starter clicking (trouble shoot help)

[Robin8er]

I attempted my first engine start today, only to find that the starter doesn't work. It worked great yesterday with the prop off/spark plugs out. It cranked over very quickly and without hesitation.

The symptoms are it engages the starter ring, prop doesn't move and the starter continuously clicks. It is for sure the starter clicking, not the starter solenoid on the firewall. I charged the battery and it is at 12.7 volts. I followed sky-techs trouble shoot, everything seems fine. Starter is getting 12 volts. I didn't know where to measure the ohms.

How do I measure the ohms on the starter? it it between the aircraft ground/starter case?


Yesterday, in preparation for an engine start today, I followed Lycoming's pre-oil procedure and cranked the engine for about 15 seconds until the oil pressure gauge indicated oil pressure. It indicated about 40 psi, then I stopped for the day. I cranked it with the propeller off and spark plugs removed. It did smell a little burned when I was done cranking, I'm worried I burned the starter. I know that you are supposed to only crank for 10 seconds. I didn't count, but I think I cranked the engine between 10 to 15 seconds.

[AJ85WA]

Im not an expert on this but try a different battery.

Sounds like the battery doesnt have enough cranking amps to turn it over.

[Robin8er]

I supposed i could try my car battery. but it's a new odyssey battery and is fully charged.

[rvbuilder2002]

I suggest you start HERE

[lr172]

Does the starter have a round solenoid attached to it? If so, Place your hand on that solenoid have someone crank the engine while feeling for that clicking. Given that you smelled something burning and hear clicking, it is possible that you had a failure (early mortality) of the solenoid winding. While clicking of a solenoid is often from a bad battery or wiring, it can happen due to a failed solenoid. This is much more likely when brand new, as some small percentage of parts have defects direct from the factory.

15 seconds of cranking is not really excessive and no starter should fail due to cranking for this amount of time.

Larry

[Toobuilder]

A very quick and dirty test is to connect the starter case to the battery neg terminal with a length of wire. If the starter performance improves (or the wire burns up), then you have a bad ground path.

[Robin8er]

It was a bad ground. Thanks for the help. It seems like electrical issues are always a bad ground.