How can you tell if the starter needs to be replaced?
07-17-2010, 08:42 PM
#1
How can you tell if the starter needs to be replaced?
I just installed a new stock engine in my car along with a new tranny.
Everything was fine when i put the car back together.. it started right away at first and after the 5th time or so it looked as if the battery was getting weak.
After 3 hours of putting the car back together, I tried to crank the car and it just clicks. i tested the battery and alternator and they are fine. All the wires to the starter are fine too. I did drop the starter on the floor from a table before i put the car back together.. but it was fine for the first couple of cranks.
Now... im sure its something to do with the starter.. but does it need to be replaced?
how can you tell?
How many fuses/relays are there for the starter and where are they?
Any and All suggestions or comments will be much appreciated!!
Everything was fine when i put the car back together.. it started right away at first and after the 5th time or so it looked as if the battery was getting weak.
After 3 hours of putting the car back together, I tried to crank the car and it just clicks. i tested the battery and alternator and they are fine. All the wires to the starter are fine too. I did drop the starter on the floor from a table before i put the car back together.. but it was fine for the first couple of cranks.
Now... im sure its something to do with the starter.. but does it need to be replaced?
how can you tell?
How many fuses/relays are there for the starter and where are they?
Any and All suggestions or comments will be much appreciated!!
Last edited by boostintt; 07-17-2010 at 08:44 PM.
07-17-2010, 08:47 PM
#2
Registered User
replace the battery... the clicking is the solenoid
bump start your car and it should charge your battery... or get a jump box... if it starts then dies when you remove the jump box your altenator is bad or not connected properly
12.6V should be at the battery when off
14.1V should be at the battery when running
10.5V should be at the battery when cranking... if it drops below that then the battery is toast
bump start your car and it should charge your battery... or get a jump box... if it starts then dies when you remove the jump box your altenator is bad or not connected properly
12.6V should be at the battery when off
14.1V should be at the battery when running
10.5V should be at the battery when cranking... if it drops below that then the battery is toast
07-17-2010, 10:56 PM
#4
Registered User
A bad battery will have the same voltage as a good one until you put a big load (like the starter) on it. Then the voltage drops below what's needed to keep the solenoid closed. When the load is removed, the voltage goes back up, and the solenoid closes again. That's why the solenoid clicks on and off rapidly with a dead battery.
07-18-2010, 11:04 AM
#6
Registered User
I guess so a clicking solenoid will not be the first sign of trouble. A load test will tell you the battery is getting weaker before it's so bad the car won't start.
07-18-2010, 11:11 AM
#7
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you need a load tester to test the battery.. autozone or one of the autopart stores might have one to borrow
try putting jumper cables on the car, see if it helps or not.. sometimes the starter works less the hotter it is.
always eliminate the obvious first to diagnos problems
try putting jumper cables on the car, see if it helps or not.. sometimes the starter works less the hotter it is.
always eliminate the obvious first to diagnos problems
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07-18-2010, 09:50 PM
#13
Registered User
I'd say you could jumpstart a Z from just about any car with a decent battery. Just be sure you've got some decent cables, and you're getting good contact when you make the connections.
In my (admittedly limited) experience, a clicking starter solenoid has always been cured by replacing the battery.
In my (admittedly limited) experience, a clicking starter solenoid has always been cured by replacing the battery.
07-19-2010, 11:54 AM
#18
Registered User
There are two relays associated with the starter. One is in the IPDM near the battery. The other is part of the solenoid on the starter itself.
There is a 40-amp fusible link between the battery and the ignition switch. The wire from the battery to the starter motor itself doesn't have a fusible link.
It's possible that dropping the starter caused one or more of the permanent magnets in it to partially break loose from the case. It worked OK until they broke completely loose.
I have one more question. When you said,
"...I tried to crank the car and it just clicks.",
did you mean
(a) just one click each time you turn the key to start, or
(b) a rapid series of clicks a second or less apart while the key is in the start position.
(a) points to the starter, (b) points to the battery or wiring (loose or dirty/corroded connection)
I took 'clicks' to mean rapid clicking when I wrote reply #4.
There is a 40-amp fusible link between the battery and the ignition switch. The wire from the battery to the starter motor itself doesn't have a fusible link.
It's possible that dropping the starter caused one or more of the permanent magnets in it to partially break loose from the case. It worked OK until they broke completely loose.
I have one more question. When you said,
"...I tried to crank the car and it just clicks.",
did you mean
(a) just one click each time you turn the key to start, or
(b) a rapid series of clicks a second or less apart while the key is in the start position.
(a) points to the starter, (b) points to the battery or wiring (loose or dirty/corroded connection)
I took 'clicks' to mean rapid clicking when I wrote reply #4.
Last edited by winchman; 07-19-2010 at 11:55 AM.
