** [July 5, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899 "2009-07-05T18:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Huncut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Huncut](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Huncut)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899/1 "2009-07-05T18:04:25Z")
When I turn the key most of the time it only clicks once, and occasionally it will start. The battery is new, and I cleaned the terminals to make sure. It is a manual clutch, and the ignition key has been loose for several years. The starter is about 7-8 years old. Can anyone tell me if it’s the starter? safety clutch? ignition? or somthing else? Thank you for any help. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899/2 "2009-07-05T18:30:14Z")
make/model/year/miles? ---
**Author:** ![Huncut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Huncut](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Huncut)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899/3 "2009-07-05T18:59:17Z")
94 Ford Ranger V6 3.0 235,000 (aprox)miles ---
**Author:** ![hd72mm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9fc29f/32.png) [@hd72mm](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hd72mm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899/4 "2009-07-05T19:07:15Z")
slit rubber cover on battery cable hot wire and make sure wire is clean. Then take off positive and neg wires from battery and clean ends, not at battery but other end. If that does not fix it you know you are getting good contact and can go from there. Its just like plumming you go down the line till you find the leak or broken part. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899/5 "2009-07-05T19:09:36Z")
The next time you hear this click and it doesn’t start, take a baseball bat or something simular and give the starter a couple of good whacks. If the starter works after doing this, replace the starter. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899/6 "2009-07-05T20:24:24Z")
I would expect solenoid or starter. Start with Tester’s suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Huncut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/898d66/32.png) [@Huncut](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Huncut)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899/7 "2009-07-12T03:48:34Z")
Thanks. It was just the starter. ---
**Author:** ![hellokit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6a8cbe/32.png) [@hellokit](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hellokit)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/occasional-starting/32899/8 "2009-07-12T03:52:52Z")
Did you say it was just poor cable connections to the starter solenoid and to the starter motor? That happens.