Starter Or Short

[planetdugger]

Hi every one. First off I have read through the entire electrical topic for a similar problem. I have a 2003 ch613 that has been slow to turn over for a week or so. Sometimes it would just click, like the battery's were dead or the solenoid was bad. I checked the wires last week and didn't find anything wrong. I also checked the battery's, and they are fine. Well a driver tried to start it yesterday and he said and it tried to start, but then he smelled burning wires. I had a look and sure enough the little solenoid wire and a larger wire to the starter were burnt up close to the starter. I think the starter is bad, but want a few more opinions. I would like to know how much juice should come through the little wire to the solenoid, and how much should come through the large wire. I read everything before I post hoping to find a solution. Haven't had any luck with this little problem. Any help sure would save the day. thanks in advance.

[Bollweevil]

Hi every one. First off I have read through the entire electrical topic for a similar problem. I have a 2003 ch613 that has been slow to turn over for a week or so. Sometimes it would just click, like the battery's were dead or the solenoid was bad. I checked the wires last week and didn't find anything wrong. I also checked the battery's, and they are fine. Well a driver tried to start it yesterday and he said and it tried to start, but then he smelled burning wires. I had a look and sure enough the little solenoid wire and a larger wire to the starter were burnt up close to the starter. I think the starter is bad, but want a few more opinions. I would like to know how much juice should come through the little wire to the solenoid, and how much should come through the large wire. I read everything before I post hoping to find a solution. Haven't had any luck with this little problem. Any help sure would save the day. thanks in advance.

Electrical problems can sometimes be difficult to sort out. As the old saying's go, there are two side to every story, or two sides to every coin. There are two sides to an electrical system. Positive and negative. Both are equally important, but, the negative side is often neglected. You can have good hot batteries, and still have low voltage at the starter, due to loose, or faulty ground straps. Your truck should have an engine to chassis ground, and a chassis to body ground in addition to the battery to engine ground. To further complicate things, it is possible to have a battery which checks good voltage wise, and still doesn't have the amperage to turn the starter. It would only take one, in the battery group, to leave you sitting. Starters are mechanical, and they do go bad over time. Anything other than a drive gear can usually go right back to low voltage. A short in the primary cable to the solenoid, would likely melt the cable and, or catch the truck on fire. Melting insulation at the solenoid without frying the solenoid is unlikely. You might not like to hear this, but You can buy a Cummims rebuilt SAE starter with a two year warranty at a decent price.