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  #1  
Old 08-08-2013, 10:51 AM
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Location: Wilmington, NC
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1984 300SD starter issues

Hi All,
This forum has been a great resource so far. My first post follows..

I recently purchased a 1984 300SD with only 131xxx on it. Then promptly drove it cross country adding 4000 miles since then!

During my cross country trip, I noticed that after the car gets hot and driven for 200 miles at a time, it wont start right away,
just a single click
I needed to pop the hood and let it cool of for 10 minutes or so. The ambient temp was about 90 F.
I searched all over the forums, but nothing conclusive...

Now if it rains overnight, it wont start either, untill it dries off. Once again, just a single click.
Further research let me to jumping the starter using s screw driver. It turns when I cross any one of the large bolts with the small bolt. Nothing, not even sparks when I cross two large bolts.

Do I need a new starter or anything else I can try?

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  #2  
Old 08-08-2013, 09:13 PM
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Posts: 4,186
I had similar symptoms and it was due to a loose engine-to-chassis ground strap. In fact, I changed the starter twice, in a parking lot, before finding the problem.
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84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )
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  #3  
Old 08-09-2013, 09:31 AM
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Thanks, I will check it. Hopefully something as easy as that.
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  #4  
Old 08-09-2013, 12:07 PM
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My SD did the exact same thing when trying to start it after it was driven and shut down. I used the old "GM hammer on the starter" trick. My bro used to work for a tow company, and used this trick (hit the starter with a hammer or pipe on GM cars) to get cars started. It worked every time. I am not suggesting that you carry a hammer or pipe with you, but rather try this if you get stuck somewhere before replacing the starter or fixing the ground strap (as suggested).
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  #5  
Old 08-09-2013, 02:57 PM
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Location: Long Beach,CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maxru View Post
Hi All,
This forum has been a great resource so far. My first post follows..

I recently purchased a 1984 300SD with only 131xxx on it. Then promptly drove it cross country adding 4000 miles since then!

During my cross country trip, I noticed that after the car gets hot and driven for 200 miles at a time, it wont start right away,
just a single click
I needed to pop the hood and let it cool of for 10 minutes or so. The ambient temp was about 90 F.
I searched all over the forums, but nothing conclusive...

Now if it rains overnight, it wont start either, untill it dries off. Once again, just a single click.
Further research let me to jumping the starter using s screw driver. It turns when I cross any one of the large bolts with the small bolt. Nothing, not even sparks when I cross two large bolts.

Do I need a new starter or anything else I can try?
See the pic in post #3
300SD starter won't crank while hot
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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel
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  #6  
Old 08-09-2013, 09:56 PM
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Yes, I tried that and the starter turns. So after that I sprayed some WD-40 and tightened all those bolts. So far so good!!
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  #7  
Old 08-25-2017, 05:01 PM
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This is an old post, but I am having the same issues. Where is the engine to chassis ground strap?

'84 300SD
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  #8  
Old 08-25-2017, 05:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spokenapp View Post
This is an old post, but I am having the same issues. Where is the engine to chassis ground strap?

'84 300SD
It is either on the passenger side on the lower starter bolt, or on the other side on one of the transmission bell housing bolts. The other end goes to the chassis of course.
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  #9  
Old 08-25-2017, 09:46 PM
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Location: Long Beach,CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maxru View Post
Hi All,
This forum has been a great resource so far. My first post follows..

I recently purchased a 1984 300SD with only 131xxx on it. Then promptly drove it cross country adding 4000 miles since then!

During my cross country trip, I noticed that after the car gets hot and driven for 200 miles at a time, it wont start right away,
just a single click
I needed to pop the hood and let it cool of for 10 minutes or so. The ambient temp was about 90 F.
I searched all over the forums, but nothing conclusive...

Now if it rains overnight, it wont start either, untill it dries off. Once again, just a single click.
Further research let me to jumping the starter using s screw driver. It turns when I cross any one of the large bolts with the small bolt. Nothing, not even sparks when I cross two large bolts.

Do I need a new starter or anything else I can try?
The 2 large screws are on the same circuit. You can see they are screwed into/connected to the same brass plate.

Any of the 2 on the right connected- with the one on the far left should crank the Starter and Engine.
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  #10  
Old 08-25-2017, 09:49 PM
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Any time you are having starter issues it is always a good idea to clean the contact areas of the battery cables and the ground strap if only to rule them out as a possible source of the problem.

Does putting the shifter into neutral allow normal starting.
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  #11  
Old 08-26-2017, 03:19 PM
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Location: N.W. In.
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Yes when I had a problem like you describe a jolt with a hammer or pipe on the starter would get it to catch but then even that would no longer work so after being stranded hauling it home couple of starter installs I tracked it down to a bad wire on the starter it looked good to the eye but a simple conductive test showed current was not getting thru bad end on wire that connects to starter simple 10 min. no cost repair caused me all that grief and being stranded 50 miles from home.
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  #12  
Old 08-27-2017, 03:36 PM
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Posts: 233
Smae but different starter when hot

1984 300D


When car is hot and we attempt a start we can hear a faint "click"-not the solid CLUNK of the solenoid.


However jumping at the starter box (passenger side of, near battery-large bolt to small bolt) the starter does engage and car starts.


We replaced the starter, neutral safety switch, Battery clamps and cleaned the "starter box" bolts, cleaned all connections at starter.


Any other thoughts are appreciated.
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  #13  
Old 08-28-2017, 10:39 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Charleston SC
Posts: 2,788
How about checking / cleaning the grounding strap and connections?

Somehow the voltage / power to the solenoid via the key switch is not sufficient, or the solenoid is weak (yes I saw that you replace the starter, if a rebuilt starter then it still may have a weak solenoid if that was not renewed). You could hook up a volt meter to the connection at the solenoid and see how much voltage is reaching the solenoid during the "no start" condition, then work backwards on that circuit to see where the voltage drop is happening.
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M. Dillon
'87 124.193 (300TD) "White Whale", ~392k miles, 3.5l IP fitted
'95 124.131 (E300) "Sapphire", 380k miles
'73 Balboa 20 "Sanctification"
Charleston SC
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  #14  
Old 08-28-2017, 11:58 AM
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Location: Back in SC upstate
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The ground strap on my 84 SD is on the right near the starter.
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  #15  
Old 08-28-2017, 06:08 PM
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Think about what needs to happen. 1. Large cable from battery to solenoid needs to be clean and tight on both ends. 2. Starter needs to be well grounded. 3. Trip wire to solenoid needs to have sufficient current to close solenoid contacts. 4. solenoid contacts need to be in good enough shape to allow current to flow. 5. Battery needs to be charged with clean connections.

It should go without saying that the starter itself needs to work and the engine needs to be free to spin.

On Dodge Cummins solenoid contacts wear out. I saw a place on line that sold generic contacts for pennies. There is a guy that sells them for $35 because others aren't willing to do the work to find what fits.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.
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