Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Another starter problem (SVT w/MTX)

Last night, when I left work about 9 PM, my car started up just fine. It has done so ever since I got a new battery a couple months ago. No apparent problems with the battery or the starter. This morning, I turned my key and although the starter responded with a whirring sound, it did NOT initiate the engine (it refused to even begin turning over).

I know there is gas in the tank, I just put a half-tank in last night (even if gas was low or empty, I would think the engine would still turn over, if nothing else were wrong).

Also, I can't imagine it being gear teeth missing .... I have had absolutely NO problems with the starter, this is something that literally happened "overnight", with NO previous occurrences that would indicate missing teeth on the flywheel, starter, etc.

The local Ford service manager said that there was a CHANCE that a battery that was just a tiny bit low might fail to operate the bendix on the starter correctly. So, I tried jumping it ..... the starter itself again seemed to respond fine, but would not "connect" with the engine and turn it over. Interior lights are *bright*, the radio comes on, etc. etc. .... no apparent indication of a low battery .... and as I said, the battery is only a couple months or so old and is high-quality.

Am I necessarily doomed to replacing the starter ? Towing is not cheap, and I do not own any diagnostic equipment to check electrical things, etc. on my own. Any ideas ? Thanks in advance ....

I would have to say that its likely the solinoid. In any case that would require removal of the starter...and hopefully its only that...I have had no luck getting just the solinoid, and one place that said they could get it wanted $100.00 Canadian. I opted for a rebuilt starter for $240.00 Still cheaper than the Stealership...$530.00 plus tax. You could check your battery and starter connections as a first step.

IIRC, I purchased a new starter from Bill J. for under $200. I even got some money back as a core. Not a hard install, it will be now in the cold though.

Mine does the same thing to me about two times a year, for about a week each time. But if I crank then let is sit for a few seconds, then crank and let it sit... it will catch usually on the third or fourth try. Its weird, but it will always start for me, and it seems to happen in spurts, and then it is fine for many months. My guess is also the the solenoid is sticking. I haven't bothered to replace it yet (not sure if I ever will). 98 SVT btw.

adamk,

Do you think the extreme cold weather could be causing the starter to act this way? More to the point, I'm just wondering ... if it IS, then I wonder if a bit warmer weather will allow mine to start again. I know you've had it very cold there in MA, but down here in VA it's headed for below zero tonight, and has been around zero several nights in the past couple of weeks. (This is all very difficult for a guy like me that's a "transplant" from California ... lol).

Anyway, if I do need to replace the starter, there is the Bosch unit I spoke of for around $90. I can't really afford to have a shop install the new one .... for me to do it wouldn't exactly be a barrel of laughs, but if I see things correctly, I mainly have to remove the brake cylinder and air intake assembly, along with various and sundry hoses etc. (the key word being "mainly" .... heh) ...

That's it for now, thanks to all again for the comments ...

The cold doesn't seem to affect mine. It actually hasn't done it for several months now. The last time it acted up on me was the end of summer. The only thing I noticed that was abnormal at that time, was that it had just rained a lot before it started doing it. (Actually, I've also noticed that the car will only start doing that if my girlfreind is in the car, but I think that is just coincidence )

Before you replace the starter, look at your battery connections. My car seemed as though the battery was dead and I just repaced it with a new one; found that the clamp holding onto the cable was loose. Take off your cable connectiosn and make sure they're clean and tight, especially the positive side. This cold weather takes it's toll!