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Starter

wirejock

wirejock

Well Known Member
I installed cables to the starter today. First I removed the jumper per Vans. Big cable to the big bolt. Solenoid wire to the smaller one. I checked with an ohm meter and I read continuity between the smaller bolt and ground. Seems odd to have continuity there but I've never checked one.
Am I just reading the solenoid brushes?
 
wirejock said:
I installed cables to the starter today. First I removed the jumper per Vans. Big cable to the big bolt. Solenoid wire to the smaller one. I checked with an ohm meter and I read continuity between the smaller bolt and ground. Seems odd to have continuity there but I've never checked one.
Am I just reading the solenoid brushes?
Click to expand...

Is the snubber diode installed?
 
wirejock said:
....... I checked with an ohm meter and I read continuity between the smaller bolt and ground. Seems odd to have continuity there but I've never checked one.
Am I just reading the solenoid brushes?
Click to expand...

No, you're reading the resistance of the coil of the starter-mounted solenoid. That's what pulls the pinion gear into the ring gear and also closes the big contacts of the solenoid to allow power to flow into the starter motor.
 
wirejock said:
I think I understand.
Solenoid is a big electromagnetic right?
Click to expand...

Yes. It is an electromagnet which does two things: it closes a pair of big contacts which complete the circuit to the starter motor and it pulls the pinion gear into the ring gear.
 
Thats why you don’t need 2 solenoids any more ! Ancient wiring was for lycomint
and early Ford type starters. Most aftermarket starters have solenoid such as yours . Tom
 
correct. You are reading the resistance of the solenoid winding for generating the magnetic field. It needs to be pretty powerfull and therefore needs a lot of current (5+ amps typical when also pulling the drive gear) and that means low resistance on the winding.
 
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