After letting the '87 190DT rest for a few months during the "winter" here in Texas due to issues with the glow plugs that I haven't made time to fix yet, I started driving it regularly again about a month ago. I drove it out one afternoon and parked at work but when I went to leave after dark it was ~50 degrees and it had trouble starting. I kept cranking it (for about 30-45 seconds straight) waiting for it to turn over and start but finally let off of it and then tried it again. On the second turn of the key, I could hear the electrical system kick in as usual but when I went to crank it... nothing. There was no sound whatsoever from the starter. I first thought that it was the battery, so I hooked some jumper cables up and got the same result. I am thinking that this might be a fuse/relay problem but don't know where to start.

Does anyone have a suggestion/recommendation on what it might be and where to start looking to diagnose the problem?? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Try cleaning the battery ground, the battery terminals, the ground strap, and the connections on the starter, make sure they are all making good contact. If that doesn' fix the problem, then I would test your starter.

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So far I have checked all of the electrical connections and everything seems to be just fine there. I am still not getting anything out of the starter. Any other recommendations before I pull the starter out? Will an auto parts store be able to test it for me if I walk in with it? Thanks!

Neutral Safety switch?

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

Give the starter solenoid a whack with a hammer.

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1979 240D- 316K miles - VGT Turbo, Intercooler, Stick Shift, Many Other Mods - Daily Driver

1982 300SD - 232K miles - Wife's Daily Driver

1986 560SL - Wife's red speed machine

I wish I could get to the solenoid to give it a few knocks with a hammer. I swear this 190DT is by far the hardest thing I've ever worked on. It was a challenge just getting the starter out of the engine compartment AFTER it was loose! I'm off to have it tested.. I actually hope that the starter is bad because I'd hate to think I just spent all this time taking it out when I didn't need to....