- a) Faulty battery defective
- b) Broken electrical connections between the switch, traction relay, battery and starter
- c) Traction relay failed
- d) Starter mechanically or electrically defective
- e) Starter gear and/or flywheel ring gear badly worn and need to be replaced
- f) On automatic transmission models, the starter inhibitor switch may be defective or poorly adjusted (Section 6).
2. To check the battery, turn on the headlights. If they dim after a few seconds of operation, the battery is dead. If the glow of the headlights is normal, turn on the starter and see what happens to the lights. If they dim, then voltage is reaching the starter, but not enough to crank. If the starter turns slowly with the ignition on, go to the next check.
3. If the headlights stay bright when the starter switch is turned on, not enough power is reaching the engine. Remove the battery connections, starter/traction relay connections, and engine ground cable and completely clean and reinstall. Apply petroleum jelly around the battery connections to prevent corrosion. Corroded connections are the most common cause of electrical failures in a system.
4. If the above checks and cleaning are done without success, you may hear a clicking noise every time the starter is turned off. This listens to the action of the traction relay switch, but does not mean that the main contacts have been closed properly (if there is no click, the traction relay is probably defective). The contact of the solenoid relay can be checked by placing a voltmeter or a test lamp parallel to the main cable connecting pins on the side of the starter and ground solenoid relay. With the ignition on, there should be a voltmeter reading or the control lamp should light up. If not, then the traction relay unit is faulty and needs to be replaced.
5. If the starter runs but does not turn the engine, it is likely that the starter gear and/or flywheel ring gear is badly worn and the starter usually makes a lot of noise when running.
6. In conclusion, if it is established that the traction relay is working properly, and 12 V is supplied to the starter, then the starter is faulty and must be removed for inspection.
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