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To start or not to start, that is the question.


carterb

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Within the space of a couple weeks I suddenly find myself in possession of two vehicles with barely functional starters. 

My daughter's 98 neon has a very slow turning starter for months that now sometimes doesn't turn at all.  I don't think it is the battery because a charge or a jump doesn't really change the behavior.  Could be a bad connection but thought I'd throw it out there for comment.  Seems like in the past when a starter has died on me - it just died - period.  It didn't kind-of/mostly/sometimes work.  I bought a replacement starter but don't want to take the time to swap it in if it might be something else.

My 72 bluebird now does the same - very lazy starter that works great for improving prayer life.  This started a couple weeks ago and is getting progressively worse.  Again, I don't think it is the battery.

Is it typical for a starter to die a slow death like this or do they usually work 100% or zero%?

--carter

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In the subaru not that long ago I drove to the store to get some chaser, came back out and the damn thing didn't work.

But I think it was doing the same thing starting slow or not start. I even remember getting to the store, parked and shut off the car and started it back up just to see if it had went hahaha nope so I shut it off and went in to buy my shit and came back out and sure enough... no go.. had to push the bitch..

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Working in the parts industry, I have often seen lazy starters. Even when mounted in my bench tester, they are slow to crank. While I don't have a full grasp of the electrical scenario creating it, I do know starters can fail as you are describing.

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Most starter problems are caused by poor wiring.  A quick way to test poor wiring is a voltage drop test.  Here is how to check it.

Take a voltmeter, put the positive lead on the center of the positive battery terminal.  Put the negative lead on the bolt that connects the positive battery cable to the starter solenoid, crank the engine.  The reading should be less than .5 volts, when cranking.  .2 volts is better.

With the negative side, put the positive voltmeter lead on the metal case of the starter, put the negative lead on the center of the negative battery terminal.  Crank the engine, again this should be less that .5 volts, .2 volts is better.

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Can't you get it checked out at Oreilys or autozone or other auto stores that can check.

 

Yes, after I pull it - certainly.   I'm hoping to avoid that step if there is a big chance it is something besides the starter itself. 

 

Thanks for all the comments and input above.  I will try to make time to look at both vehicles this weekend.

--carter

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finally had a couple hours in the garage.  The Neon wiring had some corrosion so I cleaned that up first and tried to see if it made a difference.  It did not.  So I went ahead and swapped the starter and the new one spins nice and fast as you would expect (hope).

 

Bluebird next weekend maybe.

--carter

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