Long story short: I was pretty sure my starter was going bad (wouldn't start in a parking lot), so I replaced it (this is one of the few replacements I've done on my jeep before, so I'm pretty sure I did it right). In the week between my deciding it was going bad, and my replacing it, it started a couple times.
After I replaced the starter and hooked the neg batt terminal back up, it started up once. Started beautifully that time. I drove five blocks, parked it for an hour or two, and now it won't start at all. Battery meter reads around 12 V, lights and stereo come on, and I get the same dead hum that I got when the old starter first failed me.
Got the multimeter out, tested power from solenoid to starter motor while cranking. Got .25 Volt, starter didn't work. Somebody mentioned before that if I get power to the motor from the solenoid while turning the key, and it still doesn't work, it's definitely a bad starter. So I took it off and exchanged it at schucks.
Put new one on, now I'm having the same problem with it. I get power to the motor from the solenoid (about .5 Volt this time), and now there's a clicking sound from the starter when someone tries to crank (still get a brief, deep, hum from somewhere while crankingl; the click, which comes from the starter specifically, is new), but it won't turn over.
So I'm thinking the odds against getting two bad starters in a row should be pretty high . . . but then again it's Schucks. But before I pull this one off and take it back too, can anyone think of any other reason I'd get power through the solenoid-to-motor cord when cranking, but it still wouldn't fire?
wow, two pages just to get a starter going and still no idea. Put parking brake on, chock wheel, and out of gear. Disconnect S terminal at starter. using a screwdriver jump the Batt and S terminals. if its still doing nothing your problem is battery, battery cable,or grounds. If engine cranks your problem is im S-wire or ignition switch.
also look a few posts up what yjkpower posted about jumper cables.
half a volt to the starter is not power. you need close to 12, 9 and 10 volts will give you some cranking, but what you are saying is no power to the starter.
Any chance the starter was not checked for clearance on the teeth when it was installed? Could be bound up on the fly wheel. Not usually the problem but has happened. Im stll betting on a bad started with Dave.
Second starter was all good. Got a second pair of eyes under the hood today, and found a loose pair of wires right at the pos battery terminal.
All that time I spent checking connections at the starter, and on the route from the batt to the starter - with both the bad starter and the good one I got yesterday - and it turned out to be that simple. Starts great now (I shouldn't jinx myself . . . started great . . . I'm gonna go torque the bolts right now and see if it starts a second time ).
I just want to give a big fat thank you to everyone who commented with advice and support. Sucks not to know what's up with your car when it's not working, but thanks to this forum, I know a lot more about my car now than I did a few days ago.
good to hear, glad you learned something. gotta cover the basics first definately. very common for that to happen to. i had to go back and reread i can't believe that didn't come up.
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