Bang on starter?

NYPDJeep · Jun 17, 2008

My 2000 stock XJ seems to have out-lived her starter.

Right now though it is stuck in an underground garage. I was going to push it out to a tow which would be a production, then a mechanic I know told me if I bang on the starter with a hammer while some one turns the ignition it should start once.

Anyone ever heard of or tried this?

Andx0r · Jun 17, 2008

Usually works, unless the starter is really mangled. That's a very, very old trick.

Works on fuel pumps too!

Jeepm@n · Jun 17, 2008

Does it just not turn over? jump the solenoid with a big screwdriver. It could just a simple battery cable connection or the NSS (neutral start switch) Put it in neutral and try to start it.

insanity · Jun 17, 2008

I have used that trick on military vehicals in the winter time up north.

ehall · Jun 17, 2008

It depends on what's broken. If the starter motor is stuck then yeah, but if it's a problem with the solenoid or the wiring then it won't do anything.

jeep ride · Jun 17, 2008

Used that method a few times

jk333 · Jun 17, 2008

I did that on my 87 Laredo. It works. Needless to say, I tried to leave it running every time I could until the starter was repalced. :laugh:

NYPDJeep · Jun 17, 2008

He said I'll probably only have one shot and to keep it running until I make it to the shop. I check the battery, tried starting it in neutral and checked the belt to be sure it wasn't bound up. The motor is just not turning when the igintion is fired.

I'm going to give it a "bang" tomorrow, I'll let you all know how it turns out. I glad to hear my mechanic is not out of his mind though.

89CherokeePioneer · Jun 17, 2008

NYPDJeep said:
He said I'll probably only have one shot and to keep it running until I make it to the shop. I check the battery, tried starting it in neutral and checked the belt to be sure it wasn't bound up. The motor is just not turning when the igintion is fired.

I'm going to give it a "bang" tomorrow, I'll let you all know how it turns out. I glad to hear my mechanic is not out of his mind though.

I did that for about a week-I was waiting for my paycheck to replace the starter.

88 Wagonman · Jun 17, 2008

Make sure that it's the starter and not the solenoid, etc like the previous posters said. If it turns out that it's not the starter and you bang on it with a hammer, there is a good chance that you will ruin the starter by hitting the magnets inside and breaking them or knocking them out of place, not to mention ruining the case. If it is the starter, bang away!

89CherokeePioneer · Jun 17, 2008

Yeah, but who cheaps out and only replaces the solenoid? If your in there anyway..

88 Wagonman · Jun 17, 2008

89CherokeePioneer said:
Yeah, but who cheaps out and only replaces the solenoid? If your in there anyway..

That's true if your talking about the solenoid in the starter itself. I am not familiar with the late model XJ's, but with the renix it takes a seperate solenoid next to the battery and that is the one that I was talking about.

Darky · Jun 17, 2008

It doesn't take a bang. A few taps will do it. It doesn't have to be hard enough to break stuff....

NYPDJeep · Jun 18, 2008

No luck. I tapped it a few times while some one turned the key: this time the belt turned, but the engine wouldn't turn over.

Now I have to push it out of a basement garage to a tow.

89CherokeePioneer · Jun 18, 2008

That sucks. So, what's parking like in NYC? I was going to drive down there this summer but I'm almost tempted to take the train.

NYPDJeep · Jun 18, 2008

Depends where and when, weekdays in midtown or downtown will run you more than your housing costs. Luckily the garage I'm stuck in is from my job and free, otherwise I would have be paying out at least $35 a day. Also no standing tickets are $115.

It is insane!

willy51 · Jun 18, 2008

I used to use that trick all the time on my old Chevy, there notorius for starter issues. Used on my jeep for quite some time as well. Its a way of getting old worn brushes to give you a little more love.

I'm confused though(natural blonde sorry) if the belt turned but the motor wont fire that sounds like it is something other than the starter or you have a low battery.

89CherokeePioneer · Jun 18, 2008

I've noticed that these need to be cranking rather quickly, if your battery is low or your having starter difficultys the ECM chooses not to send injector pulses or spark :/

insanity · Jun 19, 2008

I had a problem were I could crank but acted like it was geting no gas or spark. Turned out to be that the O2 sencer wires that I had to extent. For my headder had come loose from where I had them tied down after a hard day of wheeling. Then melted to my exhaust pipe and grounded it out. It cost me quite abit to fix and a night at the TORC club presidents house. At least I have a spare crank shaft sencer...

If its not the starter start tracking down wires for a bad ground.

NYPDJeep · Jun 23, 2008

I banged on the starter, no luck. The belt started turning though. I couldn't get it going so I gave up and got a local mechanic to come over. He tried starting it a few times and looked at different parts of the motor while doing so.

Then he kept the key turned for about 10-15 seconds which resulted in oil being blown all over the ceilling, walls and floor of the garage when the o-ring by the oil filter gave. We had to push it out of the garage to a tow and I will find out later today what the damage is.

Ouch.

Bang on starter?

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