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Bad Starter?

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by jeepstar, Aug 31, 2019.

  1. Aug 31, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    62 cj5, old starter. New battery, tests at 13.1v when it is off. Battery charger says battery is fully charged.

    Starter won't engage, or turns over so slow it won't fire up.

    I can start jeep with jumper cables.

    What else can I check?

    Jeepless and frustrated on vacay...
     
  2. Aug 31, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    Starter growls like gravel is in there
     
  3. Aug 31, 2019
    55_Willys_CJ5

    55_Willys_CJ5 Nephews Visit 2017 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

    Southern California
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    Could be a bad solenoid. Have you checked all the wires to rule out a loose connection or corroded wires? Also, do you have someone to assist and check the voltage on the battery while you are trying to start the jeep? If the voltage drops to low it might indicate a bad battery. It wouldn't be the first time I have heard of a new battery being bad.
     
  4. Aug 31, 2019
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    Have you checked the connections at the battery? Have you cleaned them and made sure they're tight?
     
    timgr likes this.
  5. Aug 31, 2019
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Yeah, jumper cables bypass the battery posts.

    Pretty sure the battery charger only looks at the voltage charge level. You have a battery tester? If not, take the battery fully-charged to your FLAPS and ask if they will check it.
     
    Dandy likes this.
  6. Aug 31, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    I've cleaned every terminal and connection with scotchbright. It all shines. While I've got the volt checker on, and the wife cranks it over, it drops to 1, or .08
     
  7. Aug 31, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    I think it's bad brushes in the starter
     
  8. Aug 31, 2019
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    Have you been having starter issues, or is this something that just came up recently?
     
  9. Aug 31, 2019
    55_Willys_CJ5

    55_Willys_CJ5 Nephews Visit 2017 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor

    Southern California
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    The battery drops from 13.1 volts to 1 or .08 volts? If this is the case then this indicates a bad battery. Even though the battery shows 13.1 volts on the charger, this doesn't necessarily mean it has the amps to turn over the starter. When you use jumper cables the volts and amperage are coming from the donor vehicle and is able to turn the starter with an assist from your battery. Do what timgr suggests, take fully charged battery to your FLAPS and have them test the battery. Also, what Glenn asks.
     
  10. Aug 31, 2019
    Walt Couch

    Walt Couch sidehill Cordele, Ga. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    cordele, Ga.
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    Put your jumper battery in the jeep, connect it up and start it and put the old battery in the back of the jeep and drive to town. Have the flaps load test it. Even a very low battery should not drop to 1 volt. (internal failure)
     
  11. Aug 31, 2019
    Alan28

    Alan28 Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Châtillon en...
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    Mysteries of electricity.
    In this case I would take an other battery from an other car and try to start. Because voltage is no power.
    Of course contacts from battery to starter must be cleaned, ground included.
    According to the model of starter, you can try a direct contact to see how the starter answers.
    If no success and the starter makes strange noise... unpleasant, but easy to move the starter out and check it on a bench.
    Contacts on the rotor can be tired, or dirt inside, or....
    But : it will work one day, be sure. I had the problem. All was rebuilt well.
     
    Hellion likes this.
  12. Aug 31, 2019
    Jw60

    Jw60 Sitting up n buckled down. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sedalia MO.
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    Try jumping from the starter to it's own battery. Mine has a bad cable that is able to provide enough amps to engage the starter but not crank. I can run a jumper from each end of that cable and it acts normal.
     
    jeep2003 likes this.
  13. Aug 31, 2019
    Dandy

    Dandy Member 2024 Sponsor

    Estherville IA
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    Not there, can't see and hear what is going on.....

    If'n you jumped from one vehicle to the other batt .terminal to batt terminal and it starts


    You have found the trubes.......

    As Tim alluded to........
     
    Glenn likes this.
  14. Sep 1, 2019
    Jrobz23

    Jrobz23 Member

    Northern, WI
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    Toy starter time? If not I got a couple if you’re heading up this way soon.
     
  15. Sep 2, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Sheboygan
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    Breathe easy folks! Bad battery.
     
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  16. Sep 2, 2019
    Walt Couch

    Walt Couch sidehill Cordele, Ga. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    cordele, Ga.
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    I knew that but you still may have starter with questionable conditions that may have caused degradation to the battery.
     
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  17. Sep 3, 2019
    jeepstar

    jeepstar Well-Known Member 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    all right, full disclaimer time now that im not in the middle of nowhere typing on a cellphone....
    this spring/early summer, i hauled it up north for the shakedown run, and while driving on a logging trail, the new battery came off the mount/perch, and hit the fan, and caused near catastrophic failure. me and the wife looked over everything the best we could and it all looked halfway ok. i used my belt to cinch the battery down to the tray enough to get us back to the cabin. all looked well, some minor gouges in the battery, but it looked ok. nothing but problems since then. it never occured to me it was the battery.

    well, since we all ruled the battery was junk, i took it out, and was looking over all the fan cuts, and sure enough, a small pinhole went into the fluid cavity. so it all leaked out, and hence, failure.

    so, it was my fault, not the batteries, but now its all good again!
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2019
    ITLKSEZ and Glenn like this.
  18. Sep 3, 2019
    Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    Apopka, Fl
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    I'm sure a bunch of us have learned from "experience". (y)
     
    47v6, Alan28 and ITLKSEZ like this.
  19. Sep 3, 2019
    Alan28

    Alan28 Well-Known Member 2022 Sponsor

    Châtillon en...
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    It is good to learn by experience, it is not bed to learn by the books 1st ! Experience lessons are sometimes very expensive.
    This not to say the contrary of what you say, Glenn, but I avoided some bas "experiences" because I knew he result in advance! And sometimes NOT :worry:
     
  20. Sep 4, 2019
    Nebr1957CJ5

    Nebr1957CJ5 I will do it tomorrow

    Lincoln NE
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    A good battery strap is a very important thing. 16 yr old me found that out after setting fire to the engine bay of my 79 cj5.
     
    ITLKSEZ likes this.
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