[COBALT]

Well, our more reliable vehicle (our 1999 2wd 5.7l tahoe) suddenly experienced some starting issues in the Costco parking lot last week. My wife got a jump thinking it was the battery (or someone told her that) and she was able to bring it home. After getting here she tells me it just clicked when she tried to start it (no slow starts winding down to nothing or flickering or weak lights). She says this initially happened when she made an initial stop somewhere, but then it started right up. Then LATER in the Costo parking lot is when it wouldn't start again. Ok, sounds like she didn't need a jump and the battery isn't the problem.

The next day I checked the battery and sure enough - good voltage with around 13v terminal to terminal (just about a year old) with a better-than-fair specific gravity for the fluid in each cell. I have power to everything, and decided to check the alternator. I fired the tahoe up (no problems starting) and the alternator is doing its job pushing ~14v down to the battery. Check.

Next the starter. I check to make sure it has power (check) then put a test light on the terminal from the ignition and have the wife turn the motor over - bright light. Check. The starter (at least right now) appears to be ok.

So, I conclude it might be the starter solenoid that's in the process of failing. I've experienced this before, and assume this is a reasonable guess since everything else seems to be ok. I have to take the whole starter out of the rig to replace it, so I just replace the whole damn starter. That's what I did, and the thing fired up like a dream.

Today she calls me and says the same thing is happening again. She's already had someone try to jump it (I cringe when I hear this) and now she says she's got nothing - no power to the dash, no clock, no ignition, no power locks. She hears this weird clicking under the dash next to the e-brake handle. Now she thinks the battery is dead as a result of the jump. I start thinking fuses and relays.

I'm thinking the starter relay was probably going bad and now that it is completely dead we have a blown fuse to the voltage regulator isolating power from the battery to the rest of the vehicle. However, I'm wondering what the hell the ticking sound is she says she's hearing. The failed relay???

I don't have the vehicle in front of me yet - it's being towed by AAA to the house apparently thanks to one of my wife's friends. Soon as I do I'll be giving it a look.

Does anyone else think this sounds reasonable or had this experience?