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No start- starter solenoid no worky- wife may be involved! 200

posted by  someone claiming to be adirondack blues on  Thu Nov 3 14:55 CST 2011 [RELATED]

Guys/gals-

'92 240 wagon 335,000 miles, manual tranny- well maintained. Starter was replaced with a genuine Volvo unit maybe 100,000 miles ago, or maybe 150,000- can't really remember.

Wednesday night, while I was dealing with fixing a misfiring cylinder on my wife's V90, my wife is driving the car. She gets home and says the low beams stopped working and she had to drive about 8 miles home "holding the high beam switch back" to see the road. I go to start the car to put it in the garage to replace the main headlight relay, and it won't start. Damn.

I replaced the headlight relay and the low beams are working again.

On to the no-start issue. Headlights, interior lights, dash lights, warning lights work fine- starter will not crank. I do not hear the solenoid clicking. Cleaned battery terminals- no difference. I tested the battery- 12.55 volts available at about 50 degrees ambient temp. 10 sec load test of battery with load tester indicates weak battery. Attempted to jump start the car without success- still will not crank. Checked voltage at starter service socket under hood- 12.5 volts when key is turned to start position and then falls. Jumper wire from battery to starter service socket would not bump starter.

Ordinarily, after all this, I'd assume the starter is toast. Maybe it is just coincidence that the starter failure happened to correspond with the headlight relay failure. I can replace the starter, but I'm wondering if I'm missing something. Any thoughts are welcome.

Why do they always break when the wife is driving?









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    No start- starter solenoid no worky- wife may be involved! 200

    posted by  someone claiming to be adirondack blues on  Sat Nov 5 08:43 CST 2011 [RELATED]

    The car lives. I replaced the starter this morning with a spare from an '88. 1/2 hour job, even lying on my back in driveway with only one wheel on a ramp. I did cheat and use air. 16" extension to universal with short 18mm socket to reach the problematic top bolt.

    Started right up. I spent much more more time troubleshooting and trying to get the old starter to run than actually replacing!

    Thanks.








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    No start- starter solenoid no worky- wife may be involved! 200

    posted by  redfoxglove on  Fri Nov 4 18:04 CST 2011
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    last visit: Tue Sep 3 19:58 CST 2013
    [RELATED]

    Can't speculate as to the mechanical issue, but responding to your last question.

    The inverse of "why does it always happen when the wife drives it?" is, "why does it never make "the sound" when I get the husband in the car to listen for it?"

    A mystery for sure.







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    No start- starter solenoid no worky- wife may be involved! 200

    posted by  someone claiming to be adirondack blues on  Thu Nov 3 17:49 CST 2011 [RELATED]

    Interrogation of said wife revealed that she attempted to start the car three time s without putting clutch in. Ouch. I believe this was a factor in the apparent destruction of the aged starter.








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      No start- starter solenoid no worky- wife may be involved! 200

      posted by  Volvo From Heck on  Thu Nov 3 20:44 CST 2011
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      last visit: Mon Oct 13 20:56 CST 2014
      [RELATED]

      Still and all I'd think even with a murdered starter there should be a click or thump--something. Have you actually put power to the terminal on the solenoid to activate it. If the car was started (or attempted) in gear -- there's be a bit of jumping around--maybe the wire is just loose on the terminal. -- Dave








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    No start- starter solenoid no worky- wife may be involved! 200

    posted by  pageda on  Thu Nov 3 15:07 CST 2011
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    last visit: Fri Oct 24 13:18 CST 2014
    [RELATED]

    You need a good battery, have Autozone or similar test the battery.

    Hit the solenoid with a broom handle or piece of wood and see if it will start.

    If not it may also be the ignition switch or the neutral safety switch.

    http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/ElectricalStarting.htm

    Dan








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      No start- starter solenoid no worky- wife may be involved! 200

      posted by  someone claiming to be adirondack blues on  Thu Nov 3 15:17 CST 2011 [RELATED]

      No neutral safety switch- manual tranny.

      I have a load tester, DVM, and other test equipment- have already established state of battery- no need for Autozone.

      Starter should crank with > 12.4 volts applied to starter service socket, which I appear to have. And, ignition appears to be applying 12.5 volts to solenoid (tested at service socket).

      Why would it not crank when jumped, even with weak battery?

      Have whacked the solenoid with stick and hammer with no success.








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        No crank 200

        uid 27's pic
        posted by  Art Benstein on  Fri Nov 4 02:48 CST 2011
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        last visit: Fri Oct 17 20:10 CST 2014
        [RELATED]

        The starter test socket is a long way from the solenoid winding terminal on the starter. Why not test it right at the load? Use a screwdriver to bring +12 to the solenoid coil terminal (50) or use a test light to probe directly on the male faston while attempting to crank. If you've got it there, and still no clicky, you've nailed it. No way can I think of blaming this on the operator.
        --
        Art Benstein near Baltimore

        A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.-Rodney Dangerfield







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