jumping starter motor question

[oboytroyman]

So there's the positive terminal on the starter, the ground, and another wire that clips onto a piece of metal. My car, as it sits, doesn't make a single noise when i try to start it. If i use a screwdriver to jump the starter i place it on the positive bolt and the small metal piece. when i do this it sparks and makes a click noise.

 

[kevinspann]

the small metal wire is the 12v trigger for the solenoid. Are you getting 12v there when you try to start the car?

 

[itwonder]

Jumping from the positive (big) terminal on the starter over to the little spade terminal engages the starter and should cause the motor to crank (Be careful it is not in gear when doing so). If it clicks but does not crank, then that indicates the battery or wires are not able to supply enough current, or possibly, the starter is bad.

 

[rubydist]

so, if you short between the two large terminals on the end of the solenoid, you will get the starter motor to spin. However, to get the bendix to pull in, you need 12V on that little terminal on the solenoid - that is what causes the solenoid to pull in and that moves the bendix to engage the gear on the starter motor.

so, if you short between the 2 large terminals while someone is holding the key switch to "start" position, the starter should engage normally and start the engine. if that is the case but it won't start normally when you turn the key to "start" then you have a bad solenoid.

if you short between the 2 large terminals and nothing happens, then you either have a bad battery, bad connections on the battery cables, or an open circuit on the starter motor.