IGNITION SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING
| NOTE: | This is GENERAL information. This article is not intended to be specific to any unique situation or individual vehicle configuration. The purpose of this Troubleshooting information is to provide a list of common causes to problem symptoms. For model-specific Troubleshooting, refer to SUBJECT, DIAGNOSTIC, or TESTING articles available in the section(s) you are accessing. |
Fig. 1: Ignition Secondary Troubleshooting Chart
STARTER TROUBLESHOOTING
| NOTE: | This is GENERAL information. This article is not intended to be specific to any unique situation or individual vehicle configuration. The purpose of this Troubleshooting information is to provide a list of common causes to problem symptoms. For model-specific Troubleshooting, refer to SUBJECT, DIAGNOSTIC, or TESTING articles available in the section(s) you are accessing. |
BASIC STARTER TROUBLESHOOTING CHART
| CONDITION & POSSIBLE CAUSE | CORRECTION | |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Fails to Operate | ||
| Dead battery or bad connections between starter and battery | Check battery charge and all wires and connections to starter | |
| Ignition switch faulty or misadjusted | Adjust or replace ignition switch | |
| Open circuit between starter switch ignition terminal on starter relay | Check and repair wires and connections as necessary | |
| Starter relay or starter defective | See Testing in STARTER article | |
| Open solenoid pull-in wire | Testing in STARTER article | |
| Starter Does Not Operate and Headlights Dim | ||
| Weak battery or dead cell | Charge or replace battery as necessary | |
| Loose or corroded battery connections | Check that battery connections are clean and tight | |
| Internal ground in starter windings | See Testing in STARTER article | |
| Grounded starter fields | See Testing in STARTERS | |
| Armature rubbing on pole | See STARTER article shoes | |
| Starter Turns but Engine Does Not Rotate | ||
| Starter clutch slipping | See STARTER article | |
| Broken clutch housing | See STARTER article | |
| Pinion shaft rusted or dry | See STARTER article | |
| Engine basic timing incorrect | See Ignition Timing in TUNE-UP article | |
| Broken teeth on engine flywheel | Replace flywheel and check for starter pinion gear damage | |
| Starter Will Not Crank Engine | ||
| Faulty overrunning clutch | See STARTER article | |
| Broken clutch housing | See STARTER article | |
| Broken flywheel teeth | Replace flywheel and check for starter pinion gear damage | |
| Armature shaft sheared or reduction gear teeth stripped | See STARTER article | |
| Weak battery | Charge or replace battery as necessary | |
| Faulty solenoid | See On-Vehicle Tests in STARTER article | |
| Poor grounds | Check all ground connections for tight and clean connections | |
| Ignition switch faulty or misadjusted | Adjust or replace ignition switch as necessary | |
| Starter Cranks Engine Slowly | ||
| Battery weak or defective | Charge or replace battery as necessary | |
| Engine overheated | See ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM article | |
| Engine oil too heavy | Check that proper viscosity oil is used | |
| Poor battery-to-starter connections | Check that all between battery and starter are clean and tight | |
| Current draw too low or too high | See Bench Tests in STARTER article | |
| Bent armature, loose pole shoes screws or worn bearing | See STARTER article | |
| Burned solenoid contacts | Replace solenoid | |
| Faulty starter | Replace starter | |
| Starter Engages Engine Only Momentarily | ||
| Engine timing too far advanced | See Ignition Timing in TUNE-UP article | |
| Overrunning clutch not engaging properly | Replace overrunning clutch. See STARTER article | |
| Broken starter clutch | See STARTER article | |
| Broken teeth on engine flywheel | Replace flywheel and check starter pinion gear for damage | |
| Weak drive assembly thrust spring | See STARTER article | |
| Weak hold-in coil | See Bench Tests in STARTER article | |
| Starter Drive Will Not Engage | ||
| Defective point assembly | See Testing in STARTER article | |
| Poor point assembly ground | See Testing in STARTER article | |
| Defective pull-in coil | Replace starter solenoid | |
| Starter Relay Does Not Close | ||
| Dead battery | Charge or replace battery as necessary | |
| Faulty wiring | Check all wiring and connections leading to relay | |
| Neutral safety switch faulty | Replace neutral safety switch | |
| Starter relay faulty | Replace starter relay | |
| Starter Drive Will Not Disengage | ||
| Starter motor loose on mountings | Tighten starter attach bolts | |
| Worn drive end bushing | See STARTER article | |
| Damaged engine flywheel teeth | Replace flywheel and starter pinion gear for damage | |
| Drive yolk return spring broken or missing | Replace return spring | |
| Faulty ignition switch | Replace ignition switch | |
| Insufficient clearance between winding leads to solenoid terminal and main contact in solenoid | Replace starter solenoid | |
| Starter clutch not disengaging | Replace starter clutch | |
| Ignition starter switch | Replace ignition switch contacts sticking | |
| Starter Relay Operates but Solenoid Does Not | ||
| Faulty solenoid switch, switch connections or relay | Check all wiring between relay and solenoid or replace relay or solenoid as necessary | |
| Broken lead or loose soldered connections | Repair wire or wire connections as necessary | |
| Solenoid Plunger Vibrates When Switch is Engaged | ||
| Weak battery | Charge or replace battery as necessary | |
| Solenoid contacts corroded | Clean contacts or replace solenoid | |
| Faulty wiring | Check all wiring leading to solenoid | |
| Broken connections inside switch cover | Repair connections or replace solenoid | |
| Open hold-in wire | solenoid | |
| Low Current Draw | ||
| Worn brushes or weak brush springs | Replace brushes or brush springs as necessary | |
| High Pitched Whine During Cranking Before Engine Fires but Engine Fires and Cranks Normally | ||
| Distance too great between starter pinion and flywheel | Align starter or check that correct starter and flywheel are being used | |
| High Pitched Whine After Engine Fires With Key released. Engine Fires and Cranks Normally | ||
| Distance too small between starter pinion and flywheel< | Flywheel runout contributes to the intermittent nature | |
