Alright, the puttering is fixed, but now there's another problem.
As I went to start my car, it cranked for a bit, then stopped cranking and started making this rattling noise near my dash (4th gen). Needless to say, my car will NOT start. It doesn't seem to be the battery either because My stereo still works;

Now, I think it's the starter, but does anyone have any opinions? Also, if I wanted to install my own starter, what tools would I need? Difficulty? Please let me know
-Kevin

 

take a hammer, wrench, block of wood and bang on your starter. Then start your car, if this works then you've pinpointed your problem.

 

What would banging on my starter with a block of wood do? , Also, does anyone have a pic of one on a 4th gen, I don't know what it looks like nor where it is exactly.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vet_girl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What would banging on my starter with a block of wood do? , Also, does anyone have a pic of one on a 4th gen, I don't know what it looks like nor where it is exactly.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If there is a dead spot... it'll knock it to a place where it will crank.

 

the reason you would hit your starter is to free it up. the most common problem with a starter is its not disengaging, so you hit it with something to get it to relaease. (sorry for lack of terminology, but it is escaping me right now )

also to answer your other question, removing a starter is fairly easy. i haven't done it on a lude yet. but i pulled two and installed one in about an hours time today. (on a ford 302) correct me if i'm wrong but it is all just a bolt-on affair.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vet_girl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What would banging on my starter with a block of wood do? , Also, does anyone have a pic of one on a 4th gen, I don't know what it looks like nor where it is exactly.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Tap the solenoid (little cylinder on the top part of it). Sometimes the solenoid gets jammed and tapping on it sometimes (but rarely) works.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 93preludevtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the reason you would hit your starter is to free it up. the most common problem with a starter is its not disengaging, so you hit it with something to get it to relaease. (sorry for lack of terminology, but it is escaping me right now )

also to answer your other question, removing a starter is fairly easy. i haven't done it on a lude yet. but i pulled two and installed one in about an hours time today. (on a ford 302) correct me if i'm wrong but it is all just a bolt-on affair.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Starter replacement is extremly simple. Especially on F and H series since it's right in front of you.

I forgot what the size of the bolt is off hand (I believe it's a 14 or 12mm bolt) but there are two of them that can be removed to remove the whole start.

Definitely disconnect the battery (including the positive terminal), remove the starter solenoid wire, remove the starter and just reverse the process.

You can ALSO take it to a local Auto hardware store (such as AutoZone and such) and they can test it for you as well.

 

Alright sounds good, anyone have an extra starter they wanna sell me? How much would they cost new? Also, a pic would still help me out a lot, thanks boys
-Kevin

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by poison &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

You can ALSO take it to a local Auto hardware store (such as AutoZone and such) and they can test it for you as well.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

you could also bench test it yourself. take jumper cables and attach to your battery, then take the black cable and ground it to the starter casing. then take the positve wire and tap it on the starter terminal. you should put your foot on the starter to hold it down. you are looking for 1. starter extends out and 2. that it spins. if it does both then your starter is good.

 

Does anyone have a pic of a starter so I know what I'm looking for tomorrow?
PLLLEEEAAASEEE

 

edit, here's a quickie job.

Sorry I was unable to get a picture of the Starter as I'm not near my car now.

But browsing thru my previous taken pictures, here is a marked area of where it is located:



Look in that area of your engine bay and that is the starter.

 

Thanks poison, I will check there first thing in the morning... Should I try testing/hitting it from the top of my engine bay, or should I go from underneath?

 

bang it from the top.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GudeH23a &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">bang it from the top.</TD></TR></TABLE>

ohh, it never made it 5 threads down and has been on the 1st page all day. what you bumping?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vet_girl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks poison, I will check there first thing in the morning... Should I try testing/hitting it from the top of my engine bay, or should I go from underneath?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You have to take it off from the top.

 

He's talkin about my question of whether to hit my starter from the top or bottom... thanks for helping me through this crap guys, I appreciate it.

Oh, and any tips on how to hit it? How hard? Really with a hammer and wood?

 

 

omg, I feel like a complete tool now.

LOL



I'm on this board too damn much. I just hear "bump from the top" and think he's just saying "TTT" or something.

 

hahahaha, it's all good, somehow I ended up posting nothing in the previous post, and I can't freaking log out of my sister's account, it's pissing me off. Maybe it's my browser cookies or somethin retarded like that.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vet_girl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hahahaha, it's all good, somehow I ended up posting nothing in the previous post, and I can't freaking log out of my sister's account, it's pissing me off. Maybe it's my browser cookies or somethin retarded like that.</TD></TR></TABLE>

It's the cookies.

Go to Tools-&gt;Internet Options-&gt;On the General Tab click Delete Cookies-&gt;Yes.

Then restart your browser.

 

OK, this morning, I went to go hit my starter, and this is what happened:

After hitting it a few times, I went to try to start my car, and this time, all of my lights on my dash were dimming out, (a sign of a bad battery obviously), but my suspicions that it's a bad starter is still there, because a few days before, when I started my car, the cranking would sound very strange and almost deathly even,

ALSO, I drove 2 hours the night before my car wouldn't start (ideally recharging the battery).

I did notice however, that on one of the six "holes where you fill with water on the battery" was not retaining any water, when I would pour it in, it would leak right out- would this cause a battery to fail?

Any new ideas? Perhaps a short circuit?

 

buy a new battery. if it is not holding charge then of course your car won't want to crank.

 

poison u are a tool, j/k. ur a beast

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1320in11 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">poison u are a tool, j/k. ur a beast </TD></TR></TABLE>

lol

Just for correction man, the starter is held to the tranny by two 17mm bolts.

I would most definitely test the battery, or purchase a new one. Sounds like the battery is toast.

I would do the battery first before the starter, and make sure there is no corrosion on any terminals, nor the starter power cable as well.

 

it was the battery, all good now, thanks !