Hello Guest
« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Why does banging on a starter make it work?

  • 10 Replies
  • 5392 Views

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

*

Offline keith

  • 1176
  • 3
Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« on: July 18, 2004, 02:55:37 PM »
Why does banging on a bad starter make it work?  What actually need to be replaced to fix it?
Logged
*

Offline Digger

  • 1991
  • 1
  • Gender: Male
  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2004, 03:26:32 PM »
having a basic knowledge of electric motors helps understand the problem. What's going on when a starter doesn't work right and banging on it makes it work is this: There is a "flat spot" on the commutator or the brushes are bad or both. Or possibly the brushes are snagging on a rough spot on the commutator. When the starter motor stops spinning and happens to land right on the flat spot, banging on it knocks the armature far enough away from the spot to work normally again. To fix the starter, it's going to need new brushes, the commutator resurfaced(machined down on a lathe) and re-lubed. If the commutator is too thin to machine down, the armature itself will need replaced as well as the brushes. All of this is assuming you can get the assembly apart enough to do all of this yourself, many permanent magnet starters like the ones on the Track/kicks are sealed and virtually impossible to rebuild yourself.
Logged
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)
*

Offline explosivo

  • 3157
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
  • I'm in the northern part of that one state.
    • omghi2u Gen. Discussion Forums
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2004, 03:45:57 PM »
That's a really technical explanation... and I always thought the solinoid was just sticky :o  :-[
Logged
omghi2.us[/url]
"Its a ZUKI thing. Doing more with less than less with more." -- HotRod
*

Offline wildgoody

  • *
  • 8134
  • 67
  • Gender: Male
  • Turbocharged 150HP 1.6L 8V 93MPH 1/4 mile
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2004, 07:29:06 PM »
Ya, Me too
Logged
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
*

Offline jerryp58

  • 449
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2004, 10:45:59 PM »
I always thought it was the Bendix drive that was stuck ???
Logged
Jerry
1990 Geo Tracker,  2-Door Hard Top
1.6L 8v, 4x4 Automatic, 0" lift
*

Offline zooky

  • 135
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2004, 09:59:24 AM »
Quote
That's a really technical explanation... and I always thought the solinoid was just sticky :o  :-[

thats more likely what it is. Its a tight clearance in there and all it takes is a little dirt to get in there to jam it up. Dont use alot of grease in there, it just collects dirt. I just spray the slug with a bit of greasless lube then its good to go
Logged
*

Offline jagular7

  • 1026
  • 0
  • Gender: Male
  • Jagular7
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2004, 12:26:09 PM »
Don't forget about the shaft and it's bushings. Anything that can friction hold from the motor from spinning due to the electric field, will. Once the field beats this torque, it will spin the motor, then generate heat. Heat is another product of the electric field which hurts it's efficientcy to operate.

Same sort of thing happens with your tires and the frictional surface it's on.
Logged
Lenexa, KS
*

mperry

Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2004, 02:36:39 PM »
Maybe it's because it's part GM.

If it don't work, rap it with a hammer. If it starts working, it don't need replacin'. If it breaks, it needed replacing anyways.  ;D
Logged
*

Offline keith

  • 1176
  • 3
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2004, 03:57:59 PM »
If my starter works only when I bang on it will the clicky starter fix at http://www.off-road.com/suzuki/samurai/starterfix.htm work?

Logged
*

Offline Digger

  • 1991
  • 1
  • Gender: Male
  • 1996 Suzuki X-90 4X4
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #9 on: July 21, 2004, 05:02:33 PM »
No, I don't think that fix would work. Mine started going bad where it would only work when I rapped on it, then it would work fine for a few more times. It turned out to be a bad starter, the windings were burned up and the brushes were gone. The fix you posted provides more current and voltage to the starter by shortening the distance that the electricity has to travel. This is sometimes enough to overcome heat-related malfunctions such as the fix's author's problems, but the fix wont do a thing for a bad starter...
Logged
Had a cool sig pic till I changed the text... sigh...
90 Tracker: "Silver", 2" BL, 1-1/2" Coil Spacers, Strut mount flip, Calmini Header, Winch, 31" Swamper radials, Sold.
98 Suzuki X-90: Calmini 2" Sus, 1-1/4" whl spcrs, 2" Exhaust, Cobra Safari Bar, Neon, Sold.
96 Suzuki X-90: Mostly stock daily driver(for now)
*

Offline keith

  • 1176
  • 3
Re: Why does banging on a starter make it work?
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2004, 01:15:37 AM »
I have ordered a starter, but it wont' be here for a few days.  Almost of week of no Tracker and I am starting to go through withdrawal.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »