DII starter not working, won't start but clicks
Recovery Vehicle
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 8
rebuild it
you can have it rebuilt for $50-$100.00 . It is easy to take out. CAll around to starter and alternator rebuilders.. i did. $50.00 and back on the road.
Good luck, chris
Mudding
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 214
Likes: 6
From: Guatemala
Hi...
It is very easy to check your starter. Take it out (20 or 30 minutes), disasemble it (5 minutes) and inpect it. Most of the times, when a starter is not working, the problem is either the solenoid or the carbon brushes. The cost of the solenoid is about $ 30 in the internet, or 15-20 if you buy it in a shop. The cost of the brushes is between 10 and 15 bucks.
The solenoid is this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...d=220537807033
and the carbon brushes are these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...d=220549063350
The time to rebuild the starter is about half an hour. Just clean it and put some graphite grease on the bearings and then you can assemble it again.
Puting it back is maybe one hour. you will only need a 8 mm allen bit, a rachet and a 5-8inches extension. The bolts are a bit difficult to access, but it is something you can do alone.
Assuming that you start working in the morning, you can complete the job in half a day.
Diagnosing if the problem is the starter itself or the solenoid:
you can diagnose it before taking out the starter from the car. Just short circuit the two big bolts of the starter solenoid. If the solenoid is now working and the starter is OK, your car will crank (be careful to have it in Park, take care of the hand brake too). If you are connecting both bolts and the car does not crank, then, it is your starter.
you can diagnose the starter after checking it out. just take battery jumper cable, connect the negative lead of the battery to the body of the starter and the positive lead of the battery to the outer bolt of the solenoid. then, with a small wire, connect the positive lead to the point where the starter signal is received by the starter. if the solenoid is OK, you must hear it clicking. If you see that the starter turns slowly, then it is also the solenoid that is not working. If the solenoid clicks but the starter does not turn, then it is your starter.
I learned this searching videos in youtube related to starter diagnosis.
hope it helps.
It is very easy to check your starter. Take it out (20 or 30 minutes), disasemble it (5 minutes) and inpect it. Most of the times, when a starter is not working, the problem is either the solenoid or the carbon brushes. The cost of the solenoid is about $ 30 in the internet, or 15-20 if you buy it in a shop. The cost of the brushes is between 10 and 15 bucks.
The solenoid is this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...d=220537807033
and the carbon brushes are these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...d=220549063350
The time to rebuild the starter is about half an hour. Just clean it and put some graphite grease on the bearings and then you can assemble it again.
Puting it back is maybe one hour. you will only need a 8 mm allen bit, a rachet and a 5-8inches extension. The bolts are a bit difficult to access, but it is something you can do alone.
Assuming that you start working in the morning, you can complete the job in half a day.
Diagnosing if the problem is the starter itself or the solenoid:
you can diagnose it before taking out the starter from the car. Just short circuit the two big bolts of the starter solenoid. If the solenoid is now working and the starter is OK, your car will crank (be careful to have it in Park, take care of the hand brake too). If you are connecting both bolts and the car does not crank, then, it is your starter.
you can diagnose the starter after checking it out. just take battery jumper cable, connect the negative lead of the battery to the body of the starter and the positive lead of the battery to the outer bolt of the solenoid. then, with a small wire, connect the positive lead to the point where the starter signal is received by the starter. if the solenoid is OK, you must hear it clicking. If you see that the starter turns slowly, then it is also the solenoid that is not working. If the solenoid clicks but the starter does not turn, then it is your starter.
I learned this searching videos in youtube related to starter diagnosis.
hope it helps.
Last edited by johnkbl; Jun 1, 2010 at 06:14 PM.
4wd Low
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee, WI
my starter works fine about 90% of the time. every so often (about 8 times in the last 3 months) it does nothing when i turn the key. after crawling under the truck and whacking it with a hammer which i now carry, it starts right up everytime. I believe this is related to a slight oil leak or something running down and gumming it up. I could be wrong about the cause, but it"s just sticking. I don't have time to guess and clean and have it crap out again in 6 months, so i"m getting a new one for $210 from Atlantic British tonight. Thanks all for help/ 2 cents
-Dave
-Dave
Baja
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,584
Likes: 7
From: Pittsburgh PA suburbs.
Hi, this might be a big nothing but I had the same problem when I first bought the Rover. I had to get a head gasket job right away after buying it (yeah) and when it came back, it appeared my battery was shot. Just that lovely clicking.
I got a brand new batt but when I had the place put a volt meter on it to make sure the alt was good, the test came back bad. So I bought a new alt, no cheap thing, and the voltage test came back AGAIN with a fail.
After half losing my mind, I trached every cable I could find and finally found and additional ground that isn't found on most cars hence the origional mechanic that did the head gasket forgetting to put it back on and the batt place missing it as well.
If you look behind the batt compartment on the metal over the passanger side wheel well, there is a nut with two black cable grounds going to it. One cable is coming from the batt to this nut. Another one leaves that nut and goes to the bracket on the alt. Make sure they are both attached, clean and the bolt holding them is tight. Then you might want to make sure the cable going from that nut to the alt bracket is attached to that alt bracket and is clean and tight.
That might not be your problem but it was mine and this little oversite cost me a ton of cash. Good luck.
I got a brand new batt but when I had the place put a volt meter on it to make sure the alt was good, the test came back bad. So I bought a new alt, no cheap thing, and the voltage test came back AGAIN with a fail.
After half losing my mind, I trached every cable I could find and finally found and additional ground that isn't found on most cars hence the origional mechanic that did the head gasket forgetting to put it back on and the batt place missing it as well.
If you look behind the batt compartment on the metal over the passanger side wheel well, there is a nut with two black cable grounds going to it. One cable is coming from the batt to this nut. Another one leaves that nut and goes to the bracket on the alt. Make sure they are both attached, clean and the bolt holding them is tight. Then you might want to make sure the cable going from that nut to the alt bracket is attached to that alt bracket and is clean and tight.
That might not be your problem but it was mine and this little oversite cost me a ton of cash. Good luck.
I replaced my battery recently, but I did away with the small ground connection you speak of. I also replaced my battery ground cable with a new 48 inch one, re-routed it and terminated it directly to the frame with a self drilling bolt after abrading the frame finish to bare metal for the new contact point. I also cut the terminal lug from the original starter ground connection and reterminated it to the frame as well. I no longer have the small ground wire going from the battery to the body panel.
I had bought a used starter thinking mine was going bad. but after replacing the baterry and ground terminations, mine is starting fine every time.
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