My brat won't start. It clicks but that's it. Replaced the brushes. Same thing. Checked the connections and am getting 12 volts to the starter. Any ideas? I thought that if the starter was bad (not the brushes that it wouldn't click).

It could be in the ignition switch. Check the big pink plug under the dash to the right of the steering column. Make sure there isnt a meltdown happening there, it does happen. If thats ok, you may have to pull the switch off the back of the ignition and replace it. Just remove the steering column cover and on the left where the wires go, is the switch. 2 screws and its off. This is also a common ign failure. Youo may have to find one in the JY, or ask in the marketplace for another one.

Did you clean the contacts in the starter solenoid? If it's clicking then it sounds like the contacts are dirty. I also had this happen to me once, and the positive battery cable was almost broken in half at the battery terminal.

 

GD

Certainly sounds like solenoid problem. Did you test the starter when you had it out? I have a shucks where I live that will test your starter so perhaps you have one there. Take it down and have it tested. Post here after you do that and let us know. Good Luck, boing

Have you tried jumping directly to the starter? This would tell if it is the starter or something along the line before the starter?

 

Sounds like it could be a bad connection/cable/solenoid or battery.

 

My money is on the starter is good and something along the way is bad.

 

For what its worth,

Glenn

Okay, I drove the 3 hours to Hocrest's to pick up the starter I went to get on Saturday but forgot in a haze of SVX parts. Put it in and it did the same thang. Click but nothing else. Here's the weird thing I've tried bridging the singe small wire feed and the big cable coming from the battery. Nothing. No sparks or anything but I'm getting 12 volts from the battery. Connections should be good as I replaced them

 

As for the ignition switch. It is out and it does the same thing when I turn it with a screw driver... just clicks. Now before I try to locate another one is there any way I can test it to be sure it is the ignition switch??? Bridging wires etc?? If so which wires to bridge?

The only way to test the switch is to use another one. But seeing how you shorted across from the small terminal to the main power on the starter, I would say you have something else going on here. You should definately get something there when you short across. Did you have the ign turned on? It should still turn the starter over with it off tho. Try hooking up power to the old disty with it removed from the car, check to see if its working. That should rule out a bad starter. You may have even got another bad starter? I'm grasping at straws here..........

Will it start with a jump? If it does then the battery could be bad.

Dead battery or bad battery cables. That is the only possibility.

 

Just cause you are getting 12 volts, does not mean the main cable is not broken, or otherwise messed up. That just means the smaller solenoid wire is good.

 

GD

If you jumped the starter out of the vehicle it has to have a good ground to work, the starter grounds itself when you bolt it in, been through that before. I would try replacing your battery cables and starter wires. had the same problem as yours a couple of years ago and wire replacing cured it.

The wire boys get it! I replaced both ends but it seems I developed a kink or something that cracked the wires about midway through the cable. New cable and she's good as new. Just took 5 or so hours.

for "testing" purposes only

 

how to hotwire an ea81:

 

key off

hotwire to coil + from battery

separate hotwire from single male spade terminal on starter to batery

presto! it runs

 

doesn not work on ea82