Expert: Roland Finston - 10/10/2011

Question
my van will not start. yesterday it started fine but i went out to start it and it would not. all the lights work and i checked the starter relay it clicks (soft). it will not turn over nothing from the starter and it is a year old battery. so what i was thinking is the starter. please help.

Answer
Hi Krista,
If you are getting the soft click sound from the starter relay, then it could be anything from the battery (weak even though lights are 'on' because they don't draw much current compared to the starter motor; or cable clamps loose/corroded at the battery), to the starter motor itself (try tapping on the side of the motor with a hammer while a helper tries the key to see if that "jars it into life" because it might have worn brushes inside), to the brown wire from the relay to the starter motor solenoid being flaky (check that by carefully jumping a wire from the post where the brown wire is connected at the starter solenoid switch to the fat red wire at the starter motor which should cause the motor to jump to life, but be careful to not short your jumper to ground as that red fat wire can carry alot of current and burn you). Another approach would be to try a jump start to the battery from another vehicle which would also check the battery for being low on charge. That low condition could be due to a light being left 'on' overnight for example.
Roland