Hey guys,
I just fixed my ICM problem, and now I am wondering why my starter solenoid is going bad. It took numerous attempts to start my car this morning, the starter would click but no rotation of the engine was taking place. I had to keep trying and 5 tries later it started. MOst of the time it will just start right up. Does this have anything to do with my ICM blowing. Too much voltage, this car is taking a beating when it comes to little sensors and solenoids. How hard is it to replace the whole starter, I want these problems OUT

 

I had a problem one time with solenoids and it turned out to be that they we're getting too hot. I was burning them out. What I ended up doing was putting a switch in the car that I could start the car with. If that is the problem you probably have the exhaust running really close to the starter or something. A friend of mine eliminated the solenoid with an aftermarket starter and used a ford solenoid relocated to his engine compartment. That works good. All this is assuming you are having recurring problems. You can always go the econo way and try rebuilding the solenoid too. Taking the starter off is not that hard at all and you can have it checked locally at an Auto Zone or Advance or something like that. Good luck

 

If you get a click but no rotation at all on a cold engine then you most likely have a dead spot in the starter motor itself. Click..... click...... click...... then suddenly it turns right over and fires up. Common starter dead spot behavior. Esp. on cheap aprts store rebuilds.

If it was some module or computer-based reason why it didn't start you wouldn't even get the solenoid click. Once you hear the "click" the circuit between the + battery cable and the starter motor is made. This is a mechanical connection made by the solenoid when it goes click. There is nothing that can stop the starter motor from getting juice once you hear the click. What the starter motor does with that juice is the only variable at that point.

Now if it's on a hot engine you get this behavior then either the starter is just too weak to get the job done (time to think about a high torque gear reduction mini starter) or you have the ignition advanced so far that it's "fighting" against the starter.

 

Thanks, that eliminates my solenoid accusement. I have a kill switch that is tapped into my alarm wiring, all that does is kill the power altogether, but that won't do anything at all, even click when the switch is engaged. The only ignition mod I have is the OEM replacement ICM. I have a Sony Head Unit, and an antifreeze leak, which could mean high heat to kill the starter. It's a pinhole leak thats been there for three months now. Its behind the transmission so whenever i find someone to take care of it...anyway, the car has 70k on it, would it really die that quick, dayum.