Starter won't engage

[Mad_Matt]

OK. So I've been fighting to get my w123 running again. It sat for a few month and started fine before I parked it. The starter click but a no go. Checked Batt and even charged. That seems good. 12.1 V at about 25 Deg.

So to make sure the starter was not frozen I swapped it with a know good starter and still All I get is the solenoid clicking.

As at this point it's ether a dead or dieing cell in the batt or something in the wiring that's not allowing me to get this mule to turn over.

any suggestions?

I've already tried the terminal block bypass just to be sure it's not the ignition or the neutral safety and I get the same clicking with the bypass. I've also tried to supply a little extra juice form my booster box with no success.


Thanks

[cooljjay]

I would look at the battery next, drop it off at a local auto parts store and have it checked and charged if it is good. I would also look into the battery cables. They are known to corrode under the insulation causing bulges and eventually it will eat the copper away. It is also a good idea to upgrade them to 2 gauge cables...

You may also want to clean the chassis to trans ground strap under the drivers side of the car.

If you have very thick jumper cables....you can run the positive one to the starter and the negative one to the chassis...this will tell you if your cables are bad...and not the battery

[Mad_Matt]

Ya it was the batt. Even though it passed the charging system check and the hydrometer test. At 59 Deg when loaded up it only put out 470 AMPS and did not recover so well. I've never seen a batt do this before. typically you loose a cell and can see if that happens.

I guess it sulfa-ted and gave it's last start a month ago. Lesson learned. I know know both starters are in good shape and that I will need to do some batt cable maintenance in the near future.

THX for the help.

[lovinthedeez]

a battery trying to start one of these cars should be at least 12.5 volts in the cold. 12.1 is a dead battery that's gonna get finished by the glow plugs lighting

[Diesel911]

Originally Posted by Mad_Matt

OK. So I've been fighting to get my w123 running again. It sat for a few month and started fine before I parked it. The starter click but a no go. Checked Batt and even charged. That seems good. 12.1 V at about 25 Deg.

So to make sure the starter was not frozen I swapped it with a know good starter and still All I get is the solenoid clicking.

As at this point it's ether a dead or dieing cell in the batt or something in the wiring that's not allowing me to get this mule to turn over.

any suggestions?

I've already tried the terminal block bypass just to be sure it's not the ignition or the neutral safety and I get the same clicking with the bypass. I've also tried to supply a little extra juice form my booster box with no success.


Thanks

I know you already found the Battery was the problem.


I am wondering why you did not try using a Jumper Wire on the Terminal Block to see if the Starter Would Crank Normally as that is easy to do?

Doing that bypasses a lot of circuitry/wiring that could be problematic.

If it did not crank like that then you are left with the Battery or the Starter (and/or cables and ground) as the issue.