Troubleshooting potential starter issue

[BearHug]

Hi all,

I've done some searching through the forums and found a bunch of helpful information, but have a few questions I was hoping y'all can help with before I delve into replacing the starter.

Here's what's happening:

- Turn key to on and fuel pump primes, if I try to crank the engine all I hear is a single click. Vehicle electrical all good.

- The whacking the starter technique worked a few times, but does not appear to be working anymore.

- Attempted to jump start car but did not work.

- I recently replaced the battery terminals as the last ones were pretty corroded -- battery itself is about 2 years old. I used a battery post cleaner brush after replacing them and this thinned out the positive post significantly. The new terminal does not fit properly around the post -- there are a lot of exposed points -- but have had this issue for a while with no problems starting. I've put on a shim, and the car reads at 12.2v after sitting for a while.

- I was recently replacing the spark plugs, and had to use a good amount of degreaser to get some off. It appears a lot of this fell onto the old starter. Could the issue be that the connections at the starter have gotten too grimed up?

- Does the single click when turning the key indicate the starter is out or failing? Or can this mean several things?

Just trying to see if I can fix this with some cleaning or perhaps a new battery before I begin tackling the starter.
Note: This happened yesterday after I took my car to the tire shop to put my winter tires on. The car does have a known fuel pump issue -- unrelated to starter -- requiring a tap of the fuse box to prime the fuel pump. I guess this happened and they started whacking at the starter. Drove around fine a few times after, and promptly started acting up the following day. Now I'm stuck

 

[Oxthe3rd]

I just had the same issue. Turned out to that i had to clean the electrical contacts where the brushes contact and it worked like new. I will say though it is not a job for the timid. Lots of small parts that are spring loaded and hard to get back into place.

 

[BearHug]

Thanks for the input. I think this is the next step I'm going to be taking with it. Unfortunately this all happened after I spent my allotted car funds for the paycheck so a new starter is not the in cards for a few weeks. Hoping removing the starter and cleaning it up will work, but realize I'll likely have to replace sooner then later. Luckily my buddy mechanic gets back soon so I won't be tackling this alone.

 

[Oxthe3rd]

My starter has lasted a year so far after cleaning. As long as the brushes have life to them it should last pretty long. A tip for getting the brushes pushed back in and held in place. Push the brushes deep into the guides and use a paper clip to block them in till its back on the stator.

 

[BearHug]

That's good to know. I'm hopeful that's the issue. Going to try and pull off soon here.

 

[Oxthe3rd]

Good Luck

 

[trashtruck]

are you sure it's the starter and not the solenoid? use a screwdriver to jump the 2 large studs on the solenoid. if the starter turns, the solenoid is bad. if it doesnt it could be the solenoid on the starter or the starter itself. remove the starter and use jumper wires to connect it to the battery directly, pos to solenoid lug, neg to starter case.

 

[BearHug]

Tried the screwdriver on the solenoid studs. Just clicked like if I try to turn the key in the ignition. Will hopefully have a chance to take off the starter tomorrow. Starting to get dark and cold.

 

[trashtruck]

just checked and autozone has remans for both auto and man trans for under 100.00. not too terrible

 

[BearHug]

Agreed, may go that route. Luckily picked up a gig for tomorrow that should cover the cost of a new one.

 

[BearHug]

Found a guy selling a remanufactured starter for a 1997 ford explorer for $65 -- can probably talk him down a bit. Would this fit on my 94?

 

[kmack]

I had a similar issue a few months ago with my '05 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Sometimes it would start up fine, others it just "click!" Random, too. Never any consistency.

Replaced battery. Still happening.

Pulled starter (very hard to do on a Hemi stuffed into a Jeep GC), and the posts on the solenoid had the slightest wiggle to them. Bought a new starter and no problems since. Word has it that the posts on the starter solenoid (at least for some Jeeps) will crack on the inside causing a disconnect of the circuit. When I bought the new starter, I had Autozone test the old one. First test had it running fine. I asked for a subsequent test, and it failed.

If a new/reman starter is only around $100, then that's the route I would go.

 

[natenkiki2004]

1997 has a different transmission, they're probably not the same starter.

 

[larrydd999]

I replace the starter about every 5 years, about the same length of time I'm willing to trust a battery, and I replace the starter relay at the same time. That way it gets done at a convenient time for me. The brushes and the solenoid (the part on the starter that pulls in the gear) are wear points and for the cost of a starter (I bought a new one off the auction site recently for about $50) it's not worth my time to pull it to repair then put it back on. Obviously others will have a different opinion. If you do purchase one, be sure it's for an automatic (if that's what you have) because the stick and auto versions are slightly different.

 

[BearHug]

Update: Problem solved! I replaced the starter, and now it fires up like a dream. One thing I wasn't prepared for, but was a minimal issue, is for the new starter solenoid (on the starter) I had to splice and crimp the stock wire to. Perhaps my starter was stock -- had a flat fuse terminal thing that the stock wire slid over; I'm guessing an obsolete design -- but the new one didn't have this so had to do some wire cutting. All good now! Thanks for everyone's help troubleshooting this.

 

[natenkiki2004]

Glad you got it sorted. As you saw, "new" parts may not always work, especially those that are often rebuilt like starters and alternators. Quick tip for you; I'd go back and solder that wire. I've crimped quite a few wires and was never happy with one. Soldering will save you headache and snow-covered clothes one of these days

 

[BearHug]

Good call, was planning on doing that soon. My car died in the driveway, and it's 25 degrees out and dropping so tried to get it done as quick as possible, but now I can move it to my buddy's heated garage to fine tune things.

 

[larrydd999]

X2 on soldering the wire, and adding a piece of shrink tubing over the area to keep moisture out. Soldering is a mixed benefit solution since it stiffens the wire and makes it more likely to fail due to vibration, but for making a good electrical connection there's nothing better (at least nothing that's practical for the end user to do).

 

[BearHug]

Yup, will get on that. Here's an image of the old vs. the new starter -- what a change! In the second image I circle where the stock wire thing connected. If you look at the first image the wire dangling from the new starter is what I had to splice it to:

http://imgur.com/gallery/9Ck0f