Re: starter testing

[Daniel Youngquist <dany@domain.elided>]

On Thu, 5 Feb 1998, Danny Anderson wrote:

> I am turning to you for the correct procedure for testing the starter
> off the battery.  I know this is a basic test- I thought I knew how to
> do it.  Also, what can happen if the jumper cables are hooked up
> incorrectly? :)  I tried hooking the jumper cables up like I thought
> they were supposed to be connected.  But, instead of the gear (the
> gear that would turn the flywheel, bendix?) shooting out and spinning
> like I expected, I got sparks and the starter literally bucked and
> flopped for a second.  Almost like I was electrocuting it!  Yikes! 
> Somebody please pull out of my pool of automotive ignorance and tell
> me what I did, what happens now, and what I should have done. 

No one's responded to this yet, so I'll give it a shot.  Remember a
starter has a _lot_ of torque, and the solenoid moves very quickly, and
both starter motor & solenoid have significant mass to get moving, very
quickly, when power is applied.  Taking all this into account, it seems
reasonable that a starter that's not bolted down securely will do some
serious jumping when power is applied, especially if contact of the
power connections is broken & remade when it moves, which would make for
some pretty good sized sparks, considering the current involved.  I
realize I'm rambling here, but hey, it's 2:00 AM. :)  Bottom line is,
not having been there to watch, what you describe sounds about like what
I'd expect to see.  I'd suggest holding the thing down, keeping in mind
how it's going to try to move, and be very careful with the connections,
you don't want to arc weld anything.

Daniel Youngquist / dany@domain.elided / 541-688-9263 // VISA & MasterCard
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