Sol On Mini Starter Took A Dump ?

TOOLOW91

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So with all good. Comes something that needs to be fixed right ?


Starter hung up on me last night when I ran home for dinner from work.

I shut key off and it just kept cranking away . I have a mini stArter .

I pull the power at battery it stops . I turn around and jump both posts at the sol under the hood . Stays on again so that eliminates the key switch in the car being the issue .

I disconnect the trigger wire from the sol on the fender and tap it off battery power and same thing it gets stuck on again . I pull battery cable to make it stop .

So this time I leave my battery disconnected and tap the small trigger wire off power again to try and get it to unstick and sure enough it does . I tap it and you hear the sol grab and release . I

Car was fine all the way back to work . Go to go home - same :poo: but this time I was able to get it to stop real quick . So I'm thinking the sol on the mini starter is actually no good . Weird part is though. It sounds like the starter motor stays engaged but not the bendix no grinding just the starter won't stop spinning.

What's everyone else think ? Am I right in my thoughts here ?
 
Before you rush out a buy a new mini starter, run through the voltage checks & voltage drop testing below.

No Crank checklist for 5.0 Mustangs

Revised 05-Oct-2010 to update Fluke references.

No crank. slow crank and stuck starter solenoid problems have the same root causes – low battery voltage and poor connections. For that reason, they are grouped together.
Use the same initial group of tests to find the root cause of both no crank and stuck solenoid problems.

Since some of the tests will bypass the safety interlocks, make sure that the car is in neutral and the parking brake is set. Becoming a pancake isn’t part of the repair process…


1.) Will the car start if it is jumped? Then clean battery terminals and check battery for low charge and dead cells. A good battery will measure 12-13 volts at full charge with the ignition switch in the Run position but without the engine running.
A voltmeter placed across the battery terminals should show a minimum of 9.5-10 volts when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position and the starter engages or tries to engage. Less than this will result in a clicking solenoid, or slow cranking (if it cranks at all) or a starter solenoid that sticks and welds the contacts together.

Most auto parts stores will check your battery for free. It does not have to be installed in the car to have it checked; you can carry it with you to the auto parts store.

The battery posts and inside of the battery post terminals should be scraped clean with a knife or battery post cleaner tool. This little trick will fix a surprising number of no start problems.

The clamp on with 2 bolts battery terminal ends are a know problem causer. Any place you see green on a copper wire is corrosion. Corrosion gets in the clamped joint and works its way up the wire under the insulation. Corroded connections do not conduct electricity well. Avoid them like the plague...

If the starter solenoid welds the contacts, then the starter will attempt to run anytime there is power in the battery. The cables and solenoid will get very hot, and may even start smoking. The temporary fix for a welded starter solenoid is to disconnect the battery and smack the back of the solenoid housing a sharp blow with a hammer. This may cause the contacts to unstick and work normally for a while.

A voltmeter is handy if you are familiar with how to use it to find bad connections. Measure the voltage drop across a connection while trying to start the car: more than .5 volts across a connection indicates a problem.

See http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf for help for help troubleshooting voltage drops across connections and components. .

attachment.php?attachmentid=64167&stc=1&d=1286329941.gif


2.) Check the battery to engine block ground down near the oil filter, and the ground behind the engine to the firewall. All grounds should be clean and shiny. Use some sandpaper to clean them up.

3.) Jump the big terminals on the starter solenoid next to the battery with a screwdriver - watch out for the sparks! If the engine cranks, the starter and power wiring is good. The starter relay is also known as a starter solenoid.

The rest of the tech note only concerns no crank problems. If your problem was a stuck solenoid, go back to step 1.

4.) Then pull the small push on connector (small red/blue wire) off the starter solenoid (Looks like it is stuck on a screw). Then jump between the screw and the terminal that is connected to the battery. If it cranks, the relay is good and your problem is in the rest of the circuit.

5.) Remember to check the ignition switch, neutral safety switch on auto trans and the clutch safety switch on manual trans cars. If they are good, then you have wiring problems.

Typical start circuit...
Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds
attachment.php?attachmentid=21328&d=1080916057.gif



6.) Pull the starter and take it to AutoZone or Pep Boys and have them test it. Starter fails test, then replace it. If you got this far, the starter is probably bad.


Starter solenoid wiring for 86-91 Mustang
attachment.php?attachmentid=52294&stc=1&d=1192414749.gif



Starter solenoid wiring 92-93 Mustang or earlier Mustang with upgraded high torque mini starter.
attachment.php?attachmentid=53216&stc=1&d=1201020653.gif


Electrical checks for the switches and starter solenoid

Remove the small red/blue wire from the starter solenoid. Use a screwdriver to bridge the connection from the battery positive connection on the starter solenoid to the small screw where the red/blue wire was connected. The starter should crank the engine. If it does not, the starter solenoid is defective.

If the starter does crank the engine, the problem is in the clutch safety circuit (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) or ignition switch.


Typical start circuit...
Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds
attachment.php?attachmentid=21328&d=1080916057.gif


You will need a voltmeter or test lamp for the rest of the checks. Connect one lead of the voltmeter or test lamp to ground. The other lead will connect to the item under test.
Look for 12 volts on the white/pink wire when the ignition switch is turned to the Start position. Check the ignition switch first.
No 12 volts, replace the ignition switch.

The next step will require you to push the clutch pedal to the floor (5 speed) or put the transmission in neutral (auto trans) while the ignition switch is turned to the Start position.
Good 12 volts, check the clutch safety switch (5 speed) or Neutral Sense Switch (auto trans) for good 12 volts on both sides of the switches. No 12 volts on both sides of the switch and the switches are defective or out of adjustment. Check the wiring for bad connections while you are at it.
 
The mini starter solenoid can be replaced by itself....its easy. I can walk you through it if you need me to.
 
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The mini starter solenoid can be replaced by itself....its easy. I can walk you through it if you need me to.

Keeping the old pa for a spare I will re do the sol on it . I replaced it with a brand new one and let me tell you it sounds like it has a 16v bat in it . Night and day . No more sticking either .

I wanted to basically make sure I wasn't going crazy and my troubleshooting isolated it to the sol on the starter which it did
 
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Not to steal your thread, but since you have solved your problem, I will.

Has anyone tried rebuilding a starter? Mine is getting very week and almost impossible to start when heat soaked. I need to replace or rebuild very soon.

Joe
 
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Not to steal your thread, but since you have solved your problem, I will.

Has anyone tried rebuilding a starter? Mine is getting very week and almost impossible to start when heat soaked. I need to replace or rebuild very soon.

Joe

Its not hard at all...especially if its still working. You'll need new brushes for the motor and a new solenoid. There are also a couple bushings that rarely go bad...one at the base of the motor and one in the cover. Easy least...
 
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Its not hard at all...especially if its still working. You'll need new brushes for the motor and a new solenoid. There are also a couple bushings that rarely go bad...one at the base of the motor and one in the cover. Easy least...

Any specific rebuild kit you would recommend?

Joe
 
Any specific rebuild kit you would recommend?

Joe
I usually just order the parts from my local parts store. Nothing specific....but it takes a parts person that isn't an idiot. ( kinda hard to find nowadays ).

Rock auto sells a bunch of rebuild parts.
 
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I usually just order the parts from my local parts store. Nothing specific....but it takes a parts person that isn't an idiot. ( kinda hard to find nowadays ).

Rock auto sells a bunch of rebuild parts.
Ok, say your dealing with an inexperienced (idiot) counter person, any suggestions on what to ask for or how to approach them, I mean, without a large stick to get their attention?
 
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