I'm having a hard time with my starter as well and i am totaly convinced its some electical problem. I looked at my fuse box and couldn't find any relays for the starter and wonder where it might be located???? Also how can i check and see if the starter is grounding good enough to the block??? If its not a ground issue then i think my last option is the power cable, if it turns out to be that where is a good place to buy another one?


Things i've checked and know for sure its not is the batter, the connectiong between the batter and cables, and the starter itself. Also know for sure its not the connections between the starter and the wires.

Symptoms are just like a almost dead batter, it clicks, kinda turns but just dousnt have any ooomf to turn the engine. Engine starts fine when pushed started too.

solenoid's mounted on the starter itself, IIRC. (haven't looked, to be honest <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> )

a slow or bad solenoid would give the trouble you've described. Often they can be just disassembled, cleaned with electrical parts cleaner (electomotive« or equivalent) or just rubbing alcohol on a q-tip. Check for physical wear damage, replace as needed <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

(... are you sure the battery's good, and charged? )

Its a brand new starter and its the 3rd one that has had this symptoms. Please This is not going to be one of those easy fixes. Today I put in a new battery cable to starter cable, still same deal. If i leave the starter off the engine and try and start it spins right up no biggy. I bolt it on and lammo spin hardly anything. The only thing i havnt replaced is the relay, which i found today not in the fuse box but on the passengers side fender wall. It has the white and the black-white and two little red and black wires going to it. I wanted to replace the relay just for shits and giggles and of course autozone cant even find it on their computer, and convienietly the lable is all warn out and no numbers can be read of it???? Does anybody have this information for me??? I also found something perculiar i did a continuity check on the black-white wire that goes to the relay and strait to the starter. I checked to see if it had any continuity to ground and possitive on the battery terminals and it does to both!!!!! Like less then .03 ohms too??? Is this right???? i checked the whole lenght of the cable for breaks etc and it looks good. I'm thinking when the relay sends the juice to that cable for the starter to start its just going to ground somehow and not letting it put juice through the electric motor. Does this sound plasible??? Also is there anything else that could be draining the power when i turn on the key??? CUz the voltage at the main power terminal on the starter drops to ^V while attemping to start??????

^V == 6 Volts

Okay finally got a part number on that freeken starter relay in case anyone needs it and gets the incredibly stupid person i got who gives u 3 part numbers and has no idea about anything. Anyway the the V6 1991 trooper the dealer part number is:

8944580590

Dont bother trying any of the parts stores to crossreference it they simply dont have it in their computers or books:

Autozone
Carquest
NAPA

I called a couple others but no luck. Looks like the only way i'm gonna be able to get this part is through the dealer, and it cost 33$ which is a little high for a maybe solution. Please if anybody knows how to fix the starting problem please let me know.

Okay pretty damn sure its not the relay, had my frined hold it while i tried to start and its definitly clicking ovber right. Also checked the voltage to the Black and white wire that goes to the starter from the relay and it gets 12V from the relay when i crank.

More details on symtoms:

When i crank the enigine with the starter all hooked up my lights dim as if theres a short, like something else is draining the power away from the starter. When i disconnect the wht& BLK wire form the starter my lights stay bright so i dont think the short is in the ign. switch itself. Also found a huge mistake on my behalf today, apparently me in my glory wired the engine block ground wire to the negative battery terminal twice LOL So there was no good ground from the block to the battery. I wired that back up correct and hopping for the solution, it still has a hard time. It definitly sounded better though!

Does anyone think that the lack of engine ground has already damaged the new starter?? It still trys to turn the engine like it should, i do hear an excesive amount of clicking from the solinoid when i try to start it a lot, so if i turn the key to off and then to start I will get maybe 1.4 turn, then it stops, almost violently like its crunching on somehting, then if i try again without turning it to off it will mostly just click. again though the engine can be hand turned without too much preasure and it starts fine when pushed started. The starter is a Duralastand the battery is a Interstate. I have a charger and the batter source is all good and charged I strongly dont think its the batter or the starter i still think its a drain somewhere.

PLEASE HELP, any ideas are welcome!!!!!

Know any pick-your-own-parts junkyards that might have a trooper (or another vehicle with the same part?)

I just got 3 free TPS's at the local junkyard yesterday, there was a long line at the checkout so the girl just waved me through with my 3 measly little sensors <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" /> maybe you'll have the same luck?

i dont think I am as savy with this stuff as you guys but in med school an old mentor always said to us: when you are up shits creek and ou can't figure things out look at the chief complaint....

turns over slowly, voltage drops, but you can crank it up every once in a while....

It kinda reminds me of alternator problems, ie loose belt, etc

again I am not as savey as you guys, just a tought <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />

I have the same starter on my trooper and had a similar problem this winter. I got lots of clicks but it wouldn't turn. After I pulled the starter and had it checked and rebuilt I still only had clicks. I jumped the starter from the battery and it worked.....turns out it was nothing more than an engine ground. Hope this helps.

How about the shims that go under the starter, are any there. were they lost? If the gear is bottoming out on the ring gear it will take a lot more to turn that motor over. Just a thought.
John