Solenoid chatter?

I replaced the battery cables, with standard LYNX 4 gauge wires, and also the Voltage regulator, with a little but significant change. Now when I jump it off a running car, it reads 14.7 with the key off, 14.7 with the key on (accessories, etc), but 5V when I try to crank it, and I still get solenoid chatter. The rest of the electrical works a whole lot better (fans, windows, door chime, etc), but still no joy when starting it. All the connections are nice and tight and clean. Is there any good way to measure the resistance of the whole starter circuit, and compare it against what it should be? Would any other ground cables be at fault? I don't know about 'clamp on battery ends'.; the ones I bought came with the eyes already attached, and it uses post clamps on the battery ends. If they are some kind of crimp connection you do yourself, this is the first I've ever heard of it.

Alan

Seeing as the car starts normally when you jump it, and assuming you jump it with the ground clamp connected to the car body and the positive connected to the battery post, it leaves only the battery or battery ground cable as being bad. Battery positive and the starter motor wires must be good. Use your multimeter to measure restance from the actual negative battery post (not the cable clamp) to any part of the car chassis. It should be zero. Or, use your multimeter leads to measure battery voltage when trying to crank the engine. Connect the leads to the actual battery post, not the clamps. If your voltage drops when you crank the engine, your battery is bad. No ifs and or buts, the battery is bad if voltage drops significantly.

have you tried trying a different battery? That would have been my first step.... start with something easy... if you want to try it temporarily just disconnect yours and use jumper cables to tie into your leads... if that works... get a battery

A fully charged battery will be about 12.66 volts engine not running. Are you making a measurements with the jumper cables still attached to the other running car?

Measuring resistance is not really the best route. The reason is that you can see a good resistance value, but if there is corrosion in the circuit, that corrosion may not support the current of a working circuit. So..........where to go? Using the volt meter is the best path.

First things first. We have to know if the battery is good or not. We'll measure the Battery Open Voltage circuit. There may be a surface charge on the battery, so put on the lights with high beams and put the ventilating system fan on high blow ( obviously key on ) for 1-5 minutes ( then turn every thing off, including key ). Then wait 5-10 minutes, this will allow the battery to stabilize. Measure the battery voltage ( with noting on, no jumper wires from other car ).

12.66 100% 12.45 75% 12.24 50% 12.06 25% 11.89 0%

Measure Specific Gravity all six cells.

1.265 100% 1.225 75% 1.190 50% 1.155 25% 1.20 0%

You want to be 75% or better.

The Starter, starter ground, battery ground, ignition timing, Accessory ground, could be at fault. But start at the battery check it correctly and go on from there.

Look around at automotive parts stores, they are not crimp on but bolt on. You cut off the old connector and bolt on the new. That is a moot issuse as you said the ones you put on already have "eyes" already attached.

Measured the battery, worked pretty good. Did the test, and it dropped .8 volts. I just replaced it, so it's only a couple months old. Also tried it off a friends known-good battery (without mine attached), with the same result. Same with a jump from two different running cars. The voltage only drops when you try to start it. Just for the record, new battery, cables, starter, solenoid, regulator. alan

So..........where to

Both open voltage and specific gravity? What were the results?

Did what test, and how?

A improperly working charging system and or poor electrical connections can kill a battery in a few weeks.

so wait the sol chatters even with a jump frm another car.. that was not the info in your original post...

The solenoid is a large coil of wire basically... an inductor.. when the solenoid is disengauged there should be protection circuits to prevent the large voltage spike that will be present when releasing the enegry from an inductor...

I do not know this for sure on automobiles however in other electronics ive personally delt with (large relays, etc..) we always have what we call a freewheeling diode across the coil so that any voltage spike will flow through the diode and it bascially puts itself out

just because you replaced the starter ,that does not mean it is any good. i have seen many "new"starters that were so poorly put together ,they would not even spin hooked up out of the car

====================== If you put a new starter solenoid on it , the battery is fully charged and good, you must have a bad connection. It would be the ground somewhere between the battery and the solenoid, between the battery positive and the solenoid, or possibly a bad connection between the battery and the "crank" terminal on the solenoid. Have you tryed to jump from the battery pos. directly to the crank terminal of the soleniod? That would test your "crank" part of the ignition switch and the wiring between. You can also jump between the 2 large terminals on the solenoid with an old wrench or screwdriver (something that you dont mind getting weld marks on) :) there will be lots of sparks, but its only 12 volts, it wont kill you, and see if it cranks. It is possible that your new soleniod is bad but not likely if the results where the same as the old one. Try those two tests real quick and post back. Good luck.

possibly a bad freewheeling diode then?

Just an assumption

If the solonoid chatters under normal conditions and when jumper cables are used with another car, and we have a new battery, new cab;les and new starter, have we looked at the control circuit? What are the chances the 12v wire from the ignition key is not staying good? geez, how many times have i seen these little connectors crap out? Try using a screwdriver or something to jump 12v from the battery side of the solonoid straight to the 12v control stud on the solonoid. Hell, even try putting the 12v from battery side straight to the starter side. It'll make a large spark, but will at least tell you where or where not the problem lies..................

how come it couldnt poissibly be that?

Thanks for the info

Dude, I think your battery is dead......