how difficult is it to replace the starter in a car? im assuming it's the starter. yesterday, i turn the key, it sounds like its turning over but doesnt, i had a friend try to jump me, still wouldnt start. then it stopped sounding like its turning over, now its all like CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK. does this indicate i have a bad starter?

10/21/2009 8:57:43 AM

its probly just the troller bearings in the starter that have gone bad, you can replace those while the starter is still on the car. I think you need a ford wrench to do the work though, you might want to ask around for one of those.

10/21/2009 9:01:31 AM

It indicates that the jumper cables that you were using were itty bitty 8 or 10 gauge wire and the clamps weren't positioned with the best of care on the battery terminals. Side terminal batteries SUCK for jump starting.

I think your battery is/was sooo dead that using an el cheapo set of cables was a mickey mouse effort. I have 4 gauge cables that stay with me all the time, and if I had the moneys or still had the diesel, I'd own a set of either 2 or 1 gauge cables. Seriously, this is a case of having the right tool or the proper quality tool for the job.

My bet's that the battery is either in shitty shape or just run the hell down. You really can't verify that the starter is bad ON the vehicle unless its one-way clutch is slipping. You need to bench test a starter to really verify. But first, you need to eliminate the simpler, cheaper, easier-to-quantify variables from the equation. And the very first is the battery's condition.

10/21/2009 9:49:13 AM

^^Sometimes you dont have to entirely replace troller bearing, a little bit of elbow grease can get them unstuck. You may have to remove the NGR valve on that motor though to get to the starter with the ford wrench.

10/21/2009 9:55:00 AM

do all the lights go out when it is clicking? if so you have connction or battery issues, if not you have stater issues

its not hard at all to change those starters, you can unbolt them, and there is actually enough slack to drop them down some to take off the connections

10/21/2009 9:57:44 AM

damn NGR valves. they're always so dirty and shit.

10/21/2009 9:58:52 AM

no thread abandoned, we never get any updates

10/21/2009 11:15:06 PM

Eh, cold weather killed another battery.

I've got a set of jumper cables I scrapped from an old-ass welder. 3/4" diameter braided copper, 15 feet long.

10/22/2009 12:56:19 AM

Damn, son. They ain't jumper cables...they're launcher cables.

10/22/2009 1:09:06 AM

they lights are normal with the clicking.. i reckon i have starter issues... is it an easy do-it-yourself job?

10/22/2009 9:58:05 AM

easy for some, rocket science for others

10/22/2009 10:42:14 AM

^word.

ive been doing some research, i found this

Quote :

"The starter is at the bottom front of the engine where it meets the transmission, a little to the driver's side of center. (1) Raise the car and secure it (2) Disconnect the negative battery terminal. (3) Remove the wires from the starter, noting their location. (4) Remove the two bolts holding the starter. They are vertical, near the engine end of the starter. They have 15mm heads, one on the front and the other on the back, accessible behind the frame crossmember. You'll need a stout 1/2-inch ratchet, a long extension and a swivel attachment. You may also have to remove a plastic cover over the space between the engine and transmission, which requires a 10 mm wrench. (5) Pull out the old starter. It's heavy, and you may have to wrestle it past obstructions such as the air conditioner return hose and large wiring bundle. If the hose won't push out of the way, loosen the clamp holding the receiver-dryer (big silver cylinder) in its bracket and raise it. Some manuals will tell you to remove the hose from the back of the compressor. Avoid this unless you want to have the a/c system evacuated and recharged anyway. The wiring bundle can be lowered for clearance by removing its attachment clips from the frame crossmember. (6) Install new starter. If you removed any shims with the bolts, put them back in place. Don't forget to reconnect the battery before you test it. "

it sounds simple enough... but, i dunno.. do you think a non-car person could do this?

10/22/2009 2:03:25 PM

Did you rule out your battery totally? Take the thing out and have Advance Auto Parts test it. It's easier to pull a battery than it is to pull the starter. And remember, shitty jumper cables will get you not much further than nothing at all.

START. WITH. THE. SIMPLEST. THING. FIRST.

If you live close to me, I'll be glad to check it out. But I bet you don't.

10/22/2009 4:37:25 PM

bet a dollar to a donut that it's the battery.

10/22/2009 5:42:35 PM

Shit, I'll bet a dozen Krispy Kremes it's the battery. AND the use of a set of 10 dollar jumper cables. Or one of those sets that comes in the 20 dolla mickey mouse roadside joke emergency kit.

10/22/2009 6:22:03 PM

the lights would die out to nothing if the battery was that far gone though

10/22/2009 6:27:22 PM

Nigger please.

10/22/2009 6:29:14 PM

he just needs to check the voltage drop while some cranks it for him, if he has a multimeter, every geek on campus at state has one in their computer lair

10/22/2009 7:04:08 PM

Is it bad if I own TWO multimeters?

10/28/2009 1:36:23 PM

no, only if you have a modus and use the graphing multimeter

thats a bit much

hell, i keep a cheap one in the truck, boat, and motorcycle, and a good one in my toolbox

10/28/2009 2:39:35 PM

I would love to own a graphing multimeter. As it is, one of the two I own does have an RS232 port, and I do have meter sampling software on the computer.

10/28/2009 2:40:36 PM

you sir have too much shit as it is

10/29/2009 1:11:50 PM