Starter question

Went flying today. Go to crank the engine for start, nothing. Turn the
key, got like a jiggle of the prop. Turn all electrical things off,
figuring the battery drained, and then started just the alt and bat, same
thing, jiggle of the prop. Tried once more, and got the prop to turn and
fired right up.

Just had the durn starter replaced in July with a new one.

I don't think it was the battery, as nothing moved when I turned the key,
just a strange noise, no clicking like it would sound with a dead
battery. When I fired up the master and alternator, I heard a noise
sounding like something was draining the battery, yet the meter was
stable in the middle, not indicating any discharge.

Last week, when I cranked it, it struggled on the first turn of the prop,
but it started, so I had attributed it to maybe my battery being low, it
being very cold by MS standards, but after today, watching the electrical
amnmeter, the load was fine once the engine was running.

Am I having a bad run of starters, or should I be looking elsewhere for a
problem?

Grant you, I try to fly two times a week, but I would think I would have
gotten more starts out of this starter then 6 months worth.

Plane normally starts with one or two turns of the prop, so it's not like
the starter is running for any period of time or been abused.

Allen

On Jan 29, 6:34 pm, A Lieberma wrote:
Went flying today. Go to crank the engine for start, nothing. Turn the
key, got like a jiggle of the prop. Turn all electrical things off,
figuring the battery drained, and then started just the alt and bat, same
thing, jiggle of the prop. Tried once more, and got the prop to turn and
fired right up.

Just had the durn starter replaced in July with a new one.

I don't think it was the battery, as nothing moved when I turned the key,
just a strange noise, no clicking like it would sound with a dead
battery. When I fired up the master and alternator, I heard a noise
sounding like something was draining the battery, yet the meter was
stable in the middle, not indicating any discharge.

Last week, when I cranked it, it struggled on the first turn of the prop,
but it started, so I had attributed it to maybe my battery being low, it
being very cold by MS standards, but after today, watching the electrical
amnmeter, the load was fine once the engine was running.

Am I having a bad run of starters, or should I be looking elsewhere for a
problem?

Grant you, I try to fly two times a week, but I would think I would have
gotten more starts out of this starter then 6 months worth.

Plane normally starts with one or two turns of the prop, so it's not like
the starter is running for any period of time or been abused.

Allen

Get a voltmeter and use the troubleshooting procedure outlined here...

http://www.skytecair.com/images/Troubleshooting
%20Diagram_5.0.pdf

Could be a cable problem or something similar. Take the starter to an
Autozone or similar store and have them test it for you (they can do
the same for your alternator).

Regards,
Bud

wrote in
oups.com:

Get a voltmeter and use the troubleshooting procedure outlined here...

http://www.skytecair.com/images/Troubleshooting
%20Diagram_5.0.pdf

Could be a cable problem or something similar. Take the starter to an
Autozone or similar store and have them test it for you (they can do
the same for your alternator).

Tbanks Bud for the great reference!

Allen

wrote in message oups.com...
: On Jan 29, 6:34 pm, A Lieberma wrote:
: :
: Get a voltmeter and use the troubleshooting procedure outlined here...
:
: http://www.skytecair.com/images/Troubleshooting
: %20Diagram_5.0.pdf
:
: Could be a cable problem or something similar. Take the starter to an
: Autozone or similar store and have them test it for you (they can do
: the same for your alternator).
:
: Regards,
: Bud
:

1.66 megs:
http://www.skytecair.com/images/Trou...iagram_5.0.pdf

On Jan 30, 5:00 pm, "Blueskies" wrote:
wrote in ooglegroups.com...

: On Jan 29, 6:34 pm, A Lieberma wrote:
: :
: Get a voltmeter and use the troubleshooting procedure outlined here...
:
: http://www.skytecair.com/images/Troubleshooting
: %20Diagram_5.0.pdf
:
: Could be a cable problem or something similar. Take the starter to an
: Autozone or similar store and have them test it for you (they can do
: the same for your alternator).
:
: Regards,
: Bud
:

1.66 megs:http://www.skytecair.com/images/Trou...iagram_5.0.pdf

Thanks for the re-post. Sorry about the wrap around URL.

Bud

: Get a voltmeter and use the troubleshooting procedure outlined here...
:
: http://www.skytecair.com/images/Troubleshooting
: %20Diagram_5.0.pdf

The URL is mangled, but

http://www.skytecair.com/Troubleshooting.htm

gets you there. That's an excellent guide. Note they talk in
#3 about measuring the difference between two terminals
***while under load.****

When not loaded, all will look fine...


I'll add a few things.

a) Watch out for the prop.

b) In the steps showing you measuring at a terminal; there are THREE
places to measu

1) The terminal bolt
2) The lug
3) The wire itself

Assuming they are one & the same is a bad idea. If the lug-bolt
connection is dirty, 1&2 will be different voltages UNDER LOAD. If
the lug is not well-connected to the wire.... That's especially an
issue with aluminum wire...

Do not forget the grounds!! The battery ground, the engine-frame
ground.... all those matter..

You can also diagnose bad starter connections another way -- feel.
After the slow/failed crank, carefully feel each connection mentioned.
The bad one will be hot, and may be HOT. The advantage to this is
it is done after cranking, not while.
--
A host is a host from coast to
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

"A Lieberma" wrote in message
. 18...
Went flying today. Go to crank the engine for start, nothing. Turn the
key, got like a jiggle of the prop. Turn all electrical things off,
figuring the battery drained, and then started just the alt and bat, same
thing, jiggle of the prop. Tried once more, and got the prop to turn and
fired right up.

Just had the durn starter replaced in July with a new one.

I don't think it was the battery, as nothing moved when I turned the key,
just a strange noise, no clicking like it would sound with a dead
battery. When I fired up the master and alternator, I heard a noise
sounding like something was draining the battery, yet the meter was
stable in the middle, not indicating any discharge.

Last week, when I cranked it, it struggled on the first turn of the prop,
but it started, so I had attributed it to maybe my battery being low, it
being very cold by MS standards, but after today, watching the electrical
amnmeter, the load was fine once the engine was running.

Am I having a bad run of starters, or should I be looking elsewhere for a
problem?

Grant you, I try to fly two times a week, but I would think I would have
gotten more starts out of this starter then 6 months worth.

Plane normally starts with one or two turns of the prop, so it's not like
the starter is running for any period of time or been abused.

Allen

Check to make sure your engine is properly grounded to the airframe.
Sometimes you get a loose connection, sometimes the connections corrode. In
either case, the juice may try and find an alternate path, which can ruin
throttle cables, P-leads, and other potential ground paths that are not
sized for starter sized loads.

KB

"Kyle Boatright" wrote in
:

Check to make sure your engine is properly grounded to the airframe.
Sometimes you get a loose connection, sometimes the connections
corrode. In either case, the juice may try and find an alternate path,
which can ruin throttle cables, P-leads, and other potential ground
paths that are not sized for starter sized loads.

Thanks KB,

From hearing noises in the headset when I switch on the master, my thoughts
are it's a grounding or wiring problem. This was new on the last start,
never heard any type of electrical noises.

Will be sure to bring this up to my A&P.

Allen

What engine?




A Lieberma wrote:
Went flying today. Go to crank the engine for start, nothing. Turn the
key, got like a jiggle of the prop. Turn all electrical things off,
figuring the battery drained, and then started just the alt and bat, same
thing, jiggle of the prop. Tried once more, and got the prop to turn and
fired right up.

Just had the durn starter replaced in July with a new one.

I don't think it was the battery, as nothing moved when I turned the key,
just a strange noise, no clicking like it would sound with a dead
battery. When I fired up the master and alternator, I heard a noise
sounding like something was draining the battery, yet the meter was
stable in the middle, not indicating any discharge.

Last week, when I cranked it, it struggled on the first turn of the prop,
but it started, so I had attributed it to maybe my battery being low, it
being very cold by MS standards, but after today, watching the electrical
amnmeter, the load was fine once the engine was running.

Am I having a bad run of starters, or should I be looking elsewhere for a
problem?

Grant you, I try to fly two times a week, but I would think I would have
gotten more starts out of this starter then 6 months worth.

Plane normally starts with one or two turns of the prop, so it's not like
the starter is running for any period of time or been abused.

Allen

Newps wrote in
:

What engine?

Lycoming AK4 360 in my 76 Beech Sundowner.

Allen