Is my Starter Dead? (help.)
 

My 1981 300SD

Turn ignition key

battery fine ...radio plays etc ...

No clic - No ignition- Nothin'.

Any idea if this is a dead starter or something other? Or how to diagnose it.

Thanks.....


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Check your grounds

What grounds? battery?

Where?


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Grounds from the engine to Chassis and also make sure you have a clean connection from the battery terminal to the post.

OK..but I think these are fine....as the radio dash lights and lights all come on with the ig key turned .

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did you put a multimeter on the battery?

Try jumping the starter at the junction box on the front right inner fender. Not sure which terminals need to be jumped. Someone else may know. This will rule out a bad ignition circuit or a bad neutral safety switch. Your car is in park, right?
You could have lights etc and still have a bad ground from chassis to engine causing the starter not to function.

In my 1983, its the first terminal to the front of the car and the third that makes the starter go.

Busman, did jumping the terminals solve the no-start when hot problem?

I dont have a multimeter.....but the battery and grounds are all OK.

When I tun Ig Key the ignition doesnt even make the slightest clic.

Like it's "empty".

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Did you try jumping the terminals?

Never did that.....

You are meaning "jump" as in with a battery charger or another car battery?

The only things on my inner right fender are reservoirs for washer fluid and overflow for coolant..

????

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No. Jump as in 'connect the two terminals together with a piece of wire'. It's a wire junction box covered with a plastic cover. Look down, kind of below the hose feeding air to the air cleaner.

My first suspicion would be the starter solenoid. Use the blunt end of your lug wrench to momentarily jump the hot connector at the solenoid to the heavy connector on the starter itself. Make sure the car is in neutral before doing this.

This should bump the starter. After this, see if it will turn with the key. If it does, the problem is probably the solenoid, but you would be best served by replacing the entire starter including the solenoid.

Good luck and hope this helps.

Jumping the terminals I described accomplishes the same thing without having to try to reach under the manifold to the starter.