second time replacing starter

[luckieleo]

im new here, hi everyone!
so many problems, so little money. decided it was time to register & get some answers!
i avoid going to the dealership at all costs. i have a 2000 lincoln ls no longer under warranty and a dad who knows a little bit about cars & is willing to work 4 free on my car.

Heres my biggest headache!
Just replaced my starter 3 days ago. i turned the key and nothing. battery was fine, alt. was fine. it was without a doubt the starter. it was replaced & worked again. until yesterday. now its dead again.
i didnt think it was the starter again, but we tested it, tried tapping on it, tried jumping it, and nothing. its DEAD!

last time it was dead, i turned the key & no sound, no struggle, just silence. this time, when i try to start the car it makes a repeated clicking sound, and the gauge needles go up & down & one time after trying the alarm sounded. i thought it was the alarm system problem, but we checked the starter and its dead. what the #$%&!!!

no cables are loose, batt connection is fine, its all wired correctly.

anyone else ever had a "new" starter go bad on them again after a few days? what the heck!!!

[CGGorman]

First I've heard of a single failed starter, let alone two. I'd bet you've got another issue causing the starter to fail. I have no idea what, though...

[nalore1713]

luckieleo,

I don't know if this would help but, I had the same exact problem on my Mitsubishi Diamante LS.

I tapped it, tried it and sometimes it would work and sometimes it would not. I changed to a new starter and it worked flawlessly. Exactly about a week after that same problem occured. This time I would tapped it and nothing.

Turned the switch On and all the gauge needles would go up. I would try to start it and all I would get was the clicking you are getting.

I checked the Relay starter but could not determinate if it was bad or what. So what I did is...I HARD WIRED IT.....Problem resolved.

That was almost 2 years ago, and till this day, all I have is a red litle button under the Steering Wheel (drilled a tiny hole). I still have to use the key though. I just turn it to the ON possition, push the buton and off you go..

My alarm system on it however, I cut the horn out. Before the estarter problem, It would go off for no apparent reason. My gues is that the alarm is messing up and disables the starter.

So if you Hard wired it, you will need the KEY in ON possition before you juice it up. Car WILL NOT START with out the key.

Good luck if you try that... I hope it works..

Anyone else out there has other ideas?

Yoni A.

[gcopp]

sounds like u have got a constant charge going to the starter in which would burn up the silonoid.try replacing the relay.if no luck it might also be in your positive cable off the battery to the starter having a bad cable will cause it to arch out there for burning up the starter.repace the negitive cable as well.could be a bad ground.do a quick check on the cables with a volt meter for continuity befour replacing.