nekromansur

98 Max has been running worse and worse lately up until recently when it just completely gave up. Wont start anymore, and a turn of the key yields a small click, and a strange buzzing noise that has been there for a while I think. Not entire sure what the buzzing is, but it is coming from somewhere closer to the middle at the top (when looking in the engine bay)

I came to the assumption that it is likely a starter problem, since the car has never had a change in starters, and from the fact that it clicks but doesn't attempt a turnover. On top of that, I decided to give it a good whack and try it again, and it tried to turnover a couple times but then just gave out.

Took out the starter, opened it up, cleaned up the old grease, inspected the armature assembly and noticed that in the area around the brushes, parts of the armature (I dunno what its called, I just looked at the FSM) were broken off. These were the little copper strips that ran vertically, and one of them was missing, one of them was mangled, and the rest were more or less fine.

After turning it, I deduced that the one piece that was mangled was impeding the turning of the assembly, so in a DIY fashion I lightly hammered it back into place. Now I realize this isn't a solution, but I needed something to tide me over until I can either 1. get a new starter or b. figure out the problem if it isn't the starter.

After that, greased it up with white lithium grease in the areas that the FSM specifies. Put everything back in the car in the opposite order than I took it out in. Made sure everything was connected, none of the cables or connections appeared damaged or corroded in any way. Tried to start up again but no dice. Still does the clicking noise and nothing else.

Just tried to do a voltmeter test on what I could reach, and from the battery it tests roughly 14 volts, with a dip of around .5 when the key is turned. Testing from the S position of the starter to the battery yields roughly 17 volts (Why so high?). I couldn't get to the B+ but I will try to give that a go later.

After checking out the starter itself, I'm starting to think that its the solenoid, but since I'm really just shooting in the dark right now, I want to see if you guys have any opinions on the matter.

I'm considering doing a jump start of the starter, but I'm not 100% sure how to and I wouldn't want to screw anything up further. Any help, insight or ideas you guys have would be greatly appreciated.

*Edit* I suppose I should mention that I dont believe it to be the battery, given that lights, radio and everything electrical still works before during and after an attempted start.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

clicking usually indicates not enough power to start

Kuhn_man

iTrader: (8)

just replace the starter. im on number 3. and load test your battery to make sure it checks out. is your car a 5 speed if so push start it. i had a battery go out and had to push start it for a week until i got paid

maxima672

the buzzing may also be one of the solenoids in the tranny located just below and in front of the the starter

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Your voltage readings do not make any sense. A battery reading 14 volts when the engine is not running is too high. It should be around 12.5. Same goes for when you were testing from ignition switch to starter. You need to check that voltmeter. If it is one of those $5 specials from somewhere, throw it away and get a decent one. $25 will get you a pretty decent meter.

You have me convinced that your starter is garbage. When you took it apart and saw the copper pieces on the end of the armature shaft (this is called the communtator) were messed up, you should have gotten a new starter right then and there. And the fact that you had to hammer the starter to get it back together could mean that the bushings are gone or maybe you didn't have the brushes retracted and destroyed them.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

PM Cjandura. He used to refrub starters assuming you want to fix it yourself

atriuum

iTrader: (3)

jumping starter

maxinout93

if you have a junk yard near u I would pick up one from there fo at least until you can get a new one

Frank Fontaine

I was putting off replacing mine...started cranking slowly despite new battery.....failed last Friday. Got a new one from Rock Auto for $112 with lifetime warranty.....

asand1

iTrader: (1)

If your commutator is falling apart, then just replace the damn thing. Quit ****ing around trying to find another way to solve the problem when you KNOW the starter is physically dead. Putting the commutator bar back in place did not restore the electrical connection, so you have some open windings, and no doubt caused by shorts that caused excessive current.

nekromansur

Decided to pull the starter again and bench test it since I neglected to do that last time. When hit with power, it spun for a total of about 4 seconds with each second being worse than the last. Unsurprisingly it no longer worked after that.

Good news is I will be buying a replacement Hitachi starter with a 3 year warranty.

Bad news is I dont have a way to get to the parts store to pick it up. Oh well, so be it.

Is there any particular problems with Hitachi ones? Its a reman, but I opted for that over a reman Bosch with a 1 year warranty which was more expensive.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

If you have a manual trans you can push start it and drive to the parts store. Get rolling jump in and pop the clutch in third.

T_Behr904

Replace the starter. I'm on my 2nd one now in the 2 years i've owned it. The one I just replaced last week I got from O'Reilly Auto Parts and I paid $117 dollars with a LIFETIME warranty. None of that 1 year b.s. like the Napa starter that I replaced on the car a year and a half ago that went bad.

nekromansur

Sadly I have an automatic, and sadly I live with an uphill battle, so a rolling start would be damn near impossible

Also, sadly I live in Canada where remanned starters cost at least $200 for anything that looks reasonably reliable, and I'm going to be buying the Hitachi one from Napa I hope I don't have the same problems that T_Behr904 had.

Anyways, thanks for the help guys. I got more input than I expected to get, and I guess its not very surprisingly that I can't fix something that was as broken as my starter was.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

yea dont waste your time with the refurb starters. Just get a new one and be done

rf97

I bought reman. Starter 6 years ago from pepboys and still working. Give it a shot, beside, starters are easy to change

nekromansur

Just bought a reman from Napa, hope to jesus that this thing lasts a while, but if it doesn't I have a lifetime warranty. $290 later, my car lives.

Frank Fontaine

Why so expensive? Rock Auto new with lifetime warranty for $112... Oh, Canada....