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We've been having a little damp weather here in Wyoming and I'm running into a little trouble with the starter (1987 S4). Occasionally, especially if the air is damp and cool, I hear the solenoid click but the starter does not engage. In other instances it starts normally. I'm pretty sure that the problem is associated with the solenoid and not the starter motor. Question: Does the solenoid come as a separate piece or is it integral with the starter housing, i.e. is it likely that I will have to replace the entire assy or just repair/replace the solenoid? Thanks all.
Hi I think you replace the entire unit, have you checked and cleaned the 14 Pin connector?
Disconnect the Battery first!!! Also any related connections and or Relays.
I've seen a starter turn over on a manual trans when a guy starter spraying cleaner w/o disconnecting the Battery first, this was after I had warned him to do so, he was lucky the car didn't hit anything!
Clean the contacts on the back of the starter and the wiring's lugs that are screwed onto the starter, that is what caused my 81 to have issues starting just like yours and now it has no issues at all.
Thanks! Have been doing some research and reading the threads. Odd thing is that it’s making noise and feels like the motor is spinning. Just not hooking up. Sometimes it cranks and then stops spinning the flywheel and the whirling noise. Will pull and test. Thanks for the insights!
I have just refurbished parts of the startersystem and solenoid. The startermotor and solenoid come in different parts and are not difficult to take apart. The solenoid has stamped numbers on it and can be found NOS or used on ebay. My startermotor was perfectly fine but the contact/relayplate on the solenoid was bad. I my case my starterrelay was also bad so make sure you look this up also. There are good write-ups online on how to test the starter and solenoid functions. To change the solenoid this way is about a 5th of the cost of a whole startermotor/unit.
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Starter solenoid
