Starter headakes
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 197
Likes: 21
Starter headakes
Ok, I'm having issues starting.
Symptoms
Selinoid snaps, but engine doesn't crank.
The voltage on the dash reads about 11.7 at rest and goes down off scale when trying to crank. (Hood light goes out)
The voltage on the battery reads about 12 at rest and goes down to about 11.7 when trying to crank.
Put a different battery in. Same results. (Both battery's are relitively new Optimas) They read 12.3 out of the car.
Jump to a non running truck. Same results.
Jump to a running truck or battery charger. Starts right up.
Things I've tried.
Run a cable direct from battery ground to bolt on engine block. No differnce.
Run a cable from the battery hot to starter. No change.
I have a new starter and I'm thinking of installing it. But I don't understand why the voltage goes down on everything but the battery when trying to crank. Makes me think connection problem.
Any ideas? Also, can I change the starter without pulling the exhaust?
Symptoms
Selinoid snaps, but engine doesn't crank.
The voltage on the dash reads about 11.7 at rest and goes down off scale when trying to crank. (Hood light goes out)
The voltage on the battery reads about 12 at rest and goes down to about 11.7 when trying to crank.
Put a different battery in. Same results. (Both battery's are relitively new Optimas) They read 12.3 out of the car.
Jump to a non running truck. Same results.
Jump to a running truck or battery charger. Starts right up.
Things I've tried.
Run a cable direct from battery ground to bolt on engine block. No differnce.
Run a cable from the battery hot to starter. No change.
I have a new starter and I'm thinking of installing it. But I don't understand why the voltage goes down on everything but the battery when trying to crank. Makes me think connection problem.
Any ideas? Also, can I change the starter without pulling the exhaust?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 859
Likes: 1
Typical symptom of a bad connection. Tighten up the nut that has 3 wires connected to the same stud on the starter. DO NOT over tighten or else you'll kick yourself in the a$$ when you snap off the stud and have to change the whole starter. Ask me how I know 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 859
Likes: 1
In the mean time you might bang on the starter solenoid a few times with a broom stick to see if you can get it to fire up.
Other than that, this is probably a Bill Curlee question
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,960
Likes: 342
From: Shell Point (Crawfordville) Florida
Sounds to me like you have a severely discharged battery with not enough current to turn over the starter motor. A fully charged battery should read 12.6-12.7 V, not 12.3. If it starts right up connected to the running truck or a battery charger, that answers your question. Start with the simple things and not look for less likely solutions.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 197
Likes: 21
That's an interesting chart. It seems to be very optimistic. I have never seen a battery at rest read 12.7 volts. (I'm not young) Usually, a good battery reads about 12.45 volts. Both Optimas are less than 6 months old. One just sits in my garage on a trickle charger. When I swaped it in, it didn't help. I just figured the starter is getting weak. It works when pumping 13.5-14.5 volts. What's the deal with the volts on the dash going down, but not at the battery?
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 197
Likes: 21
I don't know if your saying that you can change it without removing the front of the exhaust, but I couldn't. It's done now. (Three broken stuts later)
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 197
Likes: 21
My told me that before I got back from out of state last week, she took the car to Advance Auto and they said the altenator was good, but had a "ripple".
I never heard of a ripple. Someone on another forum told me that it has something to do with the duty cycle on the altenator. He said that it will charge, just not as good.
I ordered a new altenator. The wrong one came in Thursday and the right one came in Friday. I installed it and drove the car about ten miles to town and back.
My wife and I have a big project that required my truck today. So basicly the car hasn't been driven much. I will post back in a couple weeks. But of course, we may not know if the starter or alt fixed it. But we'll know if they don't. LOL.