*F-BodyFanatic*

iTrader: (2)

My boyfriend and I are having a debate. I think the starters bad, he thinks it's simply a battery issue.

I think I damaged the solenoid last time I had a dead battery, from trying to crank it. In the past, I had a power drain, thanks to something my dad "fixed" for me, so everyday I'd go out to my car after work, and the battery would be dead.

I tracked down the drain, replaced the battery, and since then I've been having increasing problems with what I believe is the starter.

I'll get in my car and it will turn right over. Go to the grocery store, and come back out, and it'll just crank, very slowly, or sometimes just click. I'd let it sit for awhile later, and then it'll turn over, no problems. Everything I've read, and past experience indicates to me, that it's a starter problem. If it were the battery, then it wouldn't just all-the-sudden jump to life again, w/o some sort of jump... correct? Now if I keep trying to turn it over for a long period of time, it will completely drain the battery.

Regardless, because I need a fully-charged battery to turn over the starter when I put a new one in, I'm probably going to end up getting a new battery (perfect excuse to get a yellow top!) and then the starter, but I don't want to try and crank the car, and put strain on this battery.

Point of the post.... sound like a starter issue??

camaro430sut

iTrader: (2)

sounds like a case of starter heat soak to me. it used to happen to my camaro all the time. its a common gm issue. appearently because the starter is so close to the exhuast it gets to hot and will not restart the car til it cools. i replaced my starter with a ac delco one and added a heat shield, haven had a problem since.
matt

Brads RS

To rule out the battery here is a simple test. Charge the battery fully then start the car go for a ride get it nice and hot the shut it off and read the voltage at the battery while trying to crank the car it should not drop below 10 volts. If it drops to 5 to 6 then its the battery but it sounds like to me that the starter is the problem.

fbird92

Deffinetly sounds like the starter is being heat soaked. I would do what camaro430sut already said to do. Get a new starter and buy a heat shield for it.

Bull

iTrader: (5)

If you don't want to drop the money for a new starter, you can do a couple other things.

You can install a Ford style remote solenoid, mounted away from engine heat. People with older Pontiacs, like musclecar era, do this since heat soak is an even bigger problem with big cube high compression motors.

You can also buy a metallic wrap to place around your stock solenoid, shielding it from heat. In addition, it wouldn't hurt to wrap your starter wires, with heat resistant aluminized tape.

These steps should also cure the problem.

AussieGTA

My vote is the same...Heat soak. It is common even in 3rd Gens. Another option is to use a remote relay to control power to the Solenoid. Currently power for your solenoid runs around the car about 10 times before it actually gets to the solenoid itself. Instead you use the solenoid power from your ignition (big purple wire) to power a relay in the engine bay and use direct battery power through the relay to operate the solenoid. This shortens the path of battery power to the solenoid, this will reduce voltage drop to the solenoid and increase the current available.

*F-BodyFanatic*

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for all the info guys!! Big help. I want to avoid this happening again in the future, so I definitely think I'm going to sheild the heat in someway.

camaro430sut, did you buy a headsheild or did you fabricate one?

camaro430sut

iTrader: (2)

i bought one, ill have to look through my records to find out which it is but its real nice an i havent had a problem since. i wouldnt imagin fabricating one would be to hard as its pretty simple. for a starter i definaly recommend getting an ac delco replacment one, ive tried the pep boys brands and they just didnt cut it for me. they always died out. or if you got the money to spend get a high torque mini starter. the mini starter would be the best of the best.
matt