Starter Problem
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From: Florida
Starter Problem
I came home from lunch today, ate lunch, got back in the truck to drive back to work. Put the key in the ignition, hit the push-start, it turned and fired, I took my finger off the ignition prematurely, it didn't stay on. I hit the push-start again and it wouldnt turn or fire or anything. Any ideas? I tried charging the battery just incase that was the deal, nothing. Did it get stuck half-way through a turn or somethin? What do I do?
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From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Check and recheck the battery cable connections as well as the connections on the solenoid and on the starter. Is everything dead, lights ect. or just the starter? Does a boost help? It may narrow things down.
Last edited by Fomoko1; Jun 28, 2006 at 01:33 AM.
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From: Florida
Battery Cables are fine, lights come on, Cd player comes on. Will check solenoid and starter connections after work.. as I said earlier, it happened right after I fired to short with the push-start. Second time it wouldnt fire at all..
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
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From: Riverside, So Cal
Jeff -
Your problem sounds like a 57 Ford I once had. Thew problem was that the bendix gear on the starter would get hung up on the flywheel ring gear. Rocking the car fore/aft while it was in gear broke it loose. Then it worked just fine until it hung up again. Never fixed it. Just lived with it. Got pretty good at the rocking thing.
Your problem sounds like a 57 Ford I once had. Thew problem was that the bendix gear on the starter would get hung up on the flywheel ring gear. Rocking the car fore/aft while it was in gear broke it loose. Then it worked just fine until it hung up again. Never fixed it. Just lived with it. Got pretty good at the rocking thing.
Post Fiend
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From: Near Fresno, California
I agree with Randy - he is my Hero again!
The bendix has an override clutch built in and it often takes the engine spinning the bendix gear to get it to retract fully. If it does not retract fully the switches inside the starter will not make and the starter will not energize. At least that is the way I remember it.
I used to pray it would happen when I was on a date - give me an excuse to sit and park! My dad got tired of that excuse and we dismantled the starter and cleaned the bendix, using powdered graphite as a lube. Don't remember what excuse I used after that.
The bendix has an override clutch built in and it often takes the engine spinning the bendix gear to get it to retract fully. If it does not retract fully the switches inside the starter will not make and the starter will not energize. At least that is the way I remember it.
I used to pray it would happen when I was on a date - give me an excuse to sit and park! My dad got tired of that excuse and we dismantled the starter and cleaned the bendix, using powdered graphite as a lube. Don't remember what excuse I used after that.
Last edited by WillyB; Jun 28, 2006 at 04:10 PM.
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From: Florida
I have an automatic,. do you still think it would help putting it in drive and rocking it? I just tried rocking it in neutral, forgot about putting it in gear.. didn't work..
Then I went back out and put it in drive. rocked it, nothing.
Its not the battery, I have a battery charger hooked up and its still not turning.
Definately sounds like this bendix thingie.. Makes sense becaues it didn't turn all the way over before i took my finger off the ignition..
So rocking isn't working.. any other ideas?
Sounds like a new tech article.. how to unstick a Bendix in a starter
Then I went back out and put it in drive. rocked it, nothing.
Its not the battery, I have a battery charger hooked up and its still not turning.
Definately sounds like this bendix thingie.. Makes sense becaues it didn't turn all the way over before i took my finger off the ignition..
So rocking isn't working.. any other ideas?
Sounds like a new tech article.. how to unstick a Bendix in a starter
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Posting Guru
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From: Seattle WA.
Did you check you starter selnoid, try taking a jumper cable and apply positive battery power directly to the starter.
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Post Fiend
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From: Near Fresno, California
Originally Posted by jeff5683
I have an automatic,.
All else fails, take the starter off.
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You can take the flywheel cover off and you should be able to see the little starter gear. So you will know if it is stuck out. If not I would make sure it is in park,(to make it easy you can make two wires one to go on the main pos on the starter and the other to go on the switch, (the selnoid) hook the bat back up and touch the two together if it turns the starter it is most likely the starter selnoid, but you should check the switch to. If you can reach it easy you can use a 3 in wire, but that can leave burn marks from arching too. I would suggest using two wires. More work but it will only leave burn marks on those two wires. I would also make sure your battery, starter, and switch connections are clean and tight.
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From: Florida
Update:
My brother-in-law's father said this used to happen to him. Said he would tap the starter with the butt of a hammer and it would loosen the bendix. Didn't work.. I ended up jabbing and wacking it with a broom stick... that did the trick
For now on I have a broom stick behind the seat of my truck.. Now I can conceal a weapon and have a good reason for it
My brother-in-law's father said this used to happen to him. Said he would tap the starter with the butt of a hammer and it would loosen the bendix. Didn't work.. I ended up jabbing and wacking it with a broom stick... that did the trick
For now on I have a broom stick behind the seat of my truck.. Now I can conceal a weapon and have a good reason for it
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From: Centrl San Joaquin Valley
starter
You did check for power at the solenoid when the key is in the start position, right? That would be my first starting place and then the part about rocking the starter is a good one and if that doesn't do it the one about loosening the starter bolts and 1/2 way removing the starter is also helpfull if the bendix is hung up. That happens a lot if the battery isn't fully charged of if you let off of the key too soon and the gear hangs in the flywheel.
Jim (Old time farmer)
P.S. As an after thought and you probably know this all ready but if the starter has a bushing and it has been used a lot it gets out of round at the bottom. That's why it sometime hangs up and if you give it a good hard rap at the bottom at the far end it might jar it loose.
Jim (Old time farmer)
P.S. As an after thought and you probably know this all ready but if the starter has a bushing and it has been used a lot it gets out of round at the bottom. That's why it sometime hangs up and if you give it a good hard rap at the bottom at the far end it might jar it loose.
Last edited by jmerson; Jul 7, 2006 at 12:43 PM. Reason: after thought
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From: Florida
Thanks Jim, already got her runnin again. The bendix was just hung up.. it was my fault, I pulled off the ignition too quick, didn't give it a chance to fire on her own.. Must have done it just right! A few good wacks with a broom stick freed her up!
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Littleton, New Hampshire
If this continues it may be time for a starter rebuild. Sometimes when a starter gets old, worn bushings allow the armature to move side to side and there is little clearance in there for that. When current passes through the fields the electro-magnetic force will cause the armature to stick to one field or the other and it will not turn. The cure is to replace the bushings the armature shaft spins on. That's why hitting it with a hammer often will make it work. The jolt is enough to move the armature a hair. 
Vern
Vern