"motsco_" <motsco_@interbaun.com> wrote in message
news:13440063l7rdc47@corp.supernews.com...
> Patrick wrote:
>> In news:Z_b0i.8263$HR1.3032@trnddc01,
>> JimC <res8rwal@verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Okay...the solenoid....and starter cable connections. I should have
>>> known to check these -- my pappy taught me better than that.
>>
>> There's a small copper contact plate in the solenoid/starter assembly
>> that
>> gets corroded after some time, and will produce exactly the symptoms you
>> describe -- intermittent cranking ability.
>
> -------------------------------
>
> His symptoms aren't really the same. When the copper contact inside the
> solenoid goes bad, you get the loud 'click' all the time, but sometimes
> the starter just doesn't go. When the ignition switch isn't firing the
> solenoid at all, there's no 'click'. He didn't say that it was clicking
> but not spinning the starter.
> The third scenario is when the armature / brushes aren't connecting so
> there's no click because the solenoid has no path to ground, but that one
> can be dismissed because he said that just torqueing on the key a few
> times made the starter fire up. If it was the brushes / armature, he would
> have needed to tap on the starter or slam a door to make the connection
> work better. Take a look at the thread (and its links) I provided. The
> schematic really made sense to me once I saw this problem in real life.
> There's two windings in the solenoid, one to suck it in and another to
> HOLD it in. Cool.
>
> http://www.hondasuv.com/members/showthread.php?t=20252&
>
> 'Curly'


Gentlemen,

Thank you all again for the very helpful advice. Unfortunately, I don't
have the car here with me this week (lovely and maddening daughter is away
for the week) so I can't verify the "loudness" of any clicks, but I will
definitely check on everything suggested here next time she has the car
home, and report back with the results.

I do appreciate all your help.

JimC