12V ‘35 Battery charged starter won’t turn over.

[AnthonyG]

I Had more back surgery Oct 29. Car was starting running fine thru Oct then sat until now (6 months) due to surgical restraints. I do recall this happening before after the car sat for extended period of time. Seems like if I rocked the car it would turn over? Anyone experienced anything like this? I am thinking the electrical contact inside the starter motor is in a fixed position for such a long time it becomes oxidized and possibly not getting enough good electrical contact through to turn the motor? I have a push button starter & get the typical fast clicking like the battery isn’t charged but know it is. What do you guys think?

[rich b]

Seems like starter drives sometimes stick engaged when the battery is weak.

Rocking the car releases the tension on the ring gear letting the drive disengage.

Couple hammer hits to the starter usually does the same if the vehicle can't be rocked.

[19Fordy]

Are you sure the solenoid is good?
I always thought lots of clicking indicated a bad solenoid.

[ford38v8]

12 volts on a 6 volt starter will jam up the bendix spring. Too much stress on the bendix and ring gear wears out both and jams up easily. Rocking or a blow with a hammer will free it up, but eventually will require the replacement of those parts.

[JayChicago]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

Are you sure the solenoid is good?
I always thought lots of clicking indicated a bad solenoid.

I agree with this. Nothing in the original post to suggest starter is hanging up. Only symptom he describes is fast clicking.

Could be bad solenoid, or just poor electrical connections. My first step would be to clean the battery posts and connections at the solenoid.

[tubman]

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It could also be a bad battery. A lot of times, batteries will take what is called a "surface charge" and test good with no load on them. They still will not have enough power to start the car. The only way to properly check this out is to "load test" the battery.

A battery that is a few years old can easily go bad just sitting over the winter.

[AnthonyG]

Just to add some detail I have ( yrs ago ) converted to push button start. Could b solenoid as I know aftermarket ones don’t like sitting for months w/o activity. It is a 6 volt starter but engine builder said the stock 6 V starters were robust enough to handle 12V & would actually start the engine better. Engine & starter r approx 8-9 yrs old but w less than 3000 miles.

[rich b]

You could always jump the solenoid with a pair of pliers; that should tell you something.

[koates]

First things first. Load test the battery with a proper load tester. Most people dont have one of those so fit a known good battery into the car that is able to deliver at least 300 amps. No point in faultfinding other electrical items until you confirm that the battery is good. Regards, Kevin.

[Ggmac]

Agree with solenoid issues but First check the connections, grounds , body connections, both solenoid terminals etc . It could easily be corrosion build up .

[AnthonyG]

Using known good battery from another car is out tor now! Back won’t let me & no other help lol in sight for a while! I did hook up my 200 amp starter charger I eliminated the battery hooking directly onto the cables w/o battery connected. Still get fast clicking. I think it’s the solenoid. With power hooked up I only see 10V across solenoid. I’m looking for a stand alone solenoid for push button setup.
Thx for all the help & ideas!
Best
Tony

[69a]

You can just put a set of jumper leads across your battery. If it starts, the battery in your car is junk.

[AnthonyG]

If I put positive cable clamp on the terminal on the starter & the ground clamp to the frame that would / should actuate the starte eliminating the starter as the problem right?

[cas3]

If your car is 12 volt negative ground, then yes do as you described. It will spark like crazy until a good contact is made, so touch the ground to the frame last, away from anything flammable like the battery or any gas.

[69a]

If you are using the suspect battery as the donor it will only eliminate the solenoid as the culprit.
Avoid any sparks under the hood, especially if you have been charging the battery.
Get your jumper leads and connect one end (one red one black) to either side of the solenoid, then step back and jam the other ends together. That will eliminate the solenoid.
Or connect one end to ground and the other to the starter side of the solenoid. Connect the one end to the positive side of a known good battery (your daily driver) and jam other end to the negative. This will tell you if it is the starter or the battery.

[Jake dalka]

Where in Pa are you….I’m between Harrisburg and Lancaster….might be able to help

[ScubaChief60]

Last time this happened to me i put a wrench on the crankshaft pulley and turned it and the Bendix gear released. Then worked fine again.

[AnthonyG]

Thx Jake, I appreciate the offer!!! But I’m quite a ride from you. 2.5 -3 hours. I’m 15 minutes from the Deleware WaterGap. I’m pretty sure it’s a solenoid. New heavy duty 12V one is under $20. Worth replacing w no lifting! I checked the starter gear stuck thing. Wife & I pushing w our butts & legs ( No back effort) we’re able to turn the engine & roll the car a foot or so! Also as recommended I gave starter a good wack! I checked all the connection & cleaned. Battery checks @ 13.5 volts but test across the solenoid is only showing 10V. Also spoke to a motor head friend who’s recovering from hernia & he offered his sons not sure how they feel��! Just kidding their cool & young motor heads! ��

[ford38v8]

Anthony, It was your initial statement about rocking the car that got me to thinking it was your bendix gear stuck on the ring gear, so now that you have confirmed that it isn't that, I also agree that the solenoid is the culprit. Much easier and cheaper too!

[Lanny]

Anthony, many solenoids must be grounded to metal.
Make sure that the bolts that mount the solenoid
are making a good clean ground where mounted.




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