QuestionThanks so much! I think my old battery was on the marginal side and so I kinda had two things going for a while and it misled me. On the minivan with the V-6 side mounted 3.8l engine, how difficult is it to change the starter motor? I assume that you get to it from underneath the van. I remember doing this on a chevy many years ago and I had to mess around with shims. Is this still the case? If it was your van, would you put on a new or rebuilt starter?
Thanks again. I am so glad to finally have the problem isolated.
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Thanks for your reply. I do have a volt meter/amp meter and we can go down that path, but before we do...I am beginning to wonder if I may have put us off on an incorrect path. This is my wife's van so I don't drive it much. I decided to drive it today and I noticed that when the engine won't turn over I can just retry turning the key several times and it eventually cranks and starts right up. When it cranks, it cranks very strong and does not sound like a weak battery. No click, click, click when it does not start just one click and it sits there. Turn the key back and forth several more times and eventually you can get it to start with a very strong sounding crank. So, now I am wondering if this is really battery related or if it is starter motor related. So, what should be our next step?
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I have a 1999 T&C minivan. It had a problem cranking over the past couple of weeks acting as if the battery was on the fuzzy edge of the end of its life. The battery was 4 years old, so I replaced it and cleaned the terminals well in the process. After being OK for about two days, the problem returned with the new battery. Sometimes the van cranks right over and other times you turn the key and the thing won't crank. I took off one of the battery terminals and hooked up my charger and the battery was quite low. After charging it started right up. How can I troubleshoot this from here? Any most likely suspects? Starter motor? Is something draining my battery down?
Thank you for any advise you might have!
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Yes it sounds like you may have a low amp drain.Since those vans have what is called load shedding you can rule out any ignition off sources i e dome light game boy ect.Checking for a low amp drain is not an easy job.If you have a digital milliampere meter,write me back and I'll tell you how to go about it.Oh ya you will also need a wiring diagram.I have seen more than once the transmission controler being the source of the drain.
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Thats a little different.I can tell you without hesitation that you need a starter!Very common and easy to replace.And if you get stuck just hit it with a hammer while someone turns the key.
AnswerIts mounted with 2 or 3 bolts the top one is a 1/4 turn at a time type.Its nothing like a gm with shims but there is a thin steel plate between the trans and starter.It will have witness marks on it,so you will know how to put it back in.You do get at from underneath and in the front of the motor.
