RE: JPOR: Starter woes

["BRERETON, John" <John_BRERETON@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The only noise I can think of is the grinding noise when you have a few
teeth chewed up on the fly wheel, or the fast clicking noise when your
solenoid isn't getting enough amps to turn the starter.  I just had that the
latter happen to me.  The Jeep would start fine, but if I would shut it off
to run in the store and come back within 5 min. the battery would act dead.
I would have to wait 15 min. for it to start right up again.  I drove it
home and changed the solenoid.  Once I did that, I would get the fast
clicking noise.  After I ruled out the new solenoid being bad, a bad
connection, or the BlockBuster Video I was at as being cursed, I discovered
that it was and old battery.  Why it failed within the 30 minutes of
shutting it down in my driveway and changing the solenoid, I don't know.
Maybe I knocked something loose while taking off the terminals.

I hate electrical problems!

-----Original Message-----
From: Obi-Wan [mailto:bvh@inetnebr.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2000 5:14 PM
To: jeepoffroad@4x4wire.com
Subject: JPOR: Starter woes


****************Please Remember to snip your replies***************
I'm nearing my wit's end here.  Maybe you guys can help.
(No smart remarks, please.)

I wrote on another list:
>> All of a sudden today, my starter decided to make a loud, growling
>> noise when I tried to start my '77 Wag (401/TH400).  It's never even
>> made the slightest growling noise before, so it struck me as odd that
>> the drive gear teeth were all chewed up when I removed the starter.
>> The flex plate teeth were fine, fortunately.
>> 
>> Anyway, $6.99 and two hours later, I had a new drive assembly installed
>> and the outside of the starter all clean and grease-free.
> 
> Well, that wasn't the problem.  Reinstalled the starter, and the same
> growling/grumbling/grinding noise occurs.  Turns out it's coming from
> the solenoid, not the starter.  The stock solenoid passed the ohmmeter
> tests listed in the TSM.  My voltmeter shows 12.2V between the rear &
> front terminals of the solenoid.  I replaced the solenoid, and got no
> response whatsoever.  No starting, no noise, nothing.  Replaced it again
> with another new one, and now I'm back to the same growling/grumbling/
> grinding I had before.
> 
> I had the starter tested at Advance Auto.  They said it made more
> noise than it was supposed to, but it spun just fine & the amp draw
> was right where it should have been (pegging the meter & then dropping
> off over 3 seconds of simulated cranking).
> 
> The drive assembly I installed earlier turned a lot harder on the
> shaft than did the old one I removed.  The old one almost freewheeled
> when I spun it, but the new one requires a decent 2-finger grip on the
> gears to spin it by hand.  Still, it seemed to work when tested by
> Advance.
> 
> Any ideas what might be wrong?  The battery is fine (12.2V).  Even
> tried the good Optima from my YJ with identical results.  What might
> cause a grinding/grumbing/growling noise from the solenoid?  It sounds
> kinda like you're dropping walnut shells into a hand-operated meat
> grinder.

				-- Obi-Wan
				   '95.5 YJ, '77 Wag lawn ornament

-- 
Ben "Obi-Wan" Hollingsworth                               obiwan@jedi.com
"You know, he kind of looks like Yoda"  -- Jim Davis, about my baby Micah
            Anybody want to buy a Jeep XJ Dana 44 rear axle?
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