How Do I Test This Solenoid?
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 983
Likes: 35
From: Redding California
How Do I Test This Solenoid?
I have an old throttle control solenoid (GM #1114421) and would like to know how to test it before I go through the trouble of adding it to my "to do" list. Thanks in advance for any help. Jason
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 983
Likes: 35
From: Redding California
That's what I thought. I used my battery charger and put the ground to the case and positive to the connection and it sparked pretty good but no movement. It's probably no good.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2,478
Likes: 254
From: Downers Grove Illinois
There should be a scale marked ohms or resistance. Is it a digital unit? You will want to set it to the lowest range as it will have pretty low resistance. Based on the reading you see we can figure out if it is shorted or not.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,284
Likes: 1,171
From: Hermosa
The shaft inside the solenoid often gets corroded. Also the coil can swell a little over time making the fit very tight.
On mine I had to take the shaft (plunger) out and reduce it's size a little to get it to slide easily in and out of the coil housing.
You can also check it by pulling the center shaft out then hooking up the solenoid and see if a screw driver sticks inside the hole that the shaft was in. This would mean the coil is functioning. The coil is an electromagnet.
On mine I had to take the shaft (plunger) out and reduce it's size a little to get it to slide easily in and out of the coil housing.
You can also check it by pulling the center shaft out then hooking up the solenoid and see if a screw driver sticks inside the hole that the shaft was in. This would mean the coil is functioning. The coil is an electromagnet.
Last edited by REELAV8R; Jan 27, 2016 at 11:49 AM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 983
Likes: 35
From: Redding California
Thanks for all of the info. A little tug on the shaft and it freed it up. I can see the corrosion on the shaft but it's working now. I'll clean it up a bit, oil the shaft a tad and call it good. Thanks again for the help.