Re: will not start

[Daniel Youngquist <dany@domain.elided>]

On Thu, 25 Dec 1997, Danny Anderson wrote:

> connected to start the engine by jumping the starter.  The problem: 
> The starter makes a noise like it is spinning, but nothing is
> happening. Nothing.  I hear a whine from the starter, but nothing else
> remotely sounding like metal making contact with metal, etc.

Normally the starter motor doesn't get power until the solenoid has done
its thing.  The solenoid kicks the starter drive into engagement with
the ring gear, and at the end of its travel closes the switch that sends
power to the starter motor.  So if the motor is turning without the
solenoid having actuated, it seems like maybe the juice is going
directly to the starter motor instead of to the solenoid.  On some
starters that's possible (not that it'll work, of course) and on some
it's not, and unfortunately I don't have an IH starter to take a look
at, as mine's a GM diesel.  So I can't say whether it's possible on an
IH starter, but that's the first thing I'd check.

The only other possibility I can think of is that the starter drive
suddenly died, but they usually die slowly.  I've never seen one die all
at once. 

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