starter problem

i want yalls help on this one
i want some suggestions

as some of yall may know my starter crapped out at BAP and i had to push my car off alot. well i hit it and got it working then it progressively got worse will the point where i had to hid it really hard while someone else turned the key

so i put a new(re manufactured) AS starter on it and it didnt work

so i put a push button on it and it worked... like 3 times then it stopped working

i can hit the starter and it will crank

when i hit the button the dash light dim but it wont turn over.

should i just ground it strait to the battery?
or get a new better quality one?

Try installing a starter booster first. I see this alot and once I install a starter booster...no more problems

ok
sounds like a plan

i think i heard tim baker talk about that cause drews car does the same..

where would i get one?

run a nice thick wire (10 guage), from the starter (small terminal) to a bushbutton, then to the positive on the battery. If this still doesn't solve the problem, then its a bad starter.

the ignition switch on my 74 crapped out and would sometimes crank the car, and sometimes wouldn't. Sometimes i had to turn the key 2 or 3 times to get it to work, sometimes i had to go back and fourth with the key 20 times, for it to enguage. I did what i said above, and viola, no more problems. Its actually a good idea to mount this switch somewhere hidden, that way if someone tries to steal the car, and hot wire it, or try to bust out the ignition, it won't do anything. I have mine hidden (and for god's sake, not under the dash, thats the first place theives look, lol). I'd tell ya where I hid mine, but that would kinda defeat the purpose on a PUBLIC forum, lol

buggin70 wrote:ok
sounds like a plan

i think i heard tim baker talk about that cause drews car does the same..

where would i get one?

I always just use a ford starter solenoid

mike i did do that and it worked like 2 times then it stopped

and gary ok ill see what i can do
any one in perticular i need to get?

If i understand the ford solenoid idea, its to basically mount the ignition wire to the small lead on the ford solenoid, and then run a wire from the battery to one side of the ford solenoid, and a wire from the other side, to the small lead on the starter, essentially having a solenoid activate the solenoid on the starter, effectively lowering the draw on the ignition switch, correct?

but if the ignition switch is bad or going bad, won't that also cause the same problems? or am i way off base here?

If you've completely bypassed the ignition switch, then it must be the starter, especially if banging on it makes it crank.

If the switch is bad this will not fix the problem. It doesn't sound like a switch problem to me though.
Any brand will work fine

i think so
i think its not getting enough voltage to actually engage

so i was thinking if i put a ground strait to the starter from the battery

instead of it going through everywhere so it dosnt lose voltage anywhere

if your ground strap in in place, this shouldn't be a problem. if not, then get a ground strap on there, and you should be fine. but to tell you the truth, i don't have a ground strap on my 72, and it cranks fine, lol. I do plan to fix that tho. I work on chevy's as well, and if the ground strap fails, you can say goodbye to the bearings in the tranny. the electricity will arc, and pit/ destroy the bearings. not sure if the same principal applies for VW's tho.

i say swap it out. i work at advance auto, and i know that this remanufactured crap everyone sells is pretty much hit and miss. may work, may not, lol.

ok
ill tell the shop to say return it

i just dont wanna pay so much for a good one lol

im a poor college kid

if your having to actually run a seperate ground wire to the starter for it to work, there is definately another problem. check the ground on the battery itself. make sure its not corroded at the battery, or where it bolts to the body. if all that is good, the replace the starter. it should definately be under warrenty. And if the store gives you any crap, ask how many amps its pulling (the machine will tell you), and if all else fails, point out the company policy on the front window thats supposed to be in every store. It says if you are unsatisfied with their product for ANY reason, you can return it for a FULL refund with in 90 days. threaten to call their 1800 number if they refuse. The home office WILL make them return it (don't forget to mention the gaurentee on the front of the store).

i got it from wildcat auto parts
but i will make them take it back and get me another

never heard of them. i assumed you got it at your FLAPS, lol. but yeah, i'd make them take it back. If they give you crap, just tell them how you wired the bushbutton, thus eliminating the switch, and how you have to bang on it to get it to work. hopefully they will back up the products they sell.

hopefully it will test bad on their machine tho, lol.

idk ill still get a new one

they dont have like a store u can walk in
if that makes sense

they deliver to shops only i think

ahh gotcha. Then they will prolly just take it back, and swap it out. kewl. i know sometimes some stores will not take stuff back if it tests good, but the problem is a lot of times starters and alternators will periodically malfunction, which makes testing pretty much useless. When i come across this situation at work, i usually just swap the part out (assuming its still under warrenty of course). I actually get people who will fight you to swap out their 10 year old $20 1year warrenty starter, lol. seriously, if i bought that cheap shit, and it lasted that long, i'd be one happy mofo

yea lol
i payed like 60

thats about the same price at any FLAPS. if its a remanufactured part, its prolly the same as any FLAPS store anyway. most all come from the same company, just repackaged. infact most of your FLAPS have the same part numbers. i know that advance, autozone, and orilies have the same part number for the manual, and autostick starters, lol.

hahaha
so ill swap it tomarrow and see what happens
thanks guys

dont forget to cheeck that ground strap just incase. a bad ground could be damaging the new starters.

is this an auto starter or a manual starter?

Kyle, have you tried jumping with a screwdriver from the positive battery cable connects to the starter to the solenoid post. If it starts cranking fine, then its a wiring problem to be looked at. You should not need to add Ford stuff to get it to work, to me thats like putting a band aid on the problem, just my opinion.

I would 1st check your cables, flex them and if you here/feel crunching replace them. Make sure that the negative battery cable has a clean ground to the pan. Check the voltage at both the battery cable and the solenoid wire when someone turns the key to the start position. Should have 12.7 - 13 volts at the battery cable and get 12.5 volts on the key.

Danny

camch wrote:is this an auto starter or a manual starter?

auto