Chrysler Repair: voyager starter, starter solenoid, nearby gas station

Question
Roland,
I have a 1992 voyager that when I turn the ignition I will get a click, sometimes several, before the starter engages. Sometimes it turns right over. do I need a battery or a starter?  

Answer
Hi Brian,
If the battery is more than 4 years old then I would certainly look into the possibility that the battery is weak. If you don't own a home charger that you can hook up to the battery, then see if a nearby gas station or parts store will put your battery on a charger to get it to full charge and then see how the starter respondes. You might also invest in a battery hygrometer which is a baster with a float that when you draw up some of the battery acid will tell you the state of charge of each of the 6 cells of the battery. If after charging the battery any of the cells don't show a mid to full charge level then I would get a new battery. Charging the battery is thus the first thing to do. If the battery shows a near full charge level and you still have the click only response from the starter switch being applied then you might want to check that the battery wire that goes directly to the starter motor has a shiney tight connection at the motor, and that the battery terminals and the ground wire connection to the motor and the body are also clean and tight. Always disconnect the battery before dealing with the wire connections to avoid short circuiting the + pole of the battery to any metal surface of the car which are all otherwised attached to the - post of the battery. Such a short can produce intense current and heat in your wrench which will cause burns.
Only after you have verified the battery and the wiring would I focus on the starter motor, or the starter solenoid, or the starter relay, any of which might be
compromised.
Roland