924Board.org

[uncledoodoo]

after running some errands to a few stores last night. I get home, kill the engine, for about 5 minutes, come back outside to pull the car into the garage and the starter is dead, nothing. I wait 20 minutes or so and still dead so I call it a night. I get up this morning prepared to troubleshoot but just tested it and it cranked up as normal. Is that a solenoid issue?

[dubrict]

When hot, the case on a bad starter can warp in a way that the mechanisms inside can't turn. It's also possible for the solenoid to not function at high heat as well. Here's a hillbilly way to tell if it's the starter motor:

Get the motor hot so that the starter won't work. Shut it off. Attempt to pop-start the car, but at a slow enough speed that it won't actually start the car. Then try to start it normally. If the motor turns, the starter motor is bad. If it does not, the solenoid (or both) is bad.

*edit* try to crank it while the car is rolling!
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1979 924 NA
2009 Chevy Impala
2005 Dodge Dakota

[dubrict]

Or of course it could just be the wiring to the starter. TBH, that's more likely with these cars.
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1979 924 NA
2009 Chevy Impala
2005 Dodge Dakota

[JjyKs]

Similar problem and it was a solenoid and starter combined. The original solenoid didn't work when hot, but even with the working one the starter sometimes didn't just work.

[uncledoodoo]

Ok, I'm convinced its heat-soak, I have to wait 2 hours for it to work. now I've spotted one locally at a parts store. The solenoid is integrated with the starter. Is that right for a 78? I plan to work on it this coming weekend so I have not taken the bottom plate off so I can see the starter yet.

[JjyKs]

No idea about that but when you remove the starter I'd suggest you to rebuild the wiring at the same time.

Here's how my '85 starter looks:


And couple wires inside the heat wrap. The wires looked pretty ok before cutting the wrap..