Starter going bad

[XPLORx4]

I think my starter motor is dying.

 

When I turn the key, about 60% of the time, all I get is a single "click". After a couple of attempts, it'll fire up no problem. The battery terminals are clean, and I have no reason to believe that the electrical connections have loosened or deteriorated, but I can certainly check them. But this sure sounds like a failing starter to me...

 

I checked at rockauto.com, and they list the solenoid separately from the starter motor. Is it advisable to replace the whole starter motor (which I assume includes the solenoid), or is it enough to simply replace the solenoid (assuming it's not difficult to replace).

 

Please offer your opinions or advice.

[Simon]

Well, you'll be doing all the labor to take the thing out....so I guess you have to factor in your time vs the cost of a solenoid vs a cost of a starter.

[RWC5S2]

I think my starter motor is dying.

 

When I turn the key, about 60% of the time, all I get is a single "click". After a couple of attempts, it'll fire up no problem. The battery terminals are clean, and I have no reason to believe that the electrical connections have loosened or deteriorated, but I can certainly check them. But this sure sounds like a failing starter to me...

 

I checked at rockauto.com, and they list the solenoid separately from the starter motor. Is it advisable to replace the whole starter motor (which I assume includes the solenoid), or is it enough to simply replace the solenoid (assuming it's not difficult to replace).

 

Please offer your opinions or advice.

 

I agree with Simon. You have to take the whole thing out so why not just start from scratch with a new starter/solenoid? I have found that those things usually wear out pretty close to one another so it is not worth the risk of having to tear it all apart again in 3 months.

 

Be sure to check out your ground straps/cables. That can some times cause problems.

[IncidentalOffroader]

Be sure to check out your ground straps/cables. That can some times cause problems.

Add to that, check any relays leading up to the solenoid.

 

I had an 87 Pathy that would go "click" very intermittently, sometime years in between occasions. I replaced the starter several times, figuring they were poorly re-manufactured. Finally I thought to check the relay that drives the solenoid, and found it had, like 7 ohms across it's contacts (let's say the solenoid takes 1-2 amps, this would be a 7-14V drop: no wonder the solenoids were unreliable!) . The relay was <$20, plucking it out of the relay box was literally easier than changing a light bulb, and most importantly, I never had the starter go "click" again.

[tmorgan4]

Add to that, check any relays leading up to the solenoid.

 

I had an 87 Pathy that would go "click" very intermittently, sometime years in between occasions. I replaced the starter several times, figuring they were poorly re-manufactured. Finally I thought to check the relay that drives the solenoid, and found it had, like 7 ohms across it's contacts (let's say the solenoid takes 1-2 amps, this would be a 7-14V drop: no wonder the solenoids were unreliable!) . The relay was <$20, plucking it out of the relay box was literally easier than changing a light bulb, and most importantly, I never had the starter go "click" again.

 

To rule out the relay just switch it with another.

[jfoust]

I think my starter motor is dying.

 

When I turn the key, about 60% of the time, all I get is a single "click". After a couple of attempts, it'll fire up no problem. The battery terminals are clean, and I have no reason to believe that the electrical connections have loosened or deteriorated, but I can certainly check them. But this sure sounds like a failing starter to me...

 

I checked at rockauto.com, and they list the solenoid separately from the starter motor. Is it advisable to replace the whole starter motor (which I assume includes the solenoid), or is it enough to simply replace the solenoid (assuming it's not difficult to replace).

 

Please offer your opinions or advice.

 

My '97 was just doing the same thing. After I checked everything out, I determined it was something in the starter/solenoid. Instead of replacing one or the other I just went ahead and replaced them both. Figured it wasn't worth the hassle of just replacing the solenoid and having the motor die later or vice versa. I picked up a reman at Autozone for something like $130 and it solved the problem.

[DJ Dank]

Yup sounds just like my 4runner that I replaced the started last week on. It clicked when you tried starting the car. Then it started happening more often.

 

Have someone start it up after hitting it with a hammer and should it start right up, then that's more likely your culprit.