THIS POST IS 3 YEARS OLD.  See the end for current issue.

This weekend on 2 occasions I started my Tracker and shut the engine off and immediatly tried to restart and it the starter wouldn't engage.  both times I lightly banged on the solenoid and it started working again immediatly.  The only times I've had this problem recently were in quick on -off situations.  Whenever its sets for awhile it is fine.  Any idea why this might be happening.  the starter is a 2 year old rebuild.

Keith

Sounds like a bad solenoid to me.  Rebuilds are potluck.  I usually rebuild my own, I have the luck of having a good electrical parts supplier close to home here.

Checked your connections?? Sometimes as simple as that.

The first time it happened I wiggled the starter wires and it didn't start.  After banging the solenoid with a ratchet handle then it started.

The studs on the back of the solenoid (that the wires hook onto) came loose on my old starter.  I thought the solenoid was crapped out, but it was actually loose studs.  It can happen when they get installed i guess, but it gave me intermittent starts.  I tightened them up and it was fine, although i had already installed a new one....

I would say that most likely heat is what is causing your problem. When you let it cool down enough, you say it works fine, but when it's freshly hot, it doesn't want to start... A hot solenoid sometimes doesn't like to operate freely...

I would say that most likely heat is what is causing your problem. When you let it cool down enough, you say it works fine, but when it's freshly hot, it doesn't want to start... A hot solenoid sometimes doesn't like to operate freely...

It's got a good coat of mud on it now.  Could that make it operate much hotter?  This has just started since going wheeling a few weeks ago.  Tonight I'll clean it off and check the connections.

The mud might be insulating it, holding the heat in more...

The more things change the more they stay the same!

My "new" 92 is doing the same thing my old one did.  I started fine every time I tried for a week and then last night after parking for 20 minutes it wouldn't start!  After fretting for a few minutes I took out the jack handle and gave the starter a few hits.  It then started immediately.  I'm supposed to take my son camping about 20 miiles from home tonight.  I'm debating hunting down a new starter and installing it before the trip or just limping by with the current one.  It will depend on if the local stores have one and how much cheaper one from Hawks is.

if you can find a rebuilder shop it shouldnt be that much. A starter working after tapping it denotes that Its bruhes are bad or the springs pushing them are bad.

http://www.carelectricparts.com/servlet/the-3416/starter-brush-kit-91/Detail

I put a rebuilt starter in on Friday.  Took an hour because of the cramped conditions.  The vehicle started fine all weekend and the new starter is guaranteed for life.