jeeper31

My starter engages with the engine, begins to turn the engine and then lets go resulting in a failed start. It is a new starter which I returned and had the solonoid replaced since I've gotten it. Today for about 10 minutes the starter gear didnt even engage the engine and I just heard whirling from the starter. Had the batter/charging system checked at autozone when I first started having this problem and all is fine. Volt gauge reads between 12 and 12.5. All electrical things are woking fine. The battery does sound a bit weaker.

Is this a ground problem or something else?

Charlotte944

Could be the ignition switch. The switch carries all of the current for the solenoid, and over time the contacts get burned. The resulting high resistance limits the current to the solenoid and keeps it from engaging the starter motor drive (Bendix) gear.

jeeper31

How do I fix/replace this? Is it an easy fix?

jeeper31

I forgot to mention that when the starter disengages from the engine the tach jumps up to the other side and comes back only when I turn the key back.

Granite 944

Sounds like a shot battery, or very poor grounds/connections at either/or.

jeeper31

autozone checked battery and said it was ok. the thing that makes me think that it might be bad is it is starting to sound weaker.

nine-44

My mom's 84 had an intermittent no crank, sometimes would crank and stop, etc. Ended up being poor connections of the smaller wires at the battery. Theres 3 or 4 10ga wires on the terminal at the battery on the positive. I cut about and inch or two off and crimped new loops on, no problems since. HTH

Granite 944

In a situation like this, I would question autozone's ability and competence to really check the battery condition correctly. Maybe they have a faulty test bench/tool.

I also agree with Cliff. It could be the wiring/starter switch.

Eliminate the easiest, first. The battery. Have it tested again, under load, after fully charged.


"It is a new starter which I returned and had the solonoid replaced since I've gotten it."

You said........please explain further.

jeeper31

Bought the starter at a place by my work. When I installed it in the car the condition I described started to happen intermittently. I brought it back to where I got it (they rebuild them there) and they tested it and replaced the solenoid for me.
Is ignition switch hard to relace?

inactiveuser92616

if there is too much current for the ignition switch, it could be relayed (much the same way Iceshark did for the headlights). Just strap a weatherproof relay onto the starter assembly, pulling power from the main starter power line and triggered by the ignition. You would want to use a very high quality relay though, if it got stuck things could start to suck very quickly.