North American Turbocoupe Organization

Full Version: Drove through water, Starter won't turn
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OK, yesterday I drove through some deep water, not realizing how deep it really was. At least 6".

Now, when I turn to RUN, the fuel pump primes. When I turn the key to START, I hear the solenoid click, but no dice.

It is my understanding that if the solenoid clicks, that means it is working, right? I did not have time to look very much this morning, and I had to drive a Mini to work. Tonight I really need to get this sorted, and I won't have anyone else to help. So I'm looking for a few things to check, that I can do solo.

I read in an old thread about the neutral safety switch affecting the starter circuit. Any chance I shorted this when I drove through the deep water?

The only other thing I can think of that is down low is the starter, but if I'm driving along there would be no power to the starter, so it could not have been shorted out then, right?

If I jump the small threaded terminal on the starter solenoid to the POS battery terminal, will this bypass the neutral safety switch AND the clutch switch, so I can start it from under the hood?

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86 TC, 73 Austin Mini, 72 Austin Mini Van

Click here to beat a ricer.
Quote:f I jump the small threaded terminal on the starter solenoid to the POS battery terminal, will this bypass the neutral safety switch AND the clutch switch, so I can start it from under the hood?

Make sure tha car is in neutral. If you leave the key OFF, it will crank the engine but no start. If you turn the key ON, it will start the engine
Well, I ran power from the POS(+) battery terminal to the small threaded terminal on the starter solenoid ... "click"

No dice.

So I pulled the starter and can't get it to spin off of a battery charger. Just to be sure, how DO you test a starter? Since there's no ground wire, do you ground the case and run power to the POS lead?

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86 TC, 73 Austin Mini, 72 Austin Mini Van

Click here to beat a ricer.
To test the starter off the car use booster cables (they're big enough to carry the current). Connect the negative to the case of the starter and the positive to the large nut that has a thick cable going into the case of the starter. Make sure you've got the starter held firmly (by stanging on it or holding it in a vice) because it will jump if unrestrained.

How deep was this water you drove through? Did it stall the engine? If so you may be in deep (no pun intended) trouble. You may have hydrolocked the engine. If the starter turns out OK pull all of the sparkplugs and try cranking it. If it now cranks your engine was probably hydrolocked, and this can cause serious damage (bent connecting rods, etc).

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Sam's Fox ThunderCats ... Your home on the web for fox Thunderbirds and Cougars
I've had this same problem after driving through DEEP water in my 4x4. (3+ feet)
What happened to me is a little water got in and caused a very slight corrosion that was holding the started from spinning.
I few 'medium' whacks with a hamme ron the housing was enough to break if free and then it would spin freely again.

Jonathan
Sam, thanks for the scare! No I kept driving afterwards so it's ok. Plus, before I removed the starter yesterday, I rolled the car down my driveway with the trans in 4th and the engine turned over ok.

I'm gonna pick up a new one on the way home from work. They're cheap enough [Image: biggrin.gif]

Jon, good call maybe I can free this one up and keep it as a spare.

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86 TC, 73 Austin Mini, 72 Austin Mini Van

Click here to beat a ricer.
No problem phils [Image: biggrin.gif]

I hydrolocked the 3.8 in my old '91 T-Bird when I blew the head gasket, so I know about it first hand Tongue

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Sam's Fox ThunderCats ... Your home on the web for fox Thunderbirds and Cougars
I put in a new starter last night, works fine now. I guess you forget how they start to slow down over time .... the new one is turbo [Image: biggrin.gif]

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86 TC, 73 Austin Mini, 72 Austin Mini Van

Click here to beat a ricer.