Naegling Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 Hey all - So Betsy the War Wagon let me down yesterday. I got it home yesterday in a car trailer, but I can't get it to turn over at all. I've got good battery power to everything else, and I do hear a "click, click, click" when I attempt to turn over the engine with the key. I'm just looking for a little diagnostic help. Here's what I've checked so far: - Replaced the battery ( it was in need of one anyway ) - Checked the ignition. Everything moves inside and there is no wear in the plastic parts on inside. - Checked the cap and rotor: they look clean... I don't know what else to check there. - attempted to jump the starter with the battery as per other threads. Got nothing- not even an attempt to turn... - The "clicking" becomes slower like there is a drag on the battery when the clutch is engaged while trying to start it, so I don't believe it's in the clutch cut out. _______________________________________________________________ Anyone have any other ideas besides the starter? Maybe the coil? Maybe some other connection somewhere? Bad ground? I'm not much of a mechanic so anything helps... Thanks in advance. Naeg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indrid cold Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 The main red power feed down to starter.. possibly dirty contact or damaged cable. Clean the major electrical contacts and bolt back on. Pull the wire cable coating back and if you see allot of white crust it may be corroded up and not enough cable to flow the juice. cruddy contacts and broken wires = resistance my .o2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djellum Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 the click is probably the starter solenoid. it sits on top of the starter and extends and contracts the arm that has the gear. in a older car the voltage regulators would go out and cause problems, yours will be in the alternator but it might be a problem. since you already bypassed and hot wired the starter and it didnt work, id pull the starter and have it tested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted November 16, 2012 Share Posted November 16, 2012 (edited) The trouble you describe is the classic symptoms of either a low charge on the battery or bad connection to it. Make sure the battery connections are clean. Check the voltage on the battery and if it is below 12 volts while cranking the engine or just at rest then you need to charge the battery. The clicking is due to the battery trying to supply high current power to the starter motor. A battery with a low charge on it will drop in voltage and the solenoid opens up due to the lack of enough current to drive it. Once the solenoid opens the battery voltage increases, the solenoid closes again which makes the battery voltage drop again. It's a cycle of events. Edited November 16, 2012 by Cougar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86 Wonder Wedge Posted November 17, 2012 Share Posted November 17, 2012 The trouble you describe is the classic symptoms of either a low charge on the battery or bad connection to it. Make sure the battery connections are clean. Check the voltage on the battery and if it is below 12 volts while cranking the engine or just at rest then you need to charge the battery. The clicking is due to the battery trying to supply high current power to the starter motor. A battery with a low charge on it will drop in voltage and the solenoid opens up due to the lack of enough current to drive it. Once the solenoid opens the battery voltage increases, the solenoid closes again which makes the battery voltage drop again. It's a cycle of events. Bingo. THANK GOD some one still knows why a solenoid clicks. And yeah, by ruling out a bad positive cable (and a bad ground) use jumper cables and then try again. A bad ground is just as culpable as a bad positive. And it sounds like a dying starter if the connections pan out.. sometimes the brushes just become too warn, the shaft can flex when load is placed on it, or the contacts are arching when voltage applied.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee2 Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 (edited) On my 1990 Loyale the exact issue was resolved by replacing the solenoid contacts in the starter. This is a common issue for older models and has been easily resolved by pulling the starter and replacing the contacts. parts cost about $20 from the dealer. related videos: Edited November 19, 2012 by Dee2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naegling Posted November 20, 2012 Author Share Posted November 20, 2012 It was the starter. At 267K mine was very tired, so I just replaced the whole thing. For $78, it was good peace of mind. Thanks for all the help, you guys rock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted November 21, 2012 Share Posted November 21, 2012 Thanks for the update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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