My ML was sitting all summer in the garage and yesterday I was trying to get it out and ready for upcoming winter season. The car would not crank. The battery was on trickle charger for last month and fully charged. Checked all voltages on the starter relay - all good. Finally got to the starter. It is hard to see from the top, had to use mirror. Found it very rusty, see pictures. When I reached down with my fingers to check if any of the wires were loose, the short cable from the solenoid to the motor just disintegrated after slight push. Apparently the copper corroded to dust. I've never seen or heard of a failure like that. Now awaiting used starter from ebay.

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