[philinjax]

rcrgrl,

Look, I understand you get the engine to start smartly by using a screwdriver to short the solenoid terminal to the battery lead. If this is the case then we know the starter, lead from the + terminal of the battery, the (-) lead from the battery to the chassis, the tranny ground strap to the chassis and the solenoid itself are all good. This means that you are not getting a good 12 Volt signal to the hot start relay (click, click, clatter, clatter, clatter), i.e., there is too much of a voltage drop in the fat yellow wire from the ignition switch and the hot start relay.

I suggest you pull both the 14 pin connector and the 12 pin connector off of the relay board. Spray clean the pins and mating points on the relay board with a contact cleaner and lubricant then reconnect. (Radio Shack has an excellent cleaner-lubricant.) The fat yellow wire from the ignition switch passes through these relay board connectors.

If this doesn't fix the problem, I suggest you remove the hot start relay and return the wiring to the original stock configuration. If the solenoid continues to clatter, this would indicate that the hot start relay would either be defective or have been miswired. I hate to harp on this but, there "ain't anything else".

Good luck at it.

Phil