k9sar Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Just wanting to confirm my suspicions... This morning, I went to leave for work, got into the pathy, turned the key and 'click'. battery?... turned on lights... ok, radio on.. ok... headlights work... probably not the battery. Threw a volt meter on it... 12.5V. checked the fusable link... looks ok. Tried again... I can definately hear the starter relay clicking so it's not the ignition switch or relay. The only thing left, in my mind, is the starter. If the starter is bad, there should be no pull on the battery when I try to turn it over. If ther engine is preventing the starter from turning (like if it were seized), there would be a heavy pull on the battery. Threw the volt meter on it again and turned the key... this time it gave a tiny hesitation then started fine and the battery read 14V (under charge while running so I know my alternator is ok too. bonus) Anyway... turned it off and started it back up no problems. 3 or 4 times before I left the driveway. Off to work. Once here, turned it off, crossed my fingers and turned the key... started up fine. hmmmmm.... I'm thinking I might have a bad spot on my starter where the brushes just aren't making contact and I got lucky when it finally started. agree? disagree? suggestions? Anyone done their owwn rebuild or just throw a new/rebuilt one in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 You could be right about the brushes, but I had a similar condition when I had a bad ground. I had a loose connection on the negative terminal and all my accessories would work, but it wouldn't fire. I tightened, then broke my terminal, so I bought a new one, tightened it up, and she fired right up. Might be worth a look. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 I'm thinking I might have a bad spot on my starter where the brushes just aren't making contact and I got lucky when it finally started. sounds about right...a tip is if it does it again u can keep bumping it till it cranks but u can also get out and rock the truck back and forth and it'll usually move it off the bad spot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 I'm in the same boat as simon, this happend to me on two of my past vehicles. Truck would just click when you turned the key, all the accessories worked, turned out to just be a loose connection on the battery. Might be worth looking into before you replace a whole starter :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Yep, check the electrical connections at the battery, the main ground, at the starter, etc. I'd bet thats the issue. Also, due to the location of the starter and that damn oil filter, the starter gets soaked in oil. When I replaced my clutch, I pulled the starter and used 1.5 cans of electrical contact/brake cleaner on it to get it clean before reinstalling. It looked like a waste oil sump pump !!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 my guess is grounding issue... may wanna get new battery cables also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted September 7, 2005 Author Share Posted September 7, 2005 k. Easier to check the grounds than the starter itself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2an Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 I know this isn't much help but the same thing happened to me about 5 months ago. I hate trying to troubleshoot intermittent problems, especially electrical, so I left it. It still hasn't reoccured. If (when?) it comes back and stays for a while, I will try checking the voltage at the starter with ign on. If that is good then off comes the starter. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 I know this isn't much help but the same thing happened to me about 5 months ago. I hate trying to troubleshoot intermittent problems, especially electrical, so I left it. It still hasn't reoccured. If (when?) it comes back and stays for a while, I will try checking the voltage at the starter with ign on. If that is good then off comes the starter. Brian it may not be the starter at all but just the wireing to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Mine did the same thing when my starter went bad. It would usually start if I got out and beat on the starter, but that only worked for a month an it was completely toast. Replaced it in the middle of winter (Day after Xmas)with no power and sitting in 8" of snow with 2" of ice on top Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Mine started doing the same thing. The problem is the brushes inside the starter, most likely. I rebuilt mine for like $3 (brushes kit) and it's still going strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mookie Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 The first time my starter went it was a flat spot on the armature. I rebuilt it after draining all the oil out of it. I put in new brushes (from a Hardbody as no one had a listing for the Pathy) in -had to sodder them in. Worked fine for a year and then it started going bad. I used an old golf club 1 iron to pound the starter to get it going. That only lasted for a few weeks. Had to replace it again...in the winter. Hillclimber got his rebuilt for a very good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted September 7, 2005 Author Share Posted September 7, 2005 sounds like the following sequence of steps... 1. ignore it until it happens again 2. if/when it does happen again, check grounds/connections 3. check voltage at starter to make sure she's gettin juice 4. beat it with a golf club 5. roll it back and forth in the driveway (or wherever) 6. wave a chicken bone cross and chant crazy things in portuguese 7. take it out and apart and look for obvious wear and tear 8. attempt a rebuild 9. rip it back out after it fails to work after the rebuild 10. beat it with a golf club again since it was so fun the first time 11. go out and buy one (new or rebuilt) and quit screwing around with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 8.5) Put on a goat's head and dance naked to drums around a bonfire before slaughtering a lamb in sacrifice. (use a stone alter if possible) B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02silverpathy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 errr uhh, has no one else ever dropped a started down onto themselves?? I guess that would be 9.5...so that the second beating was fun and also stress and anger releiving!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 k9sar, you are just out of starting fluid... It's at every auto parts store, I can't believe you let it get so low !! Just go buy some and fill the starter... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Pickles Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Mine has been doing this recently also, and near as I can tell, its a loose and crusty + terminal at the battery. Of course, I've got a new gold plated on sitting inside where its been for 2 weeks cause I've been too busy. I'd 2nd the electrical connections first. Besides, that's free (or close to it) so you might as well start there first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted September 8, 2005 Author Share Posted September 8, 2005 k9sar, you are just out of starting fluid... It's at every auto parts store, I can't believe you let it get so low !! Just go buy some and fill the starter... B damnit! someone mislabled my blinker fluid and I accidentally added it for my starter. geez I hope that doesn't screw things up too much. It should have been obvious when the starter kept turning on and off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 In that case, it's probably not a flat spot on the starter, but you were trying to start it on an "off" time in blinker mode!!! This should teach you to ALWAYS label vital fluids properly. :contract: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeMan Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Yeah, but if he mislabled the blinker fluid and put in the starter, I really hope he didn't mislable the starter fluid and put it in the blinkers......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted September 8, 2005 Author Share Posted September 8, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted November 7, 2005 Author Share Posted November 7, 2005 (edited) update... leaving for soccer today... clicky clicky, no startey. Crawled under and beat it with a hammer. Started fine. After soccer, with fingers crossed, started fine. Leaving tonight to go help at the church, click. Crawled under with my hammer... WHAM... turned the key and started. Trying to come home tonight(pouring down rain)... click click... WHAM... click click... WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM... click click... *#&%&!)&%)!#&!@*($)@$*&(%_)%*!#_(%*WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM (#*$&)!#$&)#!$&)!#&)!#&)!.... click click... SH!T!!!!!! Guess what I'm doing Monday morning? grrrrrrrrrr! Gotta tow it home and get it fixed before noon as I have a training class from noon to 4pm. Edited November 7, 2005 by k9sar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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