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Remote starting quandry...

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bthompson

bthompson

Jedi Warrior
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Hey, guys! Gotta question for y'all.

I was checking my valves today, and an odd thing happened. I used to pull the car forward in 4th gear to roll the engine over, but since my back went caput a couple years ago, I've used a remote starter to bump it. It's an old Sears model; a trigger that jumps the starter to the battery.

It used to work fine, but now it just spins the starter and the bendix doesn't engage the flywheel. It still cranks with the key -- but with the remote, the starter just goes <span style="font-style: italic">wheeee</span>.

I'm stumped as to why. Any ideas? :crazyeyes:
 
Just a guess here but, maybe there is enough resistance in the remote switch that it doesn't turn the starter fast enough to make it throw the bendix into the flywheel? That would probably indicate some crud buildup in the bendix. Try a jumper cable from the battery to the starter. If that works then either the remote switch is failing or maybe just need to service the starter. Like I said, just a guess but that's where I would start looking.
 
Sounds like you have that switch running from one big terminal on the solenoid to the other big one and the resistance of the remote os too much.
Try hooking the remote from the battery side of the solenoid (or to the positive on the battery) and the other lead to the little terminal on the solenoid and I will bet that everything works OK.
BillM
 
Thanks, guys! I'll give those a shot and see what happens. I'll measure the resistance through the switch too.
 
A common resistance check won't tell you much- it is the resistance when 30 amps of current is flowing that matters. With a normal ohmmeter you are putting about 1/1000th of an amp thru.
BillM
 
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