Intermittent starting problem
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Intermittent starting problem
Hello all. My 2005 4.6L wouldn't start yesterday. It wouldn't make any noise at all. The solenoid wouldn't even click. However, today, it fired right up.
Here's the diagnostic I did yesterday:
The battery is brand new, but I checked the voltage anyway; 12.3volts. It dropped to 12.1 while turning the key.
I then checked the voltage on the starter solenoid at the small wire from the ignition, and got 12.1 volts as I had someone else turning the key to the start position. So, it seemed like it wasn't passing the juice onto the starter motor.
Is it a bad solenoid? Yesterday, it wasn't clicking or making any noise at all, but today it seems fine. I thought that when the solenoid breaks, it breaks...
When you replace solenoids that are mounted on the starter, is it cheaper to just replace the whole thing (starter solenoid + motor)?
Here's the diagnostic I did yesterday:
The battery is brand new, but I checked the voltage anyway; 12.3volts. It dropped to 12.1 while turning the key.
I then checked the voltage on the starter solenoid at the small wire from the ignition, and got 12.1 volts as I had someone else turning the key to the start position. So, it seemed like it wasn't passing the juice onto the starter motor.
Is it a bad solenoid? Yesterday, it wasn't clicking or making any noise at all, but today it seems fine. I thought that when the solenoid breaks, it breaks...
When you replace solenoids that are mounted on the starter, is it cheaper to just replace the whole thing (starter solenoid + motor)?
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
Make sure you check for 12v at the small solenoid wire, while the wire is still plugged into the solenoid. If the neutral start switch has a bad connection, you will get 12v at the solenoid with no load, but the voltage will drop when the solenoid is re-connected, which puts a load on the circuit. Your meter will not load the circuit enough by itself.
