Car doesn't start, starter just growls at me.

[studjuice]

I think my starter has died, it doesn't crank at all. When applying power to it directly it just makes a growling sounds like it's spinning freely. It also ruined my battery, I had to get a jump just to try to start it and find all this out. So I think there might be a short in the wiring somewhere? Any other ideas of what I should look into?

I had to leave my car up in Kirksville because It wouldn't start, So I won't be able to do anything on it until I can get a ride up there to try and fix it.

[Diesel911]

Originally Posted by studjuice

I think my starter has died, it doesn't crank at all. When applying power to it directly it just makes a growling sounds like it's spinning freely. It also ruined my battery, I had to get a jump just to try to start it and find all this out. So I think there might be a short in the wiring somewhere? Any other ideas of what I should look into?

I had to leave my car up in Kirksville because It wouldn't start, So I won't be able to do anything on it until I can get a ride up there to try and fix it.

When you turned the Key nothing happened?

You said when you applied power to it directly it just mad a Growing Sounds like it was spinning freely but you did not say where you applied the Power?
If you applied the Power and the small terminal on the Starter Solenoid the Starter is supposed to act the same as if you turned the Key to start.
If the Starter was just spinning like that and making noise the Overrunning Clutch or the Gear could be shot and or the Teeth on the Flywheel are too buggered to allow engagement.
I suppose there could be something wrong wit the Solenoid to Overrunning Clutch linkage that would keep the Overrunning Clutch from extending properly.

If you applied the power to the big/fat terminal on the Starter Solenoid and the Starter was turning and not engaging that is normal because you bypassed the part of the Solenoid that causes the Starter to engage the Flywheel when you do that.
If it is making a growling sound maybe the Bearings are going.

If you put your Voltmeter on the Battery and have someone try to start the Engine and the Voltage plunges really fast below 11 Volts; your Battery is no good or there is something wrong inside of the starter causing it to pull too much Voltage.

[studjuice]

I applied power directly by bridging the terminal above the fender well. Same thing happens when turning the key or doing that.

[Diesel911]

Originally Posted by studjuice

I applied power directly by bridging the terminal above the fender well. Same thing happens when turning the key or doing that.

I am guessing the Starter is going to have to come off and taken apart and inspected.
When you get the Starter out take a good look at the Ring Gear on the Flywheel.
If the Teeth on the Ring Gear are burred it can sometimes prevent the Starter Gear from engaging and it will just spin.

I have filed or ground the burrs off of the Ring Gears on 2 other makes (235 Chevy Engine and the Volvo D24 Engine) but I don't know if there is room on a Mercedes as the burrs will show up on the front of the Ring Gear.
If the Starter is apart take a good look at the Starter Brushes and so on.

One of those Thick Hard Cover Motor or Chiltons Manuals you can look at in a Public Library (likely info on the internet also) will show you how to check the Armature for a ground with an Ohm Meter.
The design of the Starter is nearly the same as a Typical Deloco Starter from the 1970s.