Smoking starter

Sorry for the long story...

OK. My battery crapped out on me yesterday during my break from work. It wouldn't hold a charge at all. I replaced the battery with a 1000 CA battery and it started up fine. I ran it for a while, then went to the gas station as I was almost empty.

When I tried to start it at the pump, it started to turn over and then just made a wierd noise. I tried again. It would just click once and nothing else.

I have been having to beat on the starter ever so often for a few months to get it to start, so I assumed the starter finally quit on me. What luck, the battery and then the starter within a couple hours.

I got it towed home and swapped out the starter with my used spare from my 88 XJ. It worked fine in my 88 when I parked it, but that was 2 1/2 years ago.

When I tried to start it, it sounded worse than the old one did, like it was sparking. I had someone else try it while I layed under and watched for the sparks or anything abnormal. Thick smoke started rising from the top of the starter near where it attaches to the bellhousing. The starter wasn't even making any noise like it was trying to turn.

Now after the story come the questions.

1) Could the higher amp battery be causing a less than perfect ground to become evident?

2) Do I just need a new starter?

3) Is there anything else that could be causing this problem?

I just hate to go buy a $90 starter just to burn it up and be out that $90. I would really like to get this figured out ASAP. I just got my Jeep back on the road after being out of commission for 3 weeks while I was working on the front axle.

TIA

It sounds like a bad ground, or two bad starters. Check your grounds, to the engine and chassis, then take your starter & have them bench tested.

Since you had to bang on the starter to get it working, it's bad. The one from your 88 could be just seized from non-use.

Like Chuck says, you should be able to take them to a parts place and have them test it. All of them around me will do it for free.

Turned out to just be the starter. It is working great now with a nremaned starter. Wish I had done it sooner.

Replaced the starter in my friend's 90 YJ with a new AC Delco starter. Went wheeling the next day, went through some water....the starter was smoking and getting red hot after that. Guessing it had an internal defect or short.

Replaced it under warranty with another AC Delco starter and it has been fine since.

Just another story to add about smoking starters, lol.

damnit man you should have never let the blue smoke out, sorry its late and i couldnt help myself. glad u figured out the prob