<VV> Strange battery / starter problem

vairjer at comcast.net vairjer at comcast.net
Thu Oct 29 10:42:43 EDT 2009


There are multiple possibilities, and cleaning up connections is always a good idea...however, the most likely causes for "intermittent" slow or "barely cranking" are a burned contact disc in the Solenoid which provides the connection from battery to motor Armature, or perhaps a failing connection in the commutator of the armature.  That would be a loosening stake from winding to commutator riser, that provides a high resistance if you happen to have the brushes land on that comm bar or bars...When it lands on a bar with good connection, it cranks over with some speed and "flies by" the high resistance loose connection.  

Usually a failing ignition switch causes the solenoid to improperly pull in, resulting in a "click" but no crank, rather than slow cranking.  Corroded connections more often are not intermittent. 


Jerry McKenzie 
former Reliability Engineer, Delco Remy, now just an old Corsa member 


More information about the VirtualVairs mailing list