Starter Woes?
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Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Columbus, Oh
Starter Woes?
Alright fellas I'm getting my butt kicked on my brothers 01 SD 7.3. I've never had much luck up top so I'll stay here. Truck won't start. It barley turns over. Ok, check batts, they show about 12.5. Charge all night and this morning showing a shade over 14. Give it a go and it spins for a half a second and acts like its dead. Showing about 12-12.5 on the batts. Pull his and replace with my red tops and it's doing the same thing. Checked all grounds and they're good. The ground to the block was absolutely filthy so I cleaned it real good and same thing. Check hot lead to starter and it's a little rusty, but not corroded. Here's where it threw me for a loop. The black plastic piece on the solenoid spun some when I removed the hot leg to the starter. I've never had a starter do that on me. He can buy a starter, but I really don't want to just throw parts at this thing.
Here's a pic of the black piece on the solenoid. It's the piece where the posts from the solenoid come out of.
Here's a pic of the black piece on the solenoid. It's the piece where the posts from the solenoid come out of.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: Southern AZ
check for voltage while cranking at the batteries, then across the starter solenoid on the fender, and then across the solenoid on the starter (the one you posted).
with the exception of the batteries, all readings should be near zero volts. if not you found your fault.
You can also check for voltage drop across the cables. there should be none when energized but I have seen cables corrode under the sheath.
Richard
EDT: for reference, when I say check "across" a solenoid I mean the big terminals when the solenoid is energized.
with the exception of the batteries, all readings should be near zero volts. if not you found your fault.
You can also check for voltage drop across the cables. there should be none when energized but I have seen cables corrode under the sheath.
Richard
EDT: for reference, when I say check "across" a solenoid I mean the big terminals when the solenoid is energized.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,132
Likes: 45
From: Columbus, Oh
check for voltage while cranking at the batteries, then across the starter solenoid on the fender, and then across the solenoid on the starter (the one you posted).
with the exception of the batteries, all readings should be near zero volts. if not you found your fault.
You can also check for voltage drop across the cables. there should be none when energized but I have seen cables corrode under the sheath.
Richard
EDT: for reference, when I say check "across" a solenoid I mean the big terminals when the solenoid is energized.
with the exception of the batteries, all readings should be near zero volts. if not you found your fault.
You can also check for voltage drop across the cables. there should be none when energized but I have seen cables corrode under the sheath.
Richard
EDT: for reference, when I say check "across" a solenoid I mean the big terminals when the solenoid is energized.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,132
Likes: 45
From: Columbus, Oh
Yes. The optimas are still in it. That's what Bill and I were talking about earlier, I just wanted to double check. The starter is soaked in oil, it doesn't surprise me something has shorted in there. As always, thanks guys!
Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Orrville, Ohio
It's normal for the voltage to fall as a load is applied, but for it to dip that low, I think you have a bad starter, plus I don't think the solenoid on the starter should spin like that.
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i ain't rite
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starter is toast Todd. we just went through the same thing last night on a 08 5.4 truck. started it up to move it, and 15 minutes later nothing. dead as a doornail. put the welding cable jumper cables on it to the mack, and nothing.
one of the guys got under it with a hammer to give it a whack to see if we could get it into the garage, and the solenoidal spun just like yours is doing.
put a new starter on it and it fired rite up.
the old starter suffered a meltdown between starting and the 15 minutes it sat before trying to start it again.
one of the guys got under it with a hammer to give it a whack to see if we could get it into the garage, and the solenoidal spun just like yours is doing.
put a new starter on it and it fired rite up.
the old starter suffered a meltdown between starting and the 15 minutes it sat before trying to start it again.
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,132
Likes: 45
From: Columbus, Oh
starter is toast Todd. we just went through the same thing last night on a 08 5.4 truck. started it up to move it, and 15 minutes later nothing. dead as a doornail. put the welding cable jumper cables on it to the mack, and nothing.
one of the guys got under it with a hammer to give it a whack to see if we could get it into the garage, and the solenoidal spun just like yours is doing.
put a new starter on it and it fired rite up.
the old starter suffered a meltdown between starting and the 15 minutes it sat before trying to start it again.
one of the guys got under it with a hammer to give it a whack to see if we could get it into the garage, and the solenoidal spun just like yours is doing.
put a new starter on it and it fired rite up.
the old starter suffered a meltdown between starting and the 15 minutes it sat before trying to start it again.
Thread Starter
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Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,132
Likes: 45
From: Columbus, Oh
Good deal. I still haven't pulled the starter, maybe I can go this route.