When it rains it pours...

[Russell]

Man, I've been having all sorts of problems with my 96 DD. In the last few weeks it has burnt out the heater fan, taking the resistor with it, the turn signal stalk has messed up so the signal light relay clicks at random, my transmission's 2nd gear is getting much worse, thermostat is toast, and now as of tonight, my starter is toast!

The annoying part about the starter is that it is a brand new high torque mini-starter. It has a lifetime warantee, but before I drop the thing out, I wanted to run the symptoms past you guys incase someone here knows how to fix it short of replacing it outright...

Basically, the starter spins when you hit the key, but the bendix is not catching the flywheel, so it sounds just like those starter motors do when you run them on the bench. The bendix does not grind at all, it simply does not get tossed out into the flywheel.

I tried tapping (well, hitting ) the solenoid while it was rotating, and the starter bendix did not move out and hit the flywheel.

Does anyone here know why it wouldn't throw the bendix out, even though the solenoid is obviously working well enough to make the motor spin?

Is my only option replacement?

Anyways, I'll let you guys mull over it for a while, and I am going to go change the thermostat on my truck, and change the oil now that it has cooled off a bit... Thank goodness it is a standard so I can get pull started!

 

[Chaddy]

I bet it's just a defective starter.

 

[Slapperbar]

Low voltage.

 

[bp71k5]

x2. All those electrical problems sound related.

 

[iansane]

Make sure your flywheel/flexplate isn't missing a few teeth. If it were missing a tooth or two in just the right spot, it'll leave you starter-less. Ask me how I know.

Didn't see you've roll started it so it's the starter.

 

[Pookster]

sounds like the starter to me. im sure if you swap it out, it will be fine.

 

[tRustyK5]

Low voltage.

X3, the gear reduction starters don't need a ton of voltage to spin over under 'no load' but low voltage will prevent the bendix from kicking the gear out.

Try a known good battery before swapping the starter out.

Rene

 

[Russell]

Well, it was the starter. The bendix was indeed being pushed out into the flywheel, but whatever mechanism that exists to link the bendix to the motor in the starter was stripped out, so it would just spin on the spot.

Replaced it, and it was all good

Also got my thermostat changed out, its wonderful to have some real heat happening! My engine is running better, the check engine light is out, and it is all around better

I've still got some bleeding to do on the cooling system though, it runs up to 195F, opens, and immediately drops down to like 165F, then raises back up and just keeps cycling that way. It never overheats though, just seems to over-cool a bit yet

 

[MTChevy]

if you got a vehicle you absolutely can not figure out, just replace with known good vehicle

 

[George_Pimpdaddy]

if you got a vehicle you absolutely can not figure out, just replace with known good vehicle

lol

 

[Russell]

Trust me cole, that rusty old 86 is looking more and more attractive :P

Just that my 96 has decided to fall apart all at once. I'll get it all fixed up just in time to sell it next year :P

 

[Russell]

Ok, I'm fairly sure that I've got all the air bled outta the system by now, but the thermostat is still cycling between 160 - 195F constantly while driving. Is that normal behaviour, or is something wrong with it?

 

[MTChevy]

Ok, I'm fairly sure that I've got all the air bled outta the system by now, but the thermostat is still cycling between 160 - 195F constantly while driving. Is that normal behaviour, or is something wrong with it?

sounds like a symptom of low coolant, triple check that thing is full

 

[MTChevy]

Ok, I'm fairly sure that I've got all the air bled outta the system by now, but the thermostat is still cycling between 160 - 195F constantly while driving. Is that normal behaviour, or is something wrong with it?

and i dont know what behaviour is haha, you crazy canadian... but no that aint normal behavior. it should hit 195 and stay there, all regulated by that thermostat