Starter - 2.2l Ford Probe I

DESCRIPTION

Starting system consists of a starter motor, solenoid, battery, ignition switch, neutral safety switch (A/T) or clutch engage switch (M/T) and necessary cables and wires. (Scheme 1)

Scheme 1

ENGINE CRANKS SLOWLY

Undercharged battery. Loose or corroded cable connections. Bad starter.

ENGINE WILL NOT CRANK

Undercharged battery. Bad ignition switch. Bad clutch engage switch (M/T) or neutral safety switch (A/T). Loose or corroded cable connections. Bad starter.

STARTER SPINS BUT ENGINE WILL NOT CRANK

Bad starter. Bad flywheel ring gear and/or starter drive pinion.

PRELIMINARY TESTS

Ensure battery is fully charged and load tested okay. If starter will not crank engine with fully charged battery, proceed with the following test.

1) Using a digital voltmeter, connect positive voltmeter lead to starter solenoid terminal "S" and negative lead to starter housing.

2) Turn ignition switch to START position and observe voltmeter reading. If voltage at terminal "S" is more than 8 volts, starter or circuit malfunction is indicated. See STARTER FEED CIRCUIT TEST and STARTER GROUND CIRCUIT TEST.

3) If voltage is not present at starter solenoid terminal "S", malfunction in circuit to terminal "S" is indicated. Proceed to the following tests.

IGNITION SWITCH

1. Check main circuit breaker in interior fuse box. Fuse box is located just above left kick panel. If circuit breaker is open, check and repair circuit as necessary.
2. After problem in circuit is corrected, reset circuit breaker by pushing Red reset button.
3. Remove lower panel and defroster duct to gain access to steering column wiring. Disconnect 4 ignition switch snap connectors located to left of steering column.
4. Using an ohmmeter, check continuity of switch terminals. (Scheme 2) Turn ignition switch to ACC position. Connect one ohmmeter probe to terminal "B" and other probe to ACC terminal. Ohmmeter should show continuity.
5. Turn ignition switch to ON position. Connect one ohmmeter probe to terminal "B" and other probe to ACC terminal. Ohmmeter should show continuity. Move one ohmmeter probe to IGN-1 terminal and then to IGN-2 terminal. Ohmmeter should show continuity at both terminals.
6. Turn ignition switch to START position. Connect one ohmmeter probe to terminal "B" and other probe to IGN-1 terminal and then to ST terminal. Ohmmeter should show continuity at both terminals. If ohmmeter does not read as indicated in any of the ignition switch positions, replace ignition switch.

Scheme 2

CLUTCH ENGAGE SWITCH (M/T)

1. Clutch engage switch is located next to clutch pedal. Unplug 2-terminal switch connector.
2. Using a digital ohmmeter, check resistance between both connector terminals. Ohmmeter should show continuity when switch rod is depressed and no continuity when released.
3. Replace clutch engage switch if ohmmeter does not read as indicated.

NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH (A/T)

1. Unplug 3-terminal neutral safety switch connector located under battery tray.
2. Place shift lever in Park or Neutral. Using an ohmmeter, connect ohmmeter probes between terminals "A" and "B". (Scheme 3) Ohmmeter should show continuity between both terminals. If ohmmeter does not read as indicated, replace neutral safety switch.

Scheme 3

STARTER FEED CIRCUIT TEST

1. Disconnect coil wire from distributor cap. Connect remote starter switch between starter solenoid terminal "S" and positive battery post. NOTE: Make all voltmeter connections at component terminal rather than at cable or wire end.
2. Using a digital voltmeter set at low voltage scale, connect positive voltmeter lead to positive battery post and negative lead to solenoid terminal "M". (Scheme 4)
3. Engage remote starter switch. Voltmeter should read.5 volt or less. If voltage at terminal "M" is greater than.5 volt, move negative voltmeter lead to solenoid terminal "B" and repeat test.
4. If voltage at terminal "B" reads less than.5 volt, problem is either in solenoid connections or contacts.
5. Clean solenoid terminals "B", "S" and "M". Repeat steps 1) through 5). If voltmeter still reads more than.5 volt at terminal "M" and less than.5 volt at terminal "B", problem is in solenoid contacts. Remove starter for repair.
6. If voltmeter reads more than.5 volt at terminal "B", clean cables and connections at solenoid. If voltmeter still reads more than.5 volt, problem is either bad positive battery connection or cable. Repair as necessary.
7. To locate excessive voltage drop, move voltmeter negative lead toward battery and check each connection point. When high voltmeter reading disappears, last connection point checked is the problem.

Scheme 4

STARTER GROUND CIRCUIT TEST

1. Slow starter cranking condition can be caused by resistance in ground or return portion of cranking circuit. Check voltage drop in ground circuit as follows: NOTE: Make all voltmeter connections at component terminal rather than at cable or wire end.
2. Disconnect coil wire from distributor cap. Connect remote starter switch between starter solenoid terminal "S" and positive battery terminal.
3. Using a digital voltmeter set at lowest voltage scale, connect positive voltmeter lead to starter housing and negative lead to negative battery post.
4. Engage remote starter switch and observe voltmeter reading. Voltmeter should read .2 volt or less. If voltage drop is more than .2 volt, clean negative cable connections at battery and chassis. Also, clean engine ground cable connections at front cover and engine mount bracket.
5. If voltage drop is still excessive, repair or replace negative battery cable and/or engine ground cable as necessary. Repeat starter circuit test after repair to ensure problem has been corrected.
6. If battery and cables test okay and starter motor still cranks slowly, or not at all, remove starter for repair.

ARMATURE

1. Using a digital ohmmeter, determine if armature is grounded by checking for continuity between commutator and core. If ohmmeter shows continuity, replace armature.
2. Determine if armature is insulated by checking for continuity between commutator and shaft. If ohmmeter shows continuity, replace armature.
3. Place armature on "V"-blocks. Using a dial indicator, check commutator runout. If runout is more than .002" (.05 mm), use a lathe to repair commutator. If diameter of commutator is 1.13" (28.8 mm) or less, replace armature.
4. Check commutator to ensure it is free of burnt spots and scoring. If commutator surface is dirty, wipe with cloth. Remove burnt spots with fine emery cloth. If commutator is excessively scored, use lathe to refinish commutator face. NOTE: Do not use emery cloth on commutator face.
5. If depth of groove between commutator segments is .008" (.02 mm) or less, undercut insulating material using appropriate tool with sharp point. Undercut until groove depth of .020-.031" (.5-.8 mm) is reached.
6. If armature laminations show signs of having contacted field coil pole-pieces, check that pole-pieces are tight in field frame housing. Check armature for excessive runout (bent shaft). If armature shaft is bent, replace armature.

SOLENOID

1. Check solenoid for wiring damage between terminals "S" and "M". (Scheme 5) Using a digital ohmmeter, check for continuity between terminals "S" and "M". Replace solenoid if there is no continuity.
2. Check for internal wire damage between terminal "S" and solenoid body. Connect one ohmmeter probe to solenoid body and other probe to terminal "S". Replace solenoid if there is no continuity.
3. Check for ground between terminals "M" and "B". Connect ohmmeter probes between terminals "M" and "B". Replace solenoid if there is continuity.

Scheme 5

ARMATURE SHAFT BEARING

Check bearing for abnormal noise, looseness or binding. If any of these problems exists, replace bearing.

DRIVE PINION

1. Inspect wear pattern on pinion drive gear and flywheel. Inspect entire circumference of flywheel for damage when pinion drive gear teeth are damaged. Replace pinion gear and/or flywheel as necessary.
2. Turn pinion shaft by hand and hold overrunning clutch. Replace overrunning clutch if pinion turns in both directions or does not turn.

Note. Overrunning clutch is packed with grease and sealed. DO NOT wash in solvent.

FIELD HOUSING

Check field housing for damage. Replace as necessary.

INTERNAL & PLANETARY GEARS

Check internal and planetary gears for wear or damage. Replace as necessary.

BRUSHES & BRUSH HOLDER

1. Check brushes for wear by measuring amount of usable brush remaining. Replace brushes if near wear limit line. (Scheme 6)
2. Using a digital ohmmeter, check for continuity between insulated brush holders and brush plate. Replace brush holder if there is continuity. (Scheme 7)
3. Check that brushes slide smoothly inside brush holder. Clean brush channels as necessary.
4. Using a spring balance, measure force of brush spring. Spring force is measured at moment brush spring separates from brush. Replace brush spring if force is below 1.5 lbs. (6.7 N).

Scheme 6

Scheme 7

Note. To prevent starter from turning, field strap must be disconnected from terminal "M" for following test.

PINION GAP ADJUSTMENT

1. Using a 12-volt battery, connect positive battery cable to terminal "S" and negative cable to starter body. When negative battery cable is connected to starter body, solenoid should engage and kick pinion out. NOTE: DO NOT engage solenoid for more than 20 seconds at a time. If test must be repeated, wait 3 minutes between attempts.
2. With pinion extended, measure gap between pinion and collar. Gap should be.02-.08" (.5-2 mm). (Scheme 8)
3. If gap is not within specified range, add or subtract shims between solenoid and drive end housing until pinion gap is within specification. Reconnect solenoid terminal "M".

Scheme 8

STARTER NO-LOAD TEST

1. Connect battery, voltmeter, ammeter and remote starter switch to starter. (Scheme 10)
2. Engage remote starter switch, starter should turn smoothly. Voltmeter should read 11 volts and ammeter should read no more than 90 amps.
3. If voltage is lower or amperage is higher than specification, disassemble starter and determine cause.

Scheme 9

Scheme 10

STARTER SPECIFICATIONS

TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS

TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS

See also:
• STARTER FEED CIRCUIT TEST