starter motor burning wires

[planetmarklar]

Went to the bank one morning, started up fine. Tried to drive home and it wouldn't start. I would turn the key and hear the click from the firewall solenoid but that's it. Thought it was a battery issue, bought one and still just the click. A guy at O'Reily told me its probably the solenoid so i bought one and threw it on. Still just the click. If I knew what the solenoid did before I bought it, I think I would have been able to identify that the solenoid was not the issue. I took off the starter and had it tested, it failed. Bought a new starter and when I put it on it doesn't turn. In fact it burns the little primary on the starter solenoid. Pulled it out, had O'Reily test it, it's good. Took it back home and attached the leads under the car without mounting it and it works, after replacing the little wire. I put it back in and tried to start it and nothing. Still the same solenoid click. The new starter still burning the little primary. Thinking maybe the starter is not engaging properly and the stress on the motor is causing it to push the power back out to the little wire and burn.... Thoughts?

 

[Anime]

The 'click' from an old stock starter is usually because the starter brushes have worn out and aren't making good contact with the armature. Cheaper and better fix than a new starter is just buying the brush assembly ($20-30) and replacing it, if you have the tools and know-how to pop the cap end off the starter, take the old brush assembly out and put the new one in. Temp fix is to just whack the starter with a rubber hammer/block of wood/shoe/boot to jostle the brushes to make contact.

The wire burning might be either a miswired starter or just a poorly built unit. If the wire burns up, it's getting power, but not doing anything with it.

Personally I'd suggest going back to that store and getting the old starter back if you traded it in as a core (which means you got a rebuilt starter and not a brand new one) and getting the brush assembly from O'Reilly's instead (Brush assembly is Borg Warner part no X379) or just getting a refund on the starter and using the old one with a new brush if you still have it.

Otherwise, take the new one back, and no matter what they tell you about it testing good, have them give you another and try it after mounting it securely to the transmission and connecting all wires.

Also be sure you're using the right starter, for the transmission you have. The starters for the automatic and manual transmissions are different.

 

[awood]

Weird stuff can happen if you have a shorted wire or cable. I had the cable (that runs between the battery and starter) short out when the insulation rubbed through to the frame about half way down to the starter. Might be worth a look for all the wires and cables in the circuit.

Voltage drop testing works very well:
http://www.fluke.com/fluke/usen/com...cleCategories/Electrical/DiagnoseVoltDrop.htm

 

[McMuddy]

What fixed your problem?

Hi Planetmarklar,

So did you ever resolve your starter issue? My wife's truck is having pretty much the exact same problem....except for the burning wire issue. New battery, new starter, there is 12.7 volts down at the starter but she still won't turn over. I didn't try the unmounted starter test you did, but I'm thinking I might have to try that. Also, I have three wires at the starter and can't remember if one went to each post on the starter or if two (thicker wires) went to the one post on the solenoid and the small red wire (which seems to come out of the same harness as one of the heavier black cables) to the smaller solenoid post. I'm recalling taking all 3 off of each individual post but don't want to risk melting wires if I don't get it right.

Anyway, I wanted to see if you finally figured out what the issue was and if you could pass that info on.....it would be greatly appreciated as my wife is not a happy camper right now.

Cheers

McMuddy

 

[larrydd999]

Not an expert but have a lot of electrical experience - some at the 12 volt level... Do you hear anything when you turn the key? Starter issues can be anything from the key switch to the ground cable, with all of the wires and components between. As to starter hookups I'm going from memory, but generally there are two large posts - only one has the heavy cable attached (it's the starter solenoid that has to pull in before the starter turns over because it engages the ring gear), the other large post has a strap to the starter body. Looking at my Ford diagram, it only shows one wire going to the starter coming from the starter relay (located in my vehicle near the battery). Hope this helps.

 

[awood]

My 94 Explorer must be wired differently. The wiring diagram I have shows just two wires going to the starter. One (red) battery cable coming directly from the battery, and one smaller wire coming from the relay mounded on the fender.

When the start signal comes from the key switch through the neutral safety switch (automatic trans) or clutch switch (standard trans) and then through any anti-theft system that may be installed, it will energize the relay mounted on the fender. With the relay energized, it then sends the signal down to the starter solenoid, which pulls the contact to allow current to flow through the starter motor. If there's anything interrupting this process - usually corrosion on the battery terminals or wiring that is internally corroded under the wires where you can't see it - your truck wont start.

 

[larrydd999]

Awood, thanks for the clarification. I was looking at a '92 Explorer diagram, with no anti-theft wiring. I don't have a diagram for my '94 (yet) and I just noted that McMuddy has a 2000, which probably is different than either one. Still the same question, however - is there a click at either the starter relay (on the fender or nearby) and/or at the starter?

 

[awood]

I use my library card to access our county library reference section. There are auto repair manuals there. It's not Alldata, but I actually prefer the wiring diagrams shown there over Alldata's diagrams. Just my preference.

Otherwise, maybe a moderator can move this thread to the 1995-2001 forums...

 

[97fordrangerxlt]

Went to the bank one morning, started up fine. Tried to drive home and it wouldn't start. I would turn the key and hear the click from the firewall solenoid but that's it. Thought it was a battery issue, bought one and still just the click. A guy at O'Reily told me its probably the solenoid so i bought one and threw it on. Still just the click. If I knew what the solenoid did before I bought it, I think I would have been able to identify that the solenoid was not the issue. I took off the starter and had it tested, it failed. Bought a new starter and when I put it on it doesn't turn. In fact it burns the little primary on the starter solenoid. Pulled it out, had O'Reily test it, it's good. Took it back home and attached the leads under the car without mounting it and it works, after replacing the little wire. I put it back in and tried to start it and nothing. Still the same solenoid click. The new starter still burning the little primary. Thinking maybe the starter is not engaging properly and the stress on the motor is causing it to push the power back out to the little wire and burn.... Thoughts?

I'm having the exact same problem now. I replaced the battery, starter, solenoid, and cleaned up the grounds and still nothing. I'm tired of redoing the wire from the solenoid to the starter after failed attempts to start. Please help

 

[92exp4x4]

I'm a bit confused. Which wire is burning up? Is it at the starter or the fender solenoid? If a wire burns up, usually that means it's shorted and draws too many amps. Or that component is drawing too many amps. There should be a fuse or fuse link wire in the circuit? I'll attach wiring schematics for the starting system for you. What year is your truck?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Sometimes a rebuilt starter could be defective. Maybe it's internally shorted. Have the store bench test it.