So ive cleaned all the connections, from the battery, to the starter, replaced the 2 worn internal contacts (the battery side was almost completely gone) - put everything together, and now the starter just makes on loud click when I turn the key. One click for each turn. Right before I took it off, it was doing the same, and sometimes clicking machine gun style.

Im at a loss for what it could be now....any ideas? Ive read the section on 4crawler that covers this, and looking at it I cant see anything im missing....

Thanks

Alex

 

Check that where the starter bolts to teh bell housing is clean and free of oil, grease, and corrosion. Another member had this recently and that's what fixed it. They cleaned the starter and the bell housing, so there was nice clean metal starter and bell housing. Makes the ground connection, which is just as important as the power connection. Give it a try. Can't hurt anything

 

Heh yeah, other than my ego when the damn things falls on my head again...hard to get it up on their properly

Ill keep that in mind, thanks...also, to check the voltage on all the wiring, do I just use an AC/DC multimeter?

Thanks!

Alex

 

Yeah, the voltage is easy to check with a normal multimeter. Just don't use the wrong scale, or you'll blow the meter. One thing to keep in mind with the multimeter is to make sure IT has a good ground, or it'll affect the readings. A bad ground can make what is really a good, normal voltage LOOK bad, and mislead your troublesooting process.
And for the head thing, maybe a good hard hat...? :fireman: or for example

 

Don't know if it would make any difference....but did you sand the plunger off when you replaced your contacts? Mine was a little corroded and I just took a wire brush to it when I replaced mine.

 

I sanded the plunger and both contacts.

Get this....my step dad decided maybe I just had a dying battery...and went to give me a jump...as im looking over my shoulder...screaming "OH GOD NO YOU GOT THEM BACKWARDS!"

I tore it off before the battery blew up...but it blew a fuse somewhere and now im not even getting ignition lights when I turn the key..yet the headlights still work so the battery aint 100% dead....so now I get to put up a new post asking what fuse it blew...

 

If you look at your positive battery terminal you'll see the main power lead (4 ga. or so) and a second, smaller gauge wire running from the terminal to a black distribution box..., look in the box for the blown fuse (probally your big "slo-blo" fuse) and keep pops away from the battery cables.

 

dang pops! sounds like ya gotta give ol dad some lessons

 

Do the voltage checks listed on the web page:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml

Basically you want to see what the voltage is at the starter solenoid control wire when it "clicks". If that voltage is not within 1/2 volt of the battery, the problem lies "upstream" from that point. I.e. between the starter and the ignition switch.

And/or try one of the fixes listed at the bottom:
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Starter.shtml

 

Roger: I started suspecting my battery after I replaced the contacts (the battery side one was practically non existent.) Before the install it was only working 20% of the time, after, 0%.

We hooked the car up to jumper cables, and she started right up after a 2 tries.

I think the battery isnt holding charge anymore however...using the brakes gives me a "BRAKE!" light and a battery light when pushing the brake down...and after I drive a bit, something on the passenger side starts to whine like crazy, changing tone with throttle.

Dead battery id say...you guys think so too?

She starts right up with jumper cables (tried that 3 times so far.)

ALso keep in mind my step dad may have killed the battery right after my starter contact fix, by hooking the cables up backwards on my rig (eek!)

 

The voltage test described on myu web page would point up that problem. If the battery voltage is dropping excesively when you hit the starter, you would see that on the volt meter.