Starter not working sometimes

[woodysattak]

2007 attak had the starter not work a few times on our last trip. Turn the key and would just click. Took a wrench on the primary and turned it a little and then hit the key and it turned right over. It did this about six times in three days. Its not the battery we tried jumping it and it still didnt work. Is it possible there is a dead spot in the starter and by turning the engine it gets it off the dead spot. Or could it be something else. Thanks Kurt

 

[langow]

2007 attak had the starter not work a few times on our last trip. Turn the key and would just click. Took a wrench on the primary and turned it a little and then hit the key and it turned right over. It did this about six times in three days. Its not the battery we tried jumping it and it still didnt work. Is it possible there is a dead spot in the starter and by turning the engine it gets it off the dead spot. Or could it be something else. Thanks Kurt

Exact same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. Ended up replacing the starter. Problem gone. It was actually a fairly simple job to replace it.

 

[brada]

Mine did that last year. I'm guessing turning the engine is just a coincidence that it starts after you do that. My money is on your starter relay, its next to the battery. Once I got mine out it had alot of green corrosion on it. Put a new one in and its been great ever since. The relay is # 11 on the diagram below.


#11 5LW-81940-02-00 STARTER RELAY ASSY

 

[langow]

Mine was definite not the relay. Power was getting to the starter, it just wouldn't engage. Bang on it with a long screw driver and it would engage instantly.

 

[thor452]

X2 on the poss of it being the relay that was the prob on mine. good test is to see if your getting power to starter when it just clicks if so then prob the starter.

 

[mdkuni]

Just had my relay replaced this year as well. Fuel pump would come on, gauge would light up and no starter. Turn it on and off a couple times and the starter would work. Since the relay was replaced I have had zero issues.

 

[steiner]

Mine was definite not the relay. Power was getting to the starter, it just wouldn't engage. Bang on it with a long screw driver and it would engage instantly.

That is a definite sign that the starter is tired. It is usually the brushes or bushings that make the starter act like that. The odd time the armature has a dead spot on it. The only way to test that is putting it on a "growler" to check for short in the windings.