ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Suzuki 4x4 Forum => Topic started by: keith on July 18, 2004, 02:55:37 PM
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Why does banging on a bad starter make it work? What actually need to be replaced to fix it?
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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.
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That's a really technical explanation... and I always thought the solinoid was just sticky :o :-[
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Ya, Me too
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I always thought it was the Bendix drive that was stuck ???
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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
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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.
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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
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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?
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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...
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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.