It's just after midnight and I've spent the last 3 hours trying to
debug the starting system on my Alpine. About every 50th try, the
starter engages and the engine starts with no problem. The other 49
times, it's push-start city. At first I thought it was a heat
problem, as the starter usually works the first time I try it each
day, and then not until the next day. However, tonight I cranked it
and it started, and I immediately shut it off and tried it again;
nothing. I've verified that all the connections are tight. Juice is
definitely getting to the starter motor. That motor is sucking
voltage big-time (or is it amperage? I'm no EE). When I try to
crank it and it doesn't turn over, the battery terminals get very
hot. If I turn on the lights and try to crank it, the lights go dim.
My workshop manual says that if the starter won't engage, you should
turn the starter with a wrench or put the car in gear and rock it back
and forth to release the pinion in the starter. I've tried both of
these for longer than I care to think about, with no luck.
When the engine is running, all is well. The alternator works fine,
and the battery holds a charge. After a long drive this past weekend,
I put the Alpine's battery in my pickup as a test, and the pickup
started fine.
This car leaks oil like a teen-ager with acne. There is a stream of
oil along the bottom of the starter motor casing. Could this be part
of the problem?
All words of wisdom greatly appreciated.
PS Now that Eddie the Eagle is back on the road (well, sorta), I'll
probably have lots of simple-minded questions. In fact, the wife and
I went on a 110-mile outing with the car club this past Saturday,
first real trip in close to 3 years! But that story deserves its own
posting. Stay tuned.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
T.J. Higgins 205-730-7922 | higgins@ingr.com (Internet)
Mapping Sciences Division | uunet!ingr!higgins (uucp)
Intergraph Corp. M/S IW17A4 Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.A. 35894-0001
|