Starting problem help

[trboy13]

ok, well i'm new here, and i dont know a whole lot about cars, but i've been on other forums before and they tend to be very helpfull. Anyways, i was wondering if anyone has any idea what i should do.

heres my problem
when i try to start my truck, the starter will seem to engage and then kick out right away. This always happens the first time i turn the key, but most of the time on the second or third time i try to start it, it will stay in and turn the engine enough to start. It doesn't make any grinding noise, and it only engages the engine for about half a second. Once it starts it seems to run fine, although it does ocassionally rumble badly, but doesn't die.

Anyways, my thought was that the starter was bad, so i got my hands dirty, and spend a few hours under my truck, with the occasional curse every now and then. And finally figured out how to get it out. I took it to the local Autozone to have it tested, and they said it worked like new. They suggested testing the battery to see if it was getting enough charge and whatnot, but i couldn't see how the battery could be the problem. Well i put the starter back in, and i dont know what to do. I really dont want to take it in for service, because i dont have that much money to spend.

another note... The one time it refused to engage at all, i left it overnight and then in the morning it started up on the first time :confused:

1995 GMC Sonoma
3.6L high output (i think)
4 wheel drive
engine type W

[9C1LT195]

Check your ignition (plug wires, coil, etc.)

[LM13]

i would check the battery, oftentimes thats the prob.
if you don't want to buy a new one i guess trying to connect the battery to a booster and start it up would work too. i'm not sure thought.
i'd check the battery before pulling the starter even :D.
if the battery isn't powerful enought oftentimes the starter would not have enought power to turn over the engine, thus causing damage to itself. thats how i burned my starter once.

[Incitatus]

Check your ignition (plug wires, coil, etc.) :confused: :freak:

I doubt seriously that the ignition is at fault -since he says it runs fine after it starts.
I would, however, suspect the solenoid, or more specifically, the copper washer that acts as a contact for the starter power lug (inside the solenoid housing).
Also, check the bendix drive -it could be weak.

Do you know how to check the bendix?
FIRMLY secure the starter. (Perhaps lay it on the ground and have someone hold it down with his (or her) foot).
Have a wooden broom handle handy.
Using jumper cables, connect the ground to the starter case.
Connect the positive cable to the positive terminal -then jump to the start terminal (either with a screwdriver or swing the positive jumper cable clamp over and touch it also)
-In other words, get the starter to work off of the car-
Now, stick the broom handle into the spinning bendix. It should try to grind on it. If it doesn't, it'll either kick back out (like you're talking about) or it'll stay engaged but quit turning when held.

I hope I explained that okay.

Sometimes a starter can appear to be ok when bench-tested because the tester sees the bendix kick out and turn. You need to check the amount of torque it is capable of putting out -thus the broom handle test.

BTW, "Bendix" is a brand name. The real name for it is the starter drive (or something like that). It's kind of like "Kool-Aid", "Kleenex" or "Band-Aid" -people just starting using it as its name.

[89caprice9C1]

The other thing would be to check ALL of your ground straps as well as removing the negative battery cable from where it's attached to the engine. Clean all connections with a wire brush and re-install.
I had the exact same thing happen on my '68 after installing a brand new hi-torque starter and btry cables. The freshly painted surfaces kept me from getting a decent ground.

[trboy13]

thanks for the advice everybody.

I took out the starter again, and used a wire brush to clean everyhting up, and cleaned the battery terminals and such, and put it back in, and it didn't fix it. So i decided to just go get a new starter and see if that worked, and it did. I'm guessing the soleniod wasn't working right, and didn't have enough force or something. Anyways.

THANKS :D