I would think that the odds lie much more in favor of your starter being bad than your battery cables being suspect. Especially if the connectors were fairly clean. If you properly reset the inertia switch (one more time won't hurt), then I'd try tapping on the starter a few more times with something wooden while a friend tries to crank it. Think broom handle or a baseball bat. Just rap it pretty stoutly but don't go wailing away on it.

A starter is usually good for a few times like that and if you get it to crank you can run it down to Advance and they will test it for free in the parking lot before selling you a new one. If you are really lucky and they are not too busy and the tech is bored they might even help you change it out right there. Not my style but I've seen a $20 work wonders in the parking lot of an Advance Auto before.

Oh, and one other thing. Try jumping the new battery off like it was dead. You wouldn't be the first one that ever bought a new battery that wasn't fully charged up or had issues. Even an Optima.

 

Thanks everyone for the support!

Just to make sure I reset the inertia switch right... do I just push the button?


The other question on replacing the starter... my Disco is dead on kinda of a busy street. I have it half on the curb so its tucked in a bit closer to the side walk.

I'm reading a few other posts on how to replace this thing and it looks like I'll need to make some long extension sockets to get to it. Wondering is there anything I can do under the hood to prep to make this a fast and easy swap?

Thanks!

 

i swapped mine out at a gas station in the bad part of town with my father in law standing guard with a 40 cal. I used a 3/8 drive with a 3" and a 6" extension with a swivel head on it. Get a good 3/8" inch Allen head socket set. I got a cheap one from oreily's since he didn't bring me everything I needed. Other than that, u will need a crescent wrench to undo the nut for the positive cable to the starter. Make sure to disconnect the battery of course and get a pair of gloves BC if you keep your front driveshaft greased, you will get some on you.

 

Ha love that story. Makes me think of my Buddy as he would be lock and loaded standing by my side as well.

Well awesome I am going to pick that starter up tomorrow and hopefully get at tomorrow night. I will report back.

Thanks everyone!

 

i had one on my side underneath the vehicle as well. You can remove the heat shield if you need to but it just clips onto the solenoid and its bolted down by the engine mount. I just pushed it back and unbolted the positive cable and then the two Allen bolts and wiggled it out. Put the new one in and hooked it up and she ran like new. It might help to have a helper with a flashlight shining down there for better sight on the bolts for you

 

Oh and the long extension with the wobble end works great on the top and the short extension works great on the bottom. Good luck with it and hope it goes smoothly. It only took me about 20 mins to do mine

 

Yes, you just push the inertia button to reset it. I don't remember if it clicks or anything, so maybe do it a couple of times to be sure.

 

Before jumping in with a new starter, I'd highly recommend checking this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2M0SHUBFyM&t=6s

and this has some pretty good tips too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKjdnQ0sHQc

I'd especially recommend testing to make sure you're getting voltage at the starter solenoid (see 7:40 in this video), which would show that the vehicle is telling the motor to go and it's not. If it's not getting the signal to start, you're wasting your time with the replacement.

 

Please help I have spent the last 5 hours trying to get the damn bottom bolt in and nothing I do will let it go in.

I get a few threads in and it gets so tight that I know I'm gonna cause damage if I keep forcing it.


I have backed it out taken out the stater and tried just putting the bolt in with no luck. Tied both bolts. Cleaned them cleaned the hole. Checked the bolts all looks fine but IT WILL NOT GO IN.

wtf?

 

So upon removing the new starter for the third time to see whats going on. I tired to screw in the top bolt and it did the same thing...

Im guess that elbow extension on the socket lined up the wrong way and I went against the thread.

So how screwed am I here?