Poll: How many miles before solenoid failed?

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by bhedberg

The problem I had was the female connector on the purple wire that connects to the starter. The metal in the connector is bent to produce a spring action against the male spade connector on the starter when it is plugged in. Over time, and in the harsh environment of the valley, that metal clip loses its spring tension and does not maintain reliable contact. When I opened up the plenum and disconnected the purple wire, there was no resistance at all to the connector coming off. That could explain the no start when hot and then starting again after partially cooling off. The metal clip can be released from the plastic of the connector and re-formed (bent) to reestablish some spring tension in order to provide a positive connection. As a backup, I always carry a "starter stick" I got from Gordon years ago. It is a 3/16 inch steel rod about 30 inches long. When experiencing the no start, the rod can reach the starter with the hood up and probing behind the engine at the firewall. The method is to hold the key in the start position and tap tap on the starter with the starting stick. (easier with 2 people) The vibration from the tapping can reestablish contact and get the engine started. Release the key to the on position after it fires up. Of course there are other failure modes that produce the no start condition but I'd guess there have been lots of perfectly good starters tossed because of the connector. Some may have replaced a starter only to have the condition return soon after.

That is a very good point! Thanks for posting this!