<roger@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:a9db7baf-a801-4818-af44-4e8af7777633@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I've got a '98 grand voyager 3.3L which shows all the symptoms of
> dirty or worn solenoid contacts. (Battery okay, loud 'click' when you
> turn the ignition switch, but starter motor doesn't turn, used to turn
> after several tries, but has got progressively worse and now doesn't
> seem to want to turn at all).
>
> My question is: is it sensible to try and clean/fix this up in place,
> without removing the whole starter assembly from the car? I can see
> the three small hex screws that hold on the solenoid lid, and they
> look easy to undo - but are there any 'gotcha's I should be aware of?
> If it can be done in place it looks a lot easier than trying to remove
> the entire thing.
>
> As a follow-up question, the other possibility, I suppose, is that the
> starter gear has jammed in the flywheel - unlikely I think, but I
> can't turn over the engine by hand (using a 9" spanner on the nut
> holding on the main fanbelt wheel) -- should I expect to be able to do
> this?
>
> --
> Roger
The first good sign that it isn't a stuck starter is that it got
progressively worse.
An old test for a stuck starter that should still be reliable is to turn
on
the headlights. Hit the "start", hear the click, and see if the lights dim
a
lot. If the lights don't dim much, then the solenoid is not putting
current
to the starter. So the solenoid or wiring is the problem. Don't hold the
key
over very long if the lights do dim a lot. Stuck starters can get hot
pretty
fast.
Pat
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