No-start, no-crank was intermittent now will never start

[mizzouguy]

If ign wire on solenoid had 12v with key in start, battery wire has 12v, and wire going from solenoid to starter case is good, then the solenoid is bad or starter is bad. It needs to be removed and bench tested. Probably replaced. The only other thing you could try testing before you pull it is key turned to start, when you have 12v to ign terminal, whether you have 12v from solenoid to starter case. That would tell you if the solenoid is good or bad. Be careful doing that tho.

 

[Scharper]

If ign wire on solenoid had 12v with key in start, battery wire has 12v, and wire going from solenoid to starter case is good, then the solenoid is bad or starter is bad. It needs to be removed and bench tested. Probably replaced. The only other thing you could try testing before you pull it is key turned to start, when you have 12v to ign terminal, whether you have 12v from solenoid to starter case. That would tell you if the solenoid is good or bad. Be careful doing that tho.

Thanks, I know for sure I was on the battery wire terminal. The other terminal I was on I'm not sure if that was the relay terminal or the starter case terminal. It was so tight and I could barely see what I was doing. I'll try again this afternoon and see if I can get the multimeter on the 3rd terminal. Either way, it seems like it could only be the solenoid or starter at this point.

 

[Scharper]

So I got the starter off and with 12v applied to the starter case terminal the starter spins up nicely. So the starter motor is good.

Just to clarify, if the relay terminal indicates 12v when the key is turned, yet it doesn't allow the starter to spin, that means just the solenoid is bad? If the ignition or some relay elsewhere was bad, the relay terminal would not show any voltage when the key is turned, correct?

 

[mizzouguy]

Right. Id say you got it narrowed down to the solenoid.

 

[Chizzychase]

I wonder how the hell the door locks came into play on making it start

 

[Scharper]

It may not have had any affect. I was just trying a bunch of random things lol.

 

[Scharper]

Success! I replaced the solenoid and it fires right up now. None of the autozone/advanced/oreilleys/napa carry just the solenoid. They want you to buy the whole starter. I had to go to a alternator/starter specialty shop for just the solenoid and it was actually cheaper than I could get it for on amazon!

 

[mizzouguy]

Good deal! Thanks for the update