Question about jump starting a vehicle

[kckndrgn]

Ok, so not a question of how, I've done it many times (at least 3 times every time I go to the drive-in ) but, I tried helping a lady at a store today and I couldn't get her truck started.

Her battery seemed good, although the neg terminal was lose. I tightened it up the best I could and had her try to start the truck. "click", that was it one click.

So I hooked up my truck to hers, rev'd my engine a bit and had her try. "click" and a slight crank, not even 1/4 rev. But nothing else. All of her lights were good and bright, normal dimming while trying to crank.

With the singular click I was hearing, I'm assuming that was the solenoid activating.
I did verify good contact with the jumper cables, the only thing I could think of was that the starter had bit the dust.

I hated leaving her in the parking lot, but I did all I could do and I'm not a mechanic, just someone willing to try to help out.

So, armchair quarterbacking here, and just for my knowledge, was the starter fried/dead or maybe something else?

TIA

 

[pmhowe]

I think there are other possibilities: A bad ground connection between starter and frame. A bad connection between solenoid and starter. I suspect carefully checking contacts in each step of the starting circuit would have identified the problem, but the two above would be where I would start. Good luck!

 

[Tooljunkie]

I have been using booster cables for +30 years. Good cables are hard to find without spending your childrens inheritance. Loose battery cable could be the culprit. Especially if its dirty. Corrosion on terminals is a poor conductor.

Bought a car a while back, needed a boost so owner brought out his cables. Shoulda left them in the dumpster where he found them. My cables are
Heavy 25' with clamps that need almost two hands to connect them.

Dont feel bad that you tried to help and failed. Car wouldnt start before you touched it. As long as it didnt catch fire you didnt make it worse.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Bad cables
Bad connections (on battery, frame, or starter
Bad battery (shorted cell)
Bad Starter, I would lean to that because it was turning a little
But it could also be a seized bearing in the engine.

 

[Diydave]

Could also be bad solenoid. Chronic low voltage pits the terminals inside the Solenoid. In that case, I would jump hot from good battery, to hot at starter, if starter spins, bad solenoid...

 

[Tooljunkie]

Bad cables
Bad connections (on battery, frame, or starter
Bad battery (shorted cell)
Bad Starter, I would lean to that because it was turning a little
But it could also be a seized bearing in the engine.

I saw a siezed alternator that locked engine up. Tech was about to replace starter, tried bumping it over and i could see belt slipping on alternator pulley.

 

[Daren Todd]

I saw a siezed alternator that locked engine up. Tech was about to replace starter, tried bumping it over and i could see belt slipping on alternator pulley.

That's fairly common in my shop. Before replacing starters at the shop, I instituted a policy that you remove fan belt and check all the pulleys first.

Had a three brand new pieces shipped in years ago that came with fan belts 4 sizes too small. Within 24 hours I had one break a belt tensioner. Next morning I got a call for another one locked up. It had burned the bearing in the alternator. That afternoon, my boss called me to take another unit to our other mechanic for an exchange. Got there, and it was the third one we had shipped in. Mechanic swore that the motor was locked up. He had spent three hours diagnosing it.

I looked at him and asked, if he wanted to see something that would p@@s him off Reached in with a knife, cut and removed the fan belt and hit the key Motor fired right up

 

[85Hokie]

Bad cables
Bad connections (on battery, frame, or starter
Bad battery (shorted cell)
Bad Starter, I would lean to that because it was turning a little
But it could also be a seized bearing in the engine.

NIW covered it:

If cables suck - and most do, you might as well take a couple of 9 volt batteries out of your pocket and try too!

Battery bad - bad cell - never gonna get it to start, (then again - it got her TOO the store!)

The connection is the problem......a loose ground wire, or internal battery connection, both or either will cause you to pull your hair out!

Often, when the starting cell is "dead" - you will need to allow the battery to "Sit" there a while and allow the battery needing charged to get caught up so to speak. A battery that hits right off the word go, and a battery that needs a little time and tlc are two batteries that have different states of charge at the present time.

Think of how many times you had to wait on a dead battery when the person left their lights on....you had to wait and allow the dead one to get somewhat charged up......ok, I'll stop talking about my middle son........

I would tell the "little ol lady" (or whomever - next time) to get to the store and have their alternator checked to see if system is charging - and have a load test placed on the battery to see if it is ok.

What you did was fine - had you sat there 10-20 minutes - her car would have started. When you go from nothing to a click, you have improved the situation, the time from moving to a click to a turn just takes a little more time!

 

[kckndrgn]

Thanks for the info. I do have quality jumper cables. Lost track of the number of times I've jumped someone and this was the first time it didn't work.
Went to the store today and her truck was still there so I guess it was a little more than a bad battery.

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