| MikeinBurien |
Hi Folks,
I looked through the archives but couldn't find an answer to this problem. Our 2002 MDX has been driving and starting perfectly until today. After driving it about 15 miles, we came home then went out three hours later and the starter would not turn. Dash comes on, but the starter simply does not turn.
All other power appears to be working - strong headlights, dash, windows, etc. All strong.
Checked the interlock as much as I could. It's in park and I even unlocked the shifter and pulled it back into neutral without any change.
I checked through the fuse box in the engine component and couldn't detect any obvious blown fuses.
About 90k on the clock without any glitches to date.
The battery connections are in excellent condition with no corrosion or looseness.
Any ideas?
MikeinBurien |
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| MikeinBurien |
Ok - Here's an update. Did some troubleshooting and found the following:
* Starter Signal Fuse - 7.5A Looks good
* Jumped the starter solenoid directly to the battery and the starter turned maybe a quarter engine revolution, then stopped. Could not repeat the starter turning by jumping the solenoid.
* Hooked up a volt meter to the starter solenoid and get 12.2V when turning the ignition key to start.
These symptoms appear to point to a bad starter, but if it is a bad starter, I'm surprised that it work then all of a sudden not. No warning, no clicking. Worked, then didn't.
Thoughts?
I was thinking about pulling the starter to bench test it. My hands are kinda big and the starter looks a bit buried. Any tips on removing it?
MikeinBurien |
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| Ceenit |
How old is the battery? There tends to be little warning on the MDX when the battery goes. I had the same symtops you described before having to get a new battery.
I'd try jumping it first before I went to the trouble of pulling the starter.
Other that some reported whining noises from the starters, I've seen very few reports of the starter or solenoid going bad on the MDX's. |
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| MikeinBurien |
Thanks Ceenit.
I checked the battery a couple of ways including jumping it with a 50A starter/charger as well as having it checked by the auto store. It's holding about 505A which while not brand new, is well within the good range.
Since I didn't hear back from anyone on clever tricks on removing the starter, I went ahead on my own. Note as easy as my Ford F150 for sure. I ended up removing the battery, then the plastic box and finally the metal battery tray. The tray is quite a chore and there is one bolt that is somewhat difficult to get to. Additionally, there are about 8 different sets of wires/hoses attached to the battery tray to keep them from getting tangled, etc.
After getting all these preparation parts out of the way, getting the starter out wasn't that easy either. The factory must use super glue on the threads and I resorted to a 3 foot pipe on a 1/2 socket wrench to loosen the bolts. After the initial loosening the bolts came out fine.
I "bench tested" on the floor of my garage and got intermittent results - meaning sometimes the starter would work and sometimes it wouldn't spin at all. I wasn't sure if my jumper cable connections were good enough so I took the starter to the auto store for an electronic test.
Sure enough - at least according to the store - the solenoid was not letting enough juice go through it to the motor. Only 25A instead of the minimum 40A required to turn the motor.
So, I'm buying a rebuilt Autolite starter for about $125 including tax, but it will take 3 days to get here. Ugh...
I'll repost once I get everything back in to see if this solved the problem.
MikeinBurien |
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| Ceenit |
Good luck and thanks for the update. I'm assuming your new starter price include both the starter and the solenoid?
If you get a chance please snap a pic of the old and replacement starter. I think others would be interested in knowing if there is any difference in a non OEM model.
The dealer replaced mine several months back due to a whine when starting in cold weather. It still worked fine, just an annoying noise. The overall cost was about $350, so it sounds like your saving yourself quit a bit with a DIY. |
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