Major Starter woe

[TEX TERRY, II]

From: SuffolkD at aol.com [mailto:SuffolkD at aol.com]
(snip)
  200 Starter: SYMPTOMS
  Take 13 month (one month DAMN! outta warranty) old Bosch starter to
FLAPS.
  Test it AND a Force Five $40 used starter both GOOD no deadspots. Pinion
gear jumps out and spins on test beach. HMMMMMMM>
  Reinstall known "tested" good 13 month old Bosch.  Replace suspect wires
with solder and new wire. (Alt to starter) and Starter solinoid thin spade
plug wire.
  Turn key in dash : CLICK
I installed from Alt so I could lay on back in parking lot and "jump start"
the car by holding two wires together to engage starter. BIG CLICK -
nothing - (except rust falling down on my head.) same one solid CLICK as
before!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  I suspect that something binding or preventing the flywheel from rotating
the engine.
  Totally stumped.  On my way to Ritzel, MA to have car worked on by Audi
tech champion.
  Or is something telling me putting the car in gear to keep it from
rolling
off the ramps broke somethiing inside?
  -Scott in BOSTON HELP PLEASE ! SuffolkD at aol.com
  ps.  Wire ends dipped in baking soda to clean corrosion. then filed to
shiney copper surface.  Every connection is new or super clean. (as I feel
evident by the SOLID CLICKS)  Chris at Force five said check ground strap.
It looks clean and has only a light hint of FAINT green corrosion.  Fired
this with contact cleaner and then liquid wrench.  Ground super tough to
get
at. Left alone not to introduce another variable.
(snip)

If the ground connection is faulty, enough resistance can be introduced to
the circuit to minimize the current necessary to turn over the starter.
Many a car has been moved around a parking space using only the starter to
roll the engine over, while the transmission is engaged, such as in the
case of an engine that will crank but not run.  You are VERY lucky the
starter did not turn over the engine while you had it in gear, and up on
the ramps, as the car would have moved OFF of the ramps.  Since the starter
tested good off of the car, you should check the validity of the ground
source for the starter, and the power source for the starter.  If you take
a battery jumper cable, connect one lead to the battery ground, and then
connect the other end of the same lead to the starter case mounting bolt
head, you would be able to see if your ground is faulty, since you would be
supplying a known good ground path.

Tex Terry, II
83 5kt sedan (non-quattro)
Franklin, PA  USA