S14 RB25 starter issue

[Flatline1121]

Im reallynjust thinking out loud. my car refused to turn over this morning, no starter click at all. But I was sure my battery is on its last leg. Its a 4 year old optima red top.

Threw the car on a trickle charger for the day and went to start it after work. No dice. Fans spin fast and the charger is flicking off telling me the battery is charged up. (My only meter is at work so I cant test it yet) still no click at all when I turn the key to start. I gave the starter a couple good whacks and still nothing.

Now, what has me questioning life is, when I short the solenoid with a screw-driver, the starter spins well but doesnt push out to engage the starter. So what im asking is, should I just pull the starter and see what happens, or is it worth trying to d!ck arpund with chassis to see if something else is the culprit?

A buddy has an RB20 starter im gonna pick up cheap, but I dont want to waste half a day chasing issues after changing the starter to no avail. The other topic I found here on this subject was locked without a real diagnosis so I opened this one

[Darius]

Take it off, disassemble it, and clean the windings and other electrical connections. It is very easy to do. Mine was acting up like that until I cleaned all of the black electrical soot out of it. I reinstalled it and it fires off like new and I haven't had a problem since.

[Darius]

To update this thread, it has been about a year and a half since I cleaned up my starter and it never gave me a problem until Saturday when it left me stuck in the center lane of 5 on I-94 in Chicago. I was in stop and go traffic and all of a sudden, it decided it wasn't going to start, at all... I finally got it pushed to the side and used my tire iron kit to hit it several times to get it to turn. I felt like MacGyver when it finally lit up!

Anyhow, gawdzilla posted a NAPA part number for a replacement starter, but my order didn't go through and it says they are not able to source it anymore. Looks like my only option is to pull it and have it refurbished locally to like-new condition.

[RRRRB]

Why did you car die in the middle of traffic??

[Darius]

My idle is set kinda low and the e-fans kicked on. I guess it dipped just low enough that it didn't bounce back and it stalled. It wouldn't have been a big deal if my starter didn't act up. I would have just cranked it up and drove off!

[mixeds14]

Matt, I too try goin to napa with the part number that's floating around n they told me that the only way I can get one is to give them mine so they can have it refurbished. Reason is cause they didnt have any cores to rebuild for that starter because it's for a car that's not longer on demand for parts..