I am having a starting issue, no turning just a lot of clicking. I checked batteries, charge connection and terminals, had starter rebuilt and still no luck. It was working just fine the poof nothing but clicking. Ignition switch maybe? It has 2700 hrs on it and has a perkins engine. any input would be appreciated. Thanks, John
Can you determine where the clicking is coming from?
I thought it sounded like it was coming from the starter but now that it is doing the same thing with a newly rebuilt starter I am thinking I was wrong.
When someone mentions a clicking noise while trying to start, the first thing I think of is the starter solenoid which may or may not be located on the starter depending on its design. Without determining that this is the case I'm just guessing. Two things I'd look at first in addition to what you've already done is to make sure the battery ground strap has a good clean connection at the engine block plus make sure that the solenoid ground contacts are clean as well. I'm assuming that when you replaced the starter you cleaned the hot lead contacts, both at the starter and the exciter lead to the solenoid.
You could try putting a voltmeter at the starter hot terminal while trying to start. This will at least help tell you if it's the starter or wiring, battery, solenoid problem. Sadly a "rebuilt" starter is no guarantee that it will actually work when installed.
A number of things can cause a problem like this. But you at least need to follow the advice offered so far. First, make sure you have a good ground connection at battery and motor frame, you can't test the ground under load with a volt meter. I've seen battery cables that aren't making good connection where the cable meets the moulded terminal, and I'm not talking about "emergency bolt on" terminals. Once you know you have a good ground, get out your volt meter to test while cranking. It's best to use an analog meter or a plain old 2" volt meter rigged up with wires, digital meters don't respond quick enough for these kind of test's, a needle on a gauge works best. You also need a remote starter button to connect directly to your starter, connect one wire to the battery + terminal at the starter and the other wire to the solenoid terminal of the starter. Hit the remote start button and see if the starter cranks. If not, connect your volt meter to the ground post of the battery and directly to the positive post of the battery, not the cable terminal. Hit your remote starter button. A good battery shouldn't drop below 11 volts, 10 volts max when you hit the starter. If it does, the battery is crap. If it doesn't drop, connect your meter to the battery cable terminal, test again. If the voltage doesn't drop, connect your meter cable to the battery + terminal on the starter, test again. By now, you should experience a voltage drop and determine you have a bad cable. If it doesn't drop, starter no good.
Hi ATCOEQUIP, very good detailed advice. I would like to question the statement "you can't test the ground under load with a volt meter". If you put the neg. lead of the voltmeter on the starter housing and the pos. lead at the battery and crank and then compare this to having the neg. lead at the battery, wouldn't this show a bad ground?
Hmm, seems logical to me. I think you first have to confirm your positive cable path is good, then you could proceed to the ground test as you suggested. If you have a good postive, and you attempt to crank, with your meter connected to positive battery post and frame ground; if you have a bad ground cable/terminal connection, the starting load demand should break your frame ground and drop the needle. Makes sense to me.