Starter problem, Voyager 94

Ive got a Voyager 94, Van, and sometimes when I start it, nothing
happens, nothing at all, no sounds nothing... so I get out and rock the
car (dont ask) and it works.... someone told me that it sounds like the
starter motor is on its way out of the starter solenoid... what do you
guys think? where is the starter located on this car?

Thansk for the help.

 

Most likely, it is the solenoid contacts. A common problem with this
starter. If you are so inclined, you can replace the contacts yourself,
or find a reputable rebuilder that can do it for you. Of course, you
can replace the entire starter too. If you have the 3.3 or 3.8 engine,
it is located on the front of the engine. Not too hard to get at.

-KM

 

Its actually the 3.0 Engine.... is replacing the contacts a hard job,
Ive never messed with a starter motor before.

 

I had this problem. Start with the basics. Check the wires, like the
one going to the distributor. Might be something as simple as that.

 

I can try that, when I turn the engine on, nothing happens, no noise or
nothing, except the parking brake light comes on...

thansk for that

 

So I had a look at it, and I taped it with a hammer and it works.... I
think i will get the thing replaced anyhow... thanks for the help
guys....

 

Definitely the contacts. I had exactly the same problem.

The contacts themselves are only worth like 50 cents! But you gotta re
& re the starter, tear it down, and then machine the plunger as well.

When I had this done about 3 years ago, it cost me about $85 $CDN to
have all the work done with taxes. I drove the van to a local
rebuilder, and they rebuilt my starter for me. Basically I seriously
cut out the middle men - ALL of them.

Quickest way is to just drop in a rebuilt, but if you take it to a
rebuilder and let them fix it, you will likely save up to 50%. Less
conveinient prehaps, but it can be done.

 

I had a problem with re-builts; went through several of them in our old '86
Voyager with the 2.4L Mitsubishi engine. I concluded that the rebuilder may
have been acid washing the cores and inadvertently corroding one of the
internal connections. So the bad news was that I changed it out a bunch of
times before I found one that worked OK. The incentive to do so, on this
car, was the ease of removal and re-installation and the "lifetime" warranty
on the starters in that they were taken back with no questions asked.

Ken

 

I will guess that you hit it with a hammer.
You probably weakened the magnets, so it is
most likely junk now.

 

Huh????

 

An automobile starter has permanent magnets??

These are the ONLY magnets that I know of that are "weakened" by hitting
them with a magnet, but I have not been able to demonstrate that idea to
any real extent in my high school physics classes - these magnets still
seem quite strong. YMMV in your physics class. Electromagnets seem to be
just the same strength when "tapped" with a hammer - at least they are in
my physics class.

 

Have for a long time now.
That's how they make the starters so small.

Hammer, not magnet!

If you hit 'em with a hammer hard enough, they'll seem quite
broken.

Starter field windings do not damage as easily as solid magnets.

 

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