HELP! STARTING WOES!

[marcoze]

My truck took a DUMP at WaWa about 10 miles form my house.

Here is the problem.



When i turn the key all that happens is it clicks. The batter is charged full (checked, and tried jump). I tried to jump the soleniod (no luck). I "jiggled" the wires on the starter, moved the car thinking it might be the flywheel, nope. I tried everything i could think of.


This happend before and i left the car overnight, came back and it fired right up! And other times i got a jump from someone and it worked.

I KNOW IM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS problem.

PLEASE help, my car is everything.

 

[marcoze]

It is an Automatic.

 

[raiper]

what clicks? the starter, soleniod or both?

 

[marcoze]

It sounds like the Solenoid.

But what i dont get it that it Fixes itself once in a while, and sometimes a Jump fices it.

 

[raiper]

ok is it a single click right? and u tried jumpin the soleniod too i presume...i had this problem too, ended up being a ground wire lose, but also check with a volt meter to see if you are getting any current from the soleniod to the starter

 

[marcoze]

Thanks man


Im almost CERTAIN its the ground wire now.


I know whats screwing it around also, its all the Friggin salt on the ground around here Rotting it away. I NEVER had this problem before it snowed and salt was on the road.

 

[marcoze]

and yes it is 1 click.

 

[marcoze]

Do you think that if i take a Wire and touch it to the starter then ground it it would be enough to start it once to get it home?

 

[raiper]

ok good but if it still doesnt want to turn over after you got the grounds fixed......take a pair of jumper cables and hook the neg on the starter casing(closest to the engine) and then use the other neg and connect it to the battery for a direct ground route, if that fails your not getting power to the starter or it possibly went bad

 

[raiper]

all i can say is try it the way u suggested, dont really know on that one...

 

[marcoze]

Thanks for your help man, i knew someone here would know what i was talking about and have a solution. Im gonna head out tomorrow morning and see whats up.

 

[raiper]

No problem, almost the same exact thing stumped me and 3 other friends of mine, we just upgraded the clicks then it ran

 

[marcoze]

Dude no joke we had 8 car enthusiasts looking at it and messing with it to try to get it to run. I had 6 people in my Explorer.


It looked like we were doing an engine swap in the middle of the stores parking lot.

3 under the car, 2 in the car, 3 under the hood.


EDIT: whoops, language. sry.

 

[Bracken53]

Hmm, my truck did a very similar thing. Died once, fixed itself after a tow and some unrelated work, died again, and a jump fixed it, died one more time in the parts store lot where we tested the battery, replaced the solenoid on the fender, and I finally got mad at it and pounded on the starter, started right up.


If the grounding and rewiring plan doesn't work (and you still just get one click) give the starter a couple of good wacks. It turns out the brushes on the starter were basically gone.

Either way good luck.

-Ben

 

[marcoze]

i beat the **** out of the starter last night with a Bottle jack and it Almost turned over. Almost.

 

[rapdes]

I had the EXACT same problem as you. Ended up being a bad POSITVE battery cable. It would start most of the time but sometimes nothing, just click. Mainly I think it was a bad connection on the positive wire going to the solenoid. I just replaced the entire positive cable... $22 at autozone... good luck. I haven't had a single problem since I replaced mine.

 

[Bracken53]

Sounds like it might be time to grab a voltmeter and check things out. Have a friend try and start the car and see if you do get voltage at the starter. If your connections all seem solid and you're getting some decent voltage across the starter then it sounds like its time for a new starter. Plus its only 2 bolts and you could take it out and have it tested. Though while you're playing with the voltmeter you could check the resistance of your cables too.

Again, good luck

 

[marcoze]

And it still sits at WaWa.

what fun. its the starter.