RODALCO

Your hardest part is to get easy access to the starter motor on newer cars.
Almost impossible from under the hood.

Same trick we used to do on diesel farm tractors, scewdriver didn't like that much and sometimes glowed red hot.

The old straight 4 and 6 engines were great to work on to bypass the solenoid with a few good sparks.

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There are more ways to get to Rome.

Electricity, Electric clocks, Meters and Trains are great.

HiTech

I'd use an old Craftsman screwdriver on a couple of starter motor contacts as well as for holding metal in place while welding. Later, I took it to Sears to exchange it for a new one. The Sears sales rep started to scold me on misuse of the tool. It was barely recognizable as a screwdriver! I told him before a few waiting customers that "if Sears has a problem with the condition or misuse of returned handtools, then they shouldn't offer an unconditional lifetime warranty. In the meantime your job is to simply exchange this defective tool for a new one without question or lecture. Besides, the high price of Sears handtools includes some mark-up for the percentage of tools that do get exchanged." I got nods of approval from the customers! LOL

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rjvh

did you get a new tool in the end????

Torben

Ouch.


Torben

theinfamousbob

Looks like I won't know until the dealership gets a hold of it. Didn't have time to mess with it before I came back to school. Thanks for all the replies; I'm sure that at least one of them would've worked.

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-Ian

HiTech

I most certainly did. Since then, Sears must have improved their tool exchange process to not include any questions or reasons for an exchange. Now days it's an even exchange with no questions nor comments necessary.

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rjvh

good on you

crusty

Gotta love these new vehicles where you practically have to remove the engine and transmission just to change a spark plug, alternator, etc.
Everything made after the 70s is a cheap piece of plastic sh**.

rjvh

so you're aware of the nano
(see worlds cheapest car tread)

Robert-Jan

crusty

Well Europe and Asia has always made crappy cars from the beginning(not all of them), i was referring to the 70's American breed cars, actual 50lb steel bumpers, cast iron engines, and no bulls**t plastic intakes and electronic timing.

mneary

I don't want to go back to the Good Old Days when the parts were all easily accessible.

My car may be made of mostly inaccessible parts, but even at 15 years old, it doesn't need "minor" repairs on a weekly basis like my 60's cars did.

mramos1

The 1970's as well (1978 Chevy corvette here; with big pain in the tail small block motor) I can jump it with a screw driver. Still do when it gets too hot.. BTW, Not my work car.

But 1990's? I doubt it as well as Nigel pointed out.

Sounds like something Bob could have fixed though. His Dad should have gave him a day or two, and he should have snapped pictures of the starter or went to the local auto store and bought a Haynes/"all the others guess" book.

So Bob, what is the outcome? How much did it cost?

3v0

As far as I can tell from the thread he did not even check the battery posts for a bad connection. What could be easier.

rjvh

something like the ferrari, lambourgini, lotus, spyker these can be crapy for some but in general it's the belief that they are the high end of the automobile world

as for the Toyota corola and camry they are the most relyable cars in the last 15 years in many countrys

of cause the american cars do also win a first prize in the catagory
the least Km/Mile per liter/gallon
some people like the hummer but I personaly i am not that found of it

i drive motor bikes annyway
car is handy but driving a motorbike is FUN

Robert-Jan

crusty

farrari , lamb, lotus, and spykers are all a plastic POS, look at the pictures after they smack them into a wall even at 60MPH. toyota is another plastic piece of recycled front wheel drive crap. Matter fact anything front wheel drive is a piece.



now that is sexy....