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where is the Starter


mora2818
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Hi all, I am up in a mountain town and I think my starter just died. I have read and been told that sometimes you can bang on the starter and it will do something then work just fine. Where is the starter located on a 97 automatic? And any truth to the bang on the starter fix? I am really hoping to avoid a tow and mechanics bill.

 

 

-Kevin

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I honestly could not tell you with 100% on the automatic as I have a 5 speed. Mine is on the passenger side rear of the engine toward the bottom. its a long(ish) cylnder attached to the tranny on the rear of the engine, it engages the flexplate to turn the engine over.

Edited by SilverPath
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hitting both may or may not do anything, as both can possibly stick. i personally have had no luck with the hit and make it work theory.

 

crawl underneath, and you'll find this attached to the bellhousing where the engine and transmission meet.

 

the gold piece is the selenoid.

 

NIPASTA.jpg

Edited by skulptr
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Many thanks to all!!!! It worked. Drove to where the pfinder wouldn't start this morning, tried again and nothing. Crawled underneath and found the starter and solenoid. Banged on it a couple times with a hammer, then tried to start it and wouldn't you know it, it fired right up. I really appreciate the help. This saved me a huge towing bill, a mechanics bill, and about 4-6 hours of additional commuting time as I would have had to driven back home and possible driven up to the mountain town a couple times just to get it repaired. We made it home fine and now I can simply just replace the starter this upcoming weekend.

 

It is a good day thanks to NPORA!!!!

-Kevin

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Many thanks to all!!!! It worked.

It is a good day thanks to NPORA!!!!

 

Glad to hear it worked out for you.

 

I'm also glad to hear that it wasn't vandalized while you were gone. Happens pretty often when vehicles are abandoned like that.

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Glad to hear it worked out for you.

 

I'm also glad to hear that it wasn't vandalized while you were gone. Happens pretty often when vehicles are abandoned like that.

 

Vandalization where I come from doesn't happen too often. You can pretty much leave your doors unlocked to your car and house and chances are nothing will happen. Plus it was in front of a business so I don't think anyone would have thought anything of it.

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one other thing, my starter sometime would just click, and I did the starter mod I learned here using a relay to run power direct to the solenoid and mine has started on the first try ever since. Was yours clicking at all or doing nothing?

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one other thing, my starter sometime would just click, and I did the starter mod I learned here using a relay to run power direct to the solenoid and mine has started on the first try ever since. Was yours clicking at all or doing nothing?

 

It was doing nothing at all, like the unit wasn't receiving power. Since tapping on it, I have started and stopped about 6 different times with no issues.

-Kevin

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That's a common way for a starter to begin failing. There may be one dead spot on the armature and if it stops on that spot again, you'll have to hit the starter again to get it going. A failing solenoid will react the same way. Have it replaced or rebuilt sooner rather than later. Next time you could be further from home or in a spot where you would not want to leave the vehicle overnight!

 

I believe I paid about $60 to have my starter rebuilt at a local shop and with a 1 year warranty. A new rebuilt starter from NAPA was almost $250.

Edited by HFXpathfinders
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