is my solenoid bad or my starter? hot starter wire??

67boo2 · Apr 29, 2007

Last weekend I started the car and heard nothing but a TICK. I took the key out and started it again and fired right up. Now this past weekend all I got was TICK. not turning over nothing...Optima Battery reads 12+ volts and the main starter wire was HOT...

mustangdave · Apr 30, 2007

12 volts is dead for a 12 volt battery; needs to be around 13.7- 14.2 volts. Charge battery and repost.

iskwezm · Apr 30, 2007

mustangdave said:
12 volts is dead for a 12 volt battery; needs to be around 13.7- 14.2 volts. Charge battery and repost.

no battery will hold 13.7+ at rest. A fully charged battery is 12.5 at rest and should see about 13.5-14V when the car is at idle.

The starter probably has high resistance,timing is off or check your grounds.

xoxbxfx · Apr 30, 2007

well with a starter solenoid, a single click usually means DEAD battery, lots of clicking means low battery. I would double check your connections on the battery and the grounds to make sure you have a good ground.

Stanger007 · Apr 30, 2007

xoxbxfx said:
well with a starter solenoid, a single click usually means DEAD battery, lots of clicking means low battery. I would double check your connections on the battery and the grounds to make sure you have a good ground.

+1, get the battery tested at a parts store and you can rule it out. Next in line of dying is the starter, go there next.

Wes

HookandLadder · Apr 30, 2007

Hot wire means a bad connection somewhere. Check the connections......especially the grounds. Take em off........clean em......reinstall and see how it works.
Battery at 12.5 is good.........need a load tester to see the condition. 13.7 to 14.2 from the alt when the car is running.

2nd Mustang · Apr 30, 2007

Is the cable that is getting hot the cable from the starter to the solenoid? If so, it carries a chassis ground from the body through the starter to the solenoid. The hot 12 volt cable from the battery to the solenoid makes a connection through the solenoid when you turn on the ignition key which spins the starter. As others have suggested, I would check for loose wiring first.

67boo2 · May 1, 2007

will do...I will keep you guys updated...thanks from the bottom of my heart

jikelly · May 1, 2007

Or the starter wire grounding on exhaust or the frame.

Nice avatar you got there.

67boo2 · May 2, 2007

Update w/ Vids

I cleaned my 4 month old battery cables and the main starter wire (solenoid to starter) and tighten all the connections. Still no hope

Start up #1 You could hear a whine coming from the starter
<embed width="430" height="389" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://vid14.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid14.photobucket.com/albums/a329/p10socal/mustang/Stang002.flv"></embed>

Start up #2 notice my fan barely moving but started. got 14+ volts while running
<embed width="430" height="389" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://vid14.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid14.photobucket.com/albums/a329/p10socal/mustang/Stang003.flv"></embed>

Start up #3 just a click Smoke actually came from the starter
<embed width="430" height="389" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://vid14.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid14.photobucket.com/albums/a329/p10socal/mustang/Stang004.flv"></embed>

Any reccomendations? Should I just go ahead and get a starter?

RUSTYNUT · May 2, 2007

I would pull the starter. Any good store can test it for you. A smoking starter, hot wires all sound like a fried starter.

mustangdave · May 2, 2007

Yes, take starter and have tested.

Iskwezm, I went out and put the meter on my battery that I charged and has been sitting since Sunday ( 2 and 1/2 days): 13.8 volts.

iskwezm · May 2, 2007

mustangdave said:
Iskwezm, I went out and put the meter on my battery that I charged and has been sitting since Sunday ( 2 and 1/2 days): 13.8 volts.

Thats great.

Like I said, a fully charged battery at rest is 12.5 volts.You "forced" (possibly overcharging)a charge on yours which gave it higher then 12.5V.My dual battries will read 14.8+V when they are charged but will drop down to 12.5 after a load is put on them.A alternator will regulate the charge they get and thats why they wont read that high when they get a charge from the alternator..Im just stating what I learned after 8 years of being a Ford Certified Master Tech.

351carlo · May 2, 2007

ISKEWZM is correct. Not that he needs my backup, but I've tested more batteries (and probably dealt with more Optimas) than I can ever remember.

12 volts is FINE for a battery. Typically the accepted range for an alternator while charging is 13.5-15.5.

And not to be a pain, but it's 12.6 that's fully charged Clearly 12.5 is fine too.

There are plenty of sites that explain everything. Look it up.

67boo2 · May 2, 2007

I saw two obvious bolts on the starter, but is there 3 or more to get the starter out? Will I be needing any special tools?

iskwezm · May 2, 2007

Nope just 2 bolts,the cable, and then wiggle it out.

67boo2 · May 3, 2007

All done!

Well it was the starter all right. I brought the starter to Kragen auto parts and had my starter tested which came out to be trashed. So i bought one for $35 installed it and starts like a champ. The top bolt gave me problems, but do-able...

Thanks for the support..

iskwezm · May 3, 2007

iskwezm said:
The starter probably has high resistance.....

huh, lucky guess

is my solenoid bad or my starter? hot starter wire??

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