Starter clicking

[farkmischer]

My 92 explorer is acting bi-polar. It runs and drives great except for three times over the last 2 days that when I went to start it it would only click. The battery that is in it is about 2 years old. The battery did run completely dead while I had the explorer parked for 6 months to do some work on it but did charge back up just fine and seemed to be working fine for that last couple of weeks.

The first time the started clicked a couple times and then the third try the starter engaged and it started right up.

The second time this happened I had stopped to eat lunch with my wife and when I went to leave and it was only clicking so I got her attention and hooked it up to jump start but after hooking everything up it did not fix the problem it was still clicking. I gave it a minute or two and tried again and it fired up not problem.

The third time I was picking up my daughter up from school and turned the explorer off but when I tried to start it a couple minutes later it just clicked. I tried it about 20 times while I waited for my wife to come rescue me. I hooked it up to jump start again but it just clicked. I came back 5 hours later to try again and it started with plenty of starter power on the first try.

I am thinking the battery is fine and it seems like the starter or a connection to the starter is the problem. Is there anyway to test this without testing by buying parts? I know that 15 years ago that parts stores used to have starter testing equipment if you brought your starter in. Do they still do this? Is it very accurate at finding intermittent problems?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[farkmischer]

Okay, I was doing something dumb when I was searching before I posted this (it was late). I found this that should help me figure it out this morning.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293327

 

[Anime]

Sometimes the click can be from a poor electrical connection, cleaning the terminals, checking the connections at the solenoids, or even getting new battery cables if they are packed internally with corrision is a solution.

Depending on the mileage though, sometimes the starter brushes are just worn out. You can get a new brush assembly for much less than a starter if you have the time and tools to take the starter partly apart to replace it, or get a new starter.

 

[Aaron_C_43]

Starter Clicking,,

A bunch of years ago I was in Las Vegas and was driving the same truck I am driving today. I pulled into Am/Pm to get gas on the strip up past Circus Circus. I had just been at a car wash and trying to rid my engine of the road grime and built up fluid leakage from many many miles previously traveled. As I was trying to leave the gas station I was also greeted with a simple click, click. I rolled my truck to the side of the lot, broke out jack and tools and got to it. Oh, btw, when you get the click, click, if it wont start after a few little smacks with a hammer then do as I did. Disconnect battery, remove starter, have a place layed out where you can keep stuff in sight. When I did mine it was about 2 am and kinda dark. I like the roll of blue paper towells so when you lay screws and bolts and stuff they are easy to see. Anyway take the 2 screws out that are on the outter edge of the starters end that faces forward when installed. (The end that does not have the nose piece and the gear). Pull that end plate off, you will see the armature and the brushes. BEFORE YOU PULL THE BRUSH ASSEMBLY off the armature, find a socket about same size as the armature so when you slide brushes off armature you wont have to fight to get them back on when your done here. Next pull out the armature, (there are magnets in the so you will need to put on your big boy pants, and pull a bit harder than you think it should need). The end of the armature where the brushes make contact, the end closest to you needs to be a nice pretty shiny copper color, or best you can get. Grab a piece of emery cloth and spin it about 10-15 times around the spot on armature mentioned above. Make sure no real buildup of grit from emery cloth left on armature and then set it aside. The round housing with the magnets in it, if it needs cleaning then get at it, if not then match the housing up with nose piece like when you took it apart. since you have it apart, check the brushes and if they are wearing or worn enough that you feel they could use replacing then spend the $8.00 or so and do it. if they look good get them lined up and be sure to keep that socket in the middle. Its hard to reset them on armature when your alone since there are 4 of them and one of you. Set socket on armature and work the brushes down one at a time to where they need to be. Again line the bolt holes up with those in the nose piece making sure the magnets in housing are not turned and blocking them. Bolt them back together and reinstall starter and it should last another 3 or 4 years. By the way I believe after starter is out its an 8mm socket needed.
When I went to car wash earlier that evening I pressure washed all that road grime and oil and stuff into my starter so my brushes were not making GOOD contact to do their intended job as needed by us that drive them. Hope this helps someone.. P.S. Alternators are very similar in that the brushes can be replaced without having to buy a new alternator when it takes a crashing dive on you.