The other day my mom's nice late model car died completely, so she drove my car to work (despite that it still has hot-starting problems). It got there fine, she drove it back home for lunch, drove it back to work, but then when she was going to come home it cranked for a bit and she heard a "clunk", and then it'd just click when turning the key. Not "click click click" like it was running out of juice, but just one little "click". When I got down there and looked at it, the negative battery cable clamp (positive ground) had melted through, and the part attached to the cable we just sitting on the part still attached to the battery. I figured it must not be cranking because the connection is barely existent, but even after I replaced BOTH battery clamps with brand-new ones it did the exact same thing. It also did the exact same thing when I put a portable jumpstarter on it. What was really odd is that when I connected the negative jumper cable to the battery it barely sparked at all. Like less than it does even if I hook up the 2-amp battery charger when it's plugged into the outlet already. But with the jumper on, when I tried the headlights for a second they were extremely bright, so I know the jumper was charged up like it said it was. My dad's theory is that the starter solenoid shorted out, thus shorting out the battery and overheating the negative cable (which is what connects to the starter, of course). In any case I'm sure I'll have to have it towed back home because I can barely see the starter from the engine compartment, much less reach it with a voltmeter. Anyone have any other ideas? This is going to be a painful-as-hell job to do, so I'd really like to get it fixed on the first try if possible.
Possibly your solenoid. Try tapping the starter with a hammer. Or better yet pull the starter and hook it up to a jumper and see of it turns.
Also check to see that the engine isnt locked up. Turn it over by hand. It would really suck if that was the case, but its a possibility. Or something like a broken nose cone could be jammed in there. If it turns then bench test the starter, as previously suggested. Melted cables are a sign of really high resistance..
a wild guess; the clunk was the starter engaging, the gear jammed and the brushes are fried. yer mom kept working the key till it toasted the cables. Pull the starter, resurface the commutator with emery cloth, and stick a couple pair of Edsel generator brushes in it, while you're at it pull the selenoid apart and roll the posts over so they contact cleanly bench test to make sure the bendix is working and it spins smooth. Paul
i would think that it would have something to do with the teeth engagement. if the teeth from the flywheel and the starter get jammed, it will just keep drawing amps from the battery and cause heat. does kinda what you are describing. if you have a manual tranny, in the car, you can sometimes get it to un catch itself, by putting it in gear, then trying to push the car, it might need you to pop the clutch. also, you can unbolt the starter it would probably be ok for a while, but those teeth must be gettin worn, so check it out.
Interesting...I'll see if I can whack it with the end of a crowbar or something tomorrow. Also, what's so special about Edsel brushes? I really don't get how things could just spontaneously short out anyway, although weirder things have happened. Ironically this is almost the exact same problem my mom's car died of. It might even BE the exact same problem, the symptoms are the same. Anyone know where the starter solenoid on a '91 Maxima is so I can hit it with crowbar?
There's another possibility & one that happened to me a few years back - had one of the battery cables going to the starter shift up against the exhaust & short when the insulation melted. When you hit the key, direct short to ground, high amps, melted terminals, fried solenoid...no fun, but easy fix. Just check the cable runs to make sure they're not against a manifold or even rubbing against something metal that wears through the insulation.
I got my car towed home tonight, and had my mom turn the key while I listened under the hood. The "click" sound is definitely not coming from the starter... it's coming from this thing on the left inner fender. I seriously have no idea what it is, as far as I can tell the shop manual makes no mention of it, but I'm 99.9% sure it's stock (since it's all old and rusty, and my '47 had one too). It's some kind of junction block/circuit breaker as far as I can tell. The hot cable from the battery goes through a clamp on it and to the starter, and most of the other electrical circuits on the car seem to start from it. The horn relay is right next to it. I'm willing to bet that it's the problem, and I'd gladly replace it since it's probably really worn out anyway. The problem is, I don't even know what it's called...
Bump... anyone know what that thing is? Edit: I found a pic online. Arrows pointing at it (partly obscured by the battery), and I labelled the horn relay for reference http://www16.dixiesys.com/~admin16/posting/thingy.jpg
Hard to see in that pic. Before the pic loaded, I was thinking "starter relay", but that doesn't look like any starter relay I've seen before (not that that means anything, mind you...) Some sort of early "fusible link" maybe? It would be better if you had a clearer picture w/o the battery in the way.
[ QUOTE ] There's another possibility & one that happened to me a few years back - had one of the battery cables going to the starter shift up against the exhaust & short when the insulation melted. When you hit the key, direct short to ground, high amps, melted terminals, fried solenoid...no fun, but easy fix. Just check the cable runs to make sure they're not against a manifold or even rubbing against something metal that wears through the insulation. [/ QUOTE ]That might be right. Happened to me before too.
[ QUOTE ] Bump... anyone know what that thing is? Edit: I found a pic online. Arrows pointing at it (partly obscured by the battery), and I labelled the horn relay for reference http://www16.dixiesys.com/~admin16/posting/thingy.jpg [/ QUOTE ]I think that is your starter relay. If you convert to 12v, you can use any ford relay, but I don't know about 6v. I have a 55 dodge w/hemi, but converted to 12v.
Yep, I figured it out today...it's the starter relay. I re-read the section in the shop manual that says how the starter works and managed to figure it out. The bat/ign/sol lettering on the relay was too full of crud to read before. But it's definitely the starter relay, I almost got it started with a jumper cable between the relay connections. Which is a relief. Now I gotta find another one...
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