Aftermarket remore starter problem?

[FIND]

EDIT AGAIN: QUOTE: V6's got a relay on the passenger side inner fender area between the battery and the distribution box.
99-01 V6's have no relay or solenoid on the inner fender.

Ah, thanks for letting me know. I hadn't realized that. I guess I must not have paid close enough attention to a 99-01 before.

 

[albi1cnobi1]

Does it still do it if you pull the relay from the dist box?

 

[FIND]

^^^ this

If it still does it after you pull the relay, then the starter solenoid is grounded closed and needs replaced. If it does not do it after you pull the relay, you have a short in your ignition circuit between your switch on the column and the relay.

You'll need a full battery to test it because a drained battery could leave the solenoid stuck open if the relay left it open from a short before it.

 

[albi1cnobi1]

^^^ this

If it still does it after you pull the relay, then the starter solenoid is grounded closed and needs replaced. If it does not do it after you pull the relay, you have a short in your ignition circuit between your switch on the column and the relay.

Precisely.

 

[jremington59]

^^^ this

If it still does it after you pull the relay, then the starter solenoid is grounded closed and needs replaced. If it does not do it after you pull the relay, you have a short in your ignition circuit between your switch on the column and the relay.

You'll need a full battery to test it because a drained battery could leave the solenoid stuck open if the relay left it open from a short before it.

It still does it with the relay closed. I wish it had the solenoid on the firewall. It would be much easier than pulling the starter out. Anyone pulled them off on the V8? I can imagine it's probably a chore.

 

[jremington59]

Does anyone know the size of the nuts that hold the battery and switch wires onto the solenoid. The nuts on the starter are pretty rusty and I was going to try and take them off without removing the starter to see if the draw goes away.

 

[jremington59]

Well, I'm getting ready to scream, lol..... I unhooked both wires from the starter and the solenoid and there's still no power anywhere and the battery reads 9 volts unhooked, but changed to .5 volts hooked up. I'm lost now.

 

[albi1cnobi1]

Try this. Pull the 50a ignition fuse in the battery dist box. Let us know what happens. That will rule out an ignition switch issue.

 

[jremington59]

I pulled the megafuse and there was no change. When the positive and neg leave the battery they splice together into a harness temporarily. If this isn't the starter and it isn't blowing any fuses doesn't the problem have to be before the power distribution box? Also, what happens if a battery shorts out. I just put this one on the charger and at first the needle on the charger was going back and forth from fully chaged to empty. After only 5 min on 10 amp charge it's reading 12.4 volts. That's way to quick I believe. Also I wasn't paying attention and touched the neg end of the meter to the pos terminal and the pos to the neg terminal and got the same reading as if I connected them correctly?

There is no power to nothing else at all and this is confusing me.

 

[DjDom]

I pulled the megafuse and there was no change. When the positive and neg leave the battery they splice together into a harness temporarily. If this isn't the starter and it isn't blowing any fuses doesn't the problem have to be before the power distribution box? Also, what happens if a battery shorts out. I just put this one on the charger and at first the needle on the charger was going back and forth from fully chaged to empty. After only 5 min on 10 amp charge it's reading 12.4 volts. That's way to quick I believe. Also I wasn't paying attention and touched the neg end of the meter to the pos terminal and the pos to the neg terminal and got the same reading as if I connected them correctly?

There is no power to nothing else at all and this is confusing me.

Hold on a second.
No one's mentioned how a Remote Starter is wired.

The starter requires that the starter wire under the dash is cut, wired to a relay and then wired out. This also allows the starter to be blocked if it's an alarm system, to prevent theft.

When you disconnected the wires for the remote starter, did you notice the relay under the dash?
I remember installing my alarm and skipping this for the sake of not cutting my wires.

 

[jremington59]

OK here's a good one. I didn't touch anything and went back outside and hooked the battery up and the doors started chiming, the lights were on and everythings now working. I don't think this is good. There is also no draw. Unreal.

I still have the starter and solenoid unhooked so should I hook them back up and see what happens?

 

[jremington59]

OK, I hooked back up the starter and solenoid and as soon as I touched the battery terminals on it started turning over.

Can someone remember offhand the size of the starter bolts. Mine are quite rusty but I believe they are 12 mm. I'm going to have to tap the socket on and I'd rather it was the right size, lol.

 

[FIND]

Did you remember to pull out the relay from the remote start like Dom asked? Then again, if the starter is still turning with the starter relay pulled from the distribution box, the starter solenoid is probably the problem.

 

[jremington59]

Well, she appears fixed. I pulled the starter and had it tested, but it tested fine. I told them what had happened and they tested it again and it tested fine. The third time the starter didn't kick out and the solenoid got very hot. I bought a new starter, installed it and everything seems fine so far.

So it seems there was a short that would occasionally stop. Thanks everyone for the help and hopefully this helps someone down the road that experiences this problem.

 

[FIND]

What likely happened, is that you bumped the starter when transporting it, which freed your stuck solenoid. Then, when they tried testing it a couple times, it got re-stuck.

I guess I should have suggested hitting your starter with a hammer to see if the problem went away before, but there isn't really a lot of room there to swing a hammer...

Why didn't you just change solenoids? A solenoid costs like 20-30 bucks. Granted, a new starter means you won't have to worry about your starter again for another 6-12 years, so not money wasted, but still.

Either way, glad to hear your problem is resolved.

 

[jremington59]

What likely happened, is that you bumped the starter when transporting it, which freed your stuck solenoid. Then, when they tried testing it a couple times, it got re-stuck.

I guess I should have suggested hitting your starter with a hammer to see if the problem went away before, but there isn't really a lot of room there to swing a hammer...

Why didn't you just change solenoids? A solenoid costs like 20-30 bucks. Granted, a new starter means you won't have to worry about your starter again for another 6-12 years, so not money wasted, but still.

Either way, glad to hear your problem is resolved.

The only place open today that had one was AutoZone and they didn't sell the solenoid separately. The V8 has the solenoid mounted to the starter, not the firewall. I had a 20 percent off coupon and I got it for 95 dollars so I'd have done it that way anyways.

 

[FIND]

Fair enough.

But, just for future reference, there is always a solenoid mounted to the starter. You can remove them by taking off two screws on the flange at the end of the solenoid, and the nut that is holding down the power wire between the starter and the solenoid, The solenoid then comes off with a little persuasion. You line the new solenoid up in the bendix, and you are good to go.

Thinking about it though, it was probably better to have replaced the whole starter anyway. That motor probably had its life reduced significantly by running that much and at low voltages.

Either way, still good you got it all sorted out. Enjoy your new explorer.

 

[jremington59]

OK problem not solved, lol. Today I went to start it and it only clicked. I crawled under it and had someone turn the key and the clicking was the starter kicking out but it didn't spin. I tapped it with a rubber hammer while it was being turned over and it started.

Is it possible for a rebuilt starter to be crap, lol? I probably only started it a half dozen times before this "newest" problem.

 

[jremington59]

Before I pull this thing off and take it back I'd like to make sure it's not a wiring problem. Should there always be 12 volts at the large red wire on the starter or only when you turn the key to start? also my battery reads 12.57 volts. Should it be the same at the starter?

 

[koda2000]

sounds like you got a bad starter motor. the click is the solenoid doing its job. if the motor started spinning after hitting it with a hammer, that's a bad motor. you didn't buy AutoZone's Valuecrap starter did you? I've always had good luck with the Duralast rebuilt alternators and starters, but the Valuecraft stuff is not very reliable.

starter solenoids are wired between the battery and the starter. their job is to transfer high amp power from the battery to the starter motor when you turn your key to start. then the solenoid is energized and transfers full battery power to the starter motor. it doesn't matter if the solenoid is starter mounted, or fender mounted, they still work the same way. solenoids can not work at all, or can stick ON which would keep the starter spinning whether to turn the key to start or not.