Hiya everyone, I own a early 90's Mustang 940 which has been a great little snow removal/landscaping machine for me over the years. Starts easy on sub zero temps and has very little down time (compared to my Komatsu 1026) Anyway, i busted a bucket hydraulic cylinder a while back and while my mechanic was replacing it, i asked him to look at the starter as it was sticking occasionally. (i mean not very often...maybe 1 in 20 starts). He sent it away to be rebuilt...but the rebuilder sent it back saying that it was all good. We dont use the machine that much, untill this summer. I didn't have time to trouble shoot it so we just did the screw driver across the terminals trick and it started every time. Sorry for the long post...well we are coming into winter here in the mountains and the old mustang needs to be ship shape..so I started trouble shooting the problem..my first thought was the key switch..although it tested fine with my meter, @ $10 i decided to change it....didn;t solve the problem....cleaned and tested the neutral switches.....didn't solve the problem.:Banghead SOOoo. when I turn the key the starter clicks like the battery is low or the starter bad. When i put my meter on the solenoid terminal when the key is turned to start i only get 8VDC...same at the key switch....put the screw driver across the terminals and she fires every time. I'm guessing a bad wire in 12v feed to key switch? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance Dingo
I'm not sure which terminals you're using the screwdriver trick on, little sparky or big sparky? If you're using the screwdriver to bypass the key and operate the solenoid with the little terminal and it starts, but doesn't with the key, then yes the wiring to the key switch sounds like the place to look. BUT it wouldn't hurt to check the battery post voltage with the key in the start position, then each terminal, then the battery terminal on the solenoid, starter terminal on solenoid, engine end of the ground cable. You might be losing the 4V somewhere besides the wiring. If you're using the screwdriver on the big terminals of the solenoid, switch to a wrench or replace the solenoid contacts.