Cranking very slow- even with new battery

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: Dohc98vteC
2004 Acura TSX, 146k


With that kind of miles it could be a bad stator coil in the starter, or a worn out commutator and brushes. When a commutator wears out the insulation between the gaps can be high enough to cause the brushes to not get good contact.

It is better to have a good starter rebuild shop test and rebuild your existing starter, compared to purchasing a rebuild starter that was rebuilt over-seas by unskilled labor.

 

[Dohc98vteC]

I am thinking to replace it with a new vs rebuilt starter, however I just had my car tested under load by Advance auto, and they claim everything tests normal- weird.

 

[JimPghPA]

When a field coil (stator coil) of a starter goes bad (most starters have four) you end up with a starter that has half of the power it should have. Usually a starter that has half the power it should have cranks the engine very slow (just enough to get it to start if the weather is not too cold).

A new starter can cost around $400.00, and a rebuilt usually cost around $100.00, but rebuilt starters often have problems, because they are rebuilt overseas or in Mexico, by unskilled labor who do not find all the problems that the starter has. That is why it is much better to have a local starter repair shop rebuild your existing starter if it can be rebuilt.

 

[Merkava_4]

I'm thinking you might be losing voltage somewhere. If one of the battery cables has the insulation burned off and is touching ground, that'll do it. Hook a volt meter up to the positive and negative battery posts and take a reading as the starter is cranking.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I'm thinking you might be losing voltage somewhere. If one of the battery cables has the insulation burned off and is touching ground, that'll do it. Hook a volt meter up to the positive and negative battery posts and take a reading as the starter is cranking.
Com'on, if negative is touching ground, no harm no foul...

If positive is touching ground there's gonna be a bunch of sparks, smoke and possibly a exploded battery...

There's nothing more to the starter circuit than solenoid(could be on starter), cables, battery and starter... Of course all the connections must be clean and tight... In a high current circuit, if connections or cables are bad/corroded/loose they'll eventually burn to the point there is no connection and/or it will have smoked... It's a 99.9% poor connections will show themselves after just a few cranks...

If voltage on battery posts(not terminal but POST) drops below 10v while cranking, the CCA of battery is insufficient for task or starter is dragging(my bet)... Cables are fine(carrying current) or voltage would not drop at post...

 

[CBR.worm]

Our Nissan truck cranked super slow for years, but it always started. I thought all kinds of things could be causing it, but I didn't think it was the starter itself. One day the solenoid quit working and I replaced the starter - it spun and started so fast, I couldn't believe we had been living with it bad for so long.

 

[Wheel]

I had an ancient Beetle that had bushings wear to the point that the armature pulled to one side and would hang up.

I vote replace the starter.

 

[Dohc98vteC]

Ok, thanks for the responses, I will get on the starter when it acts up again.

 

[Dohc98vteC]

Update: it finally died a week ago and I was able to replace it with a new (not rebuilt) starter from Advance, problem solved.

 

[Lubener]

Good fix.

 

[sleddriver]

Since I replaced the sled's starter, I've had no more battery problems and the motor starts very fast. The original starter was just flat worn out. Starters live a hard life. Mine had been in there for about 15yrs. It was a mess when I took it apart for a look-see.