fuse on a 603 starter?
 

My starter is dead.

The glow plugs light, battery is good, no click or crank when the key is turned.

I have tapped the solenoid while turning the key. No difference.

Does it have a fuse that I haven't heard about?

Is there anyother way to test it in the car? Or should I just remove and take to autozone or wherever.

It is a bosch on warrantee, for what it is worth.

thanks

alec

Check to make sure you have voltage on cranking at the solenoid wire before accusing the starter of not working.

A bad neutral safety switch (or loose connetion) will do the same thing, nothing at all wrong with the starter!

Not having the tranny in Park or Neutral will screw you up big time too -- a friend of mine had his car towed to the shop to fix it one time because it wouldn't start -- he had left it in drive!

Peter

voltage check
 

I am getting something like 12.75v between the large wire on the starter and the negative term of the battery.

When the gp's are on, it drops to more like 11.5v.


It seems weird to me that there is always voltage drop accross those two points, whether the key is in the car or not.

Let me know if that seems wrong.

alec

Sounds normal, the GP will dim the lights a bit (since they draw considerable current).

You always have this voltage, just like you always have voltage between the two battery terminal, since the positive battery cable connects directly to the starter solenoid. All the "always hot" buss wires connect at the starter on MBs -- Volvo uses a separate wire at the battery.

Voltage check for starter operation is for the small wire, towards the fender -- this is the wire than energizes the solenoid. When the solenoid pulls down, it both pulls the drive gear into the flywheel and closes a contactor to apply current to the starter.

No "click" of the solenoid operating indicates either an open circuit (no current to the solenoid) or a bad solenoid.

That wire is a bear to get to -- original has a spade lug with small screw, replacement starters have a small bolt/nut combo so you have to clip the connector off and crimp a new one on. Big PITA since the wire just reaches....

Peter

fried starter
 

Well I took the starter out and got it tested at kragen.

Stone dead.

I checked my reciept- 51 weeks old. I called Phil, and a replacement is on the way.

It will be nice to have a working car again.

alec