Turn the ignition key, Click

[MGire]

Twice, about three days apart in the morning get in the truck to start it and go off to work, turn the ignition key wait for the "wait to start" light to go out (about 50 degrees out is all) And all I get is CLICK starter won't turn over. Move the gear shift lever back and forth between Park and Neutral then leave in Neutral and the truck fires right up. Question is the starter going bad or maybe just the Park position switch being intermittent?

Thanks, Mike

 

[Joe G.]

If you get a click and it won't turn over then you probably have some sort of solenoid problem. The large copper contacts get pitted and burned so one of yours may not be always making a connection. The starter is easy to take out. Disconnect the wires and a 12 point 10mm wrench. The contacts are not that expensive. I made one from a piece of copper I had. Do a search for the part numbers and sources.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

The contacts can be had at any shop that rebuilds starters.

I bought two of them for $10 and change including Mass. 5% sales tax from United Auto Electric in Fitchburg, MA.



**The plunger will last through 3 sets of contacts before you need to replace it. **



I took my starter out in 8 minutes last time... . and I even had a phone call to answer in that time... . so it's VERY easy to do. Clean out all the crud inside the housing and lube up the bendix while you have the starter out. Usually only one contact needs to be replaced... and it's the one where the main battery wire connects to the starter. Think of it like welding... . the one side looses material while the other does not loose hardly any.



Hope this helps...

Matt

I am not an employee or friend of anyone who works for United Auto Electric, Inc. I only wanted to state where my contacts came from.

 

[Bluhaven]

clicking starter

Diesel Electric service in Arizona. 520 836 8231.

They have the parts you need to fix your solenoid.

 

[MGire]

Well my starter went up in smoke tonight. I had ordered a rebuild kit from Diesel Electric service in Arizona, it was suppose to be here on Friday, turns out a couple of days to late. Leaving work tonight the starter got stuck in the engage mode it just kept cranking the engine over. By the time I got the batteries disconnected, heavy white smoke was pouring from the starter. Burned it up! Who puts out a good rebuilt starter for our Cummins Diesel? I will check with Diesel Electric service in the morning.

Mike

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Me... personally... . I'd rebuild it.

I talked to a starter/alternator dude and he said that our starters are VERY stout and can be easily rebuilt for next to no money.



Worst case scenario... it might cost you $100 in parts to totally rebuild it yourself... . plan on at least $35/hr for labor if you don't want to do it.



Matt

 

[MGire]

I did not want to take on the task of completely rebuilding the starter so called around to check prices. From a low of $198. 00 for a remanufactured "second" to a high of $350. 00 for a brand new unit. I finally settled on remanufactured starter from NAPA, a Beck/Arney with a lifetime warranty good nation wide at any NAPA auto parts. Cost was $309. 00. The solenoid rebuild kit was delivered as I had my feet sticking out from under the truck replacing the starter. Wish I would have had it on hand (only $38. 00 delivered) and saved myself a lot of money. Good service from Keith at Diesel Electric service in Arizona, looks like a real quality kit to rebuild your starter solenoid before your whole starter burns up like mine did.

Mike

 

[crabman]

Mike,

There is a excellent starter place in Oakland, Gen-Star Industrial & Automotive Electric, 1367 Willow Street. Oakland, CA

(510) 893-6161

They are very knowledgeable at what they do and will exchange or rebuild yours, while you wait.

Crabman

 

[illflem]

I hope for $309 there was a hefty core charge. Most any starter can be rebuilt while you wait for under $100.

 

[MGire]

Unfortunately the $309. 00 price tag was after I got my $90. 00 core charge back . The rebuild it while you wait for $100. 00 are just to put in a solenoid rebuild kit which as I stated you can purchase and do yourself for less than $40. 00. But I actually drove the truck about 1/2 mile before I finally figured out something was wrong. DOH!! Complete melt down of the starter, lucky I didn't catch the truck on fire. I was told it would be a wash to completely rebuild mine or buy a good quality reman unit. With my time constraints it was faster and easier to go the reman route. Moral of the story keep a solenoid kit on hand and at the first sign of trouble use it!!

Mike