S10 '87 Blazer Starting Problems (Solenoid?) HELP!

S10 '87 Blazer Starting Problems (Solenoid?) HELP! Group: alt.trucks.chevy Date: Mon, Oct 6, 2003, 11:36am (CDT-2) From: snipped-for-privacy@Xmagihost.comX (AB) Hey folks, =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I've got an S10 '87 Blazer that only starts about every 3-4 tries of the starter (except now it won't start at all.) The starter is strong, but the flywheel does not seem to engage (when it does I can hear the clunk of the engagement and it always starts once that happens.) =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Questions: =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A01. Solenoid, right? =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A02. Is this easy to replace on this beast? =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A03. Do I have to pull the starter? =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A04. Do I have to replace the whole starter? =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A05. Are there any other specific problems to be aware of?? =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Thanks in advance! AB

How do you know if your starter is strong?When your turning the key do you hear anything?Im pretty sure on this year the solenoid is mounted on the starter.Meaning youll have to replace the whole deal.Have you checked your connections?When turning the key are you getting power?Do you have proper voltage?

~~~ (answers in parenthesis provided by Scrib)

From: snipped-for-privacy@Xmagihost.comX (AB)

Hey folks,

(hey ....how are yuh?)

=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I've got an S10 '87 Blazer that only starts about every 3-4 tries of the starter, except now it won't start at all.

(then it's not starting every 3-4 times)

The starter is strong, but the flywheel does not seem to engage.

(it's not supposed to....the starter is )

When it does I can hear the clunk of the engagement and it always starts once that happens.

(now there's some pertenant info....)

=A0Questions:

=A01. Solenoid, right?

(wrong) =A0=A0=A0=A0 =A02. Is this easy to replace on this beast? =A0=A0=A0=A0 (yes)

=A03. Do I have to pull the starter? =A0=A0=A0=A0 (yes)

=A04. Do I have to replace the whole starter?

(no) =A0=A0=A0=A0 =A05. Are there any other specific problems to be aware of?? =A0=A0=A0=A0 (yes, replacing the wrong part) =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =A0Thanks in advance! (your welcome...post script)

AB (scrib) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AB, make sure the battery is able to do the job before you go skinning yer knuckles up.

Check your battery cables at the post connector and make sure they're not all cankered up with corosion, a nice light blue powder all over the terminal ends and built up inside the wire sheathing, where the terminal is crimped to the wire.

Check that the battery cables are'nt loose at the other end as well.

Check that the wire connectors at the starter are nice and tight.

If alls well with the above........ go buy a reman starter and slap it in, or carry your starter to a rebuild shop and get the bendix and solonoid replaced.

good luck

Scrib Abell

Guess I forgot to say "startED" The time mentioned above that it didn't start was the only time it was left outside for the night. It started on the first try each time after it warmed up.

Guess I forgot to say "be engagED."

In response to this response and the first one:

The battery is strong. I can hear the starter spinning away, just not engaging the flywheel.

Thanks for your help guys.

AB

I guess I'm really appending what others have already said, and I can only disagree with one thing so far. Not that I like to disagree mind you.

You've asked whether its easy to replace the starter without saying what engine the truck has in it. I dont' think its easy on any of them. Its easier if you have the tools. If its a V6, its going to be a lot harder than the iron duke would be to work with. If its a 4x4 you can double that hard again. Maybe even harder if its an automatic trans combined with any of these others. Maybe.

I think it was already said where to start, that'd be the battery and its cables and connections. It could also be the at the key you know and thus, at your finger tips, not likely, but I think it COULD be. and what i mean by that is the start of the ignition system. er, my START of the ignition system, which for our purposes, we shall call the battery. go any further back than that and you will have to get someone with more experiennce than myself.

ok. be aware that i had a very similar problem last week. tapping with a hammer on the starter itself got me going, there fore I was convinced that the starter was bad. i set out ot pay someone to change it. I'd completely forgotten that I'd just had to engine pulled, rebuilt, and put back in the truck by a dumb as who didn't know or remember to tighten bolts and connections. Leaveing one of many, a starter wire loose. not off just loose. Fixed the entire problem. except for all the other bolts and/or wires he left undone or loose.

Hatt