Finally nice weather! .... but then ... clicky no starty

[Mad Dog]

OK, I have a hunch where thi gremlin is hiding. Your test results are making sense.

 

I didnt get to it last night, and I have meeting tonight and tomorrow evenings ... so ...

but, before I dig in, can you explain what you think is happening? I can't shake the thought that if I have a no start and jump out the solenoid from B to M .. it starts 100%.

It seems to me that eliminates the downstream between the solenoid and the starter motor, no?

I jump that solenoid and it starts... every time. Like you said at first, I wouldn't be the first guy to get a bad part, and when I look at what I need to do to get to that starter ... well, I just wanted to ask.

 

Thanks as always.

Mike

[Flyinfool]

When you said that with a no start you still measured 12V from one side of the solenoid to the other, that is pointing toward a bad solenoid. The other tests were to eliminate the possibility of a bad starter, without having to remove it to test.

[saddlebum]

Starter and electrical issue diagnosing.

Personally Jumping the solenoid would be my first step. seeing as it starts when you do that then you know power from battery to starter is fine. disconnect the small wires on the solenoid get a pair of wires and connect them to the solenoid then run one wire direct to ground and touch the other to positive if it cranks solenoid is OK and you need to look further if it does not then you have a bad solenoid and though its not impossible it is pretty rare and a good dose of bad luck to get one out of the box that is faulty.

 

So assuming it fired up ok using your patch wires to trip the solenoid you now need to look for faulty wire or connections and this could include the contact points in the start button. You also want to make sure you have good ground connection to the solenoid. A good old fashioned test light works wonders here as I do not put much stock in using a volt/ohmmeter, specially the digital ones. Below is my procedure for diagnosing bad connections. I teach these procedures to all my apprentices.

 

Starter and electrical issue Fault tracing

Those could go back to something as simple as poor/dirty connections including bad grounds. Don't trust an ohmmeter here for testing grounds and other connections. They are fine for locating open circuits but not poor connections. Ohmmeters draw very little currant and may indicate a good connection were voltage is concerned but that connection may fail once a load is requested to pass through. A better method is to use a voltmeter and a bulb such as headlight builb with a pair of wire attached. take a voltage reading at various test points and then while watching the voltage connect the test light to the same points your volt meter is connected while watching the volt meter. If the voltage only drops a volt or two when you connect the bulb your ok if it nose dives by more than a volt or two you have a bad or weak connection.

 

Another method is to use a test light (this needs to be one with a normal bulb not one of the LED types), Use the test light to bridge connections while the circuit in question is under load. If the light stays off that connection is OK. If the light glows (and the brighter it glows the worse the connection ) this indicates the currant is using the test light as a sort of detour or added bridge so to speak and than you have found a bad connection. (Think of it as only so many cars able to cross an intersection because there is a problem at the intersection and the test light is offering an alternative route for the remaining cars, so they can all get to the other side (the test light glows) but if they can all get through the intersection nobody uses the alternate route in this case the test light will not glow)

Edited June 17, 2020 by saddlebum

[Mad Dog]

When you said that with a no start you still measured 12V from one side of the solenoid to the other, that is pointing toward a bad solenoid. The other tests were to eliminate the possibility of a bad starter, without having to remove it to test.

 

Well, cant thank you enough for your time and patience. I Took one look at how deep the started was buried, and bought another solenoid. Swapped that out and have started without issue about 50 times! Despite some frustration - or a lot of frustration - I learned a thing or two. So thanks for your time. I owe you (and everyone else who helped) lunch someday.

[Mad Dog]

Starter and electrical issue diagnosing.

Personally Jumping the solenoid would be my first step.

 

This is really helpful and I appreciate your time. It seems to have been a bad solenoid, after all... brand new too. I love your test light instructions.

Thank you so much.

[Flyinfool]

Glad it is running and starting on command again. For a while I keep something with you to jump the solenoid, just in case.