My SPort is having trouble starting lately .. Nothing happens when I turn the key (sometimes)
8 times out of ten it will go .. But the times it will not turn over are increasing.
I just keep trying (turning the key) sometimes it will go on second crank and sometimes it takes 5 -10 cranks.
I am hoping it is just the solenoid starter and I can fix myself?
Any help is appreciated
Thanks so much
Jan

 

My guess would be the starter itself. next time that happens, using a 12 volt test lite ck both wires for power when the key is turn on and trying to start. If you have power at both wires,then the starter is causing the problem.

 

I'm no professional mechanic, but my guess is one of the copper contact terminals, in the starter is worn out (seems to be a common failure on Nipendenso starters). You can fix this for about $10 and a couple hrs labor.

 

The problem has become much worse last 2 days. I hear the humming of the fuel pump so that seems fine. But it is taking approx 10 tries to make it go I think my time is running out.
Can a voltmeter test this? If so how do I set it or read it. Sorry I just want to make sure this is it before I throw my money away on a mechanic. Is the starter easy to see once I get underneath? I do not have the tools to jack it up myself nor the wrenches to remove/replace.
I have found a reconditioned one lifetime warranty for $144 It seems reasonable to me
Thank You
Jan

 

I guess I don't write in English. I said the problem would most likely be a copper contact in your starter. it's a $10 part to fix. VERY common on the Nipendenso starters that these vans use.

if you take 1 min to find your starter right underneath in front by the radiator, you will be able to determine the level of difficulty to service.

you can surely use a meter to determine the problem. It's strange that you'd have a meter but not a wrench at all. you can actually get the starter out without a jack. I just park over a ditch or put 2 wheels on the curb then there's enough room for my fat butt. all you need is a 15mm wrench and a 13mm socket!

 

Hello sapporo I appreciate your opinion but please slow down on the harsh comments.
I just came here for help
I am visiting a friend in the states that owns the van. Tools are Very limited. I understood what you said about the contacts but was not sure if I could even get into if I did indeed manage to get it off.
I was hoping this testing could be done with the starter still attached to on the vehicle.
I have read it could be other things (computer etc) so I am just trying to narrow things down before removing parts. Obviously if I can get it off and into it without damaging it I would be thrilled .. I expect replacing these contacts is pretty much what they have done to the refurbished ones I would be thrilled to only spend $10.
Also we are in the city on a dirt cul de sac No curbs no ditches .. the closest one is on a busy street kinda dangerous to slide my "fat butt' under it over there.
However with that said I am thinking I can maybe get close enough to the pathway around the house (without hitting a brick wall) to raise the front end up.
A post somewhere led me to believe it was a special 15mm wrench Long or short (unsure) I will check that out and carry on.
One last thing DOES the STARTER need to be removed before I can test it?
Thanks again
Jan

 

I have copied and pasted this to see if you all agree plus to be helpful to others
"I just did this operation. If your car won't start or if you suspect a problem with the solenoid (which is integral to the starter motor) you have to do this.

First of all, REMOVE THE NEGATIVE CABLE FROM THE BATTERY BEFORE YOU BEGIN! IF YOU DON'T, YOU STAND A GOOD CHANCE OF CREATING SOME BIG SPARKS FROM ACCIDENTALLY LETTING A POSITIVE CABLE TOUCH SOMEWHERE ON THE CHASSIS GROUND. NOT ONLY MIGHT THIS CAUSE ELECTRICAL DAMAGE TO SOMETHING EXPENSIVE, BUT SPARKS AROUND GASOLINE IS A MAJOR HAZARD!

You have to get under the car. You're looking for the starter, which is bolted to the engine by two bolts. The starter is near the oil filter; you can tell it's the starter because you'll see where the cable is attached to the starter terminal by a nut.

There are two 15mm bolts to be removed, one at the bottom which is relatively easy to get to from below, and one at the top which is somewhat tricky to get to by above.

The one at the top is tricky because it doesn't look like a bolt. There are two wires in about the right place (look at the new starter assembly holes) that attach to what looks like a threaded stud - believe it or not, that's the upper bolt. You have to first remove the nut and the two wires, then you need a 15 mm deep socket to get the upper bolt off. Do not attempt to remove the bigger bolt that appears at the top - that's a motor mount bolt. The one you have to remove doesn't look like a bolt at first. Weird-looking part.

Suggestion: Use a bungee cord to pull back the big fat radiator hose (the one that connects to the thermostat housing) to make room to get the upper bolt off. Pull towards the firewall.

Now get back under the car and remove the starter-solenoid assembly. Replace with the new or rebuilt one - it'll cost you about $140. This is tricky, getting the starter motor in place while getting the gasket seated properly. You'll just have to futz with it for a while. You may get lucky and do it quickly or not. Be patient. Get the lower bolt in and tighten, then get the upper bolt in. Do a final tightening of both, then replace the cable that attaches to the starter. Remove bungee cord and let the radiator hose fall back into place.

There's a plug that goes in near where the cable nut is. You may have to loosen the nut and cable and play with it if it's reversed from your old part. (That happened to me.) Refasten negative cable on battery.

That's it! About a two hour job and very dirty on the fingers. I suggest rubber gloves."

 

wow, that's a lot of funny story. I know high school kids that can R&R these starters and fix the solenoid in less than 1hr. the solenoid repair parts range from $2 to $15 depending where you go.

 

It's a shame that when you come to sites like this for advice you end up being mocked. The last post by cdnjan is a good instruction set for removing the starter motor. I would just like to add a few comments.
If you are trying to work out if the fault is with the motor or the solenoid, its highly unlikely that a faulty motor will start intermittently. Normally, when a motor is dead - its dead. As described above, if it starts sometimes and not others, its almost certain to be the contacts in the solenoid. In my case, I could clearly hear the solenoid click, the dashboard lights dimmed as they normally do during starting but no action from the starter motor. This problem got progressively worse over about a week until it took about 10 tries to get it started.
Before purchasing a new starter motor, follow the instructions above (you also need a 13mm socket to remove the two wires from the 15mm post/bolt) to remove the starter.
Then take an extra couple of minutes to clean the solenoid contacts. This step is a lot easier than removing the motor was.
Remove the three 8mm bolts from the end of the solenoid cap to expose the plunger and contacts. If you've not seen the inside of a solenoid before, you'll find that the plunger and spring fall out when you turn the solenoid upside-down. You'll easily recognize that it is the underside of the plunger which touches the two contacts inside the housing and you'll see that all three components are carbonized and possibly pitted.
In my case, there was a lot of carbon but very little pitting so I was able to fix it with a little bit of sanding. Don't be too aggressive with the sanding - you don't want to create a gap - but don't worry about making a mistake either. The contacts and plunger don't have to be perfectly smooth to work and now that you've got it apart, you can decide whether or not to replace the parts or try your luck with just sanding.
I did this job on a Sunday when there was no auto parts store open and, from past experience, expect my sanding job will outlast the rest of the engine.
Lastly, there is a metal gasket between the start motor and the engine itself. It tends to fall off while you're trying to remount the start motor so just be careful not to bend it.

Good Luck.

 

I have a 2002 Dodge Caravan, a red dot on the dash board is staying on, which i know its a indecator for the car alarm, but when i try to start the van it shuts off right way, this happends five times in a row, then i try to start it up again for the sixed time the van wont start most times till an hour has passed and now it wont start up at all.