I have a Tilton Super Starter I bought long before I got my car put together. I have never had a single issue with it till now.
I finally got my car toghter after my tranny adventure (I'll be posting about that soon) and when I went to start it the first time, I got nothing. Ok, my battery has been pretty wonky. I kept it on a 2 amp battery charger for the last few weeks before I got the car together and I figured the battery just gave out. It registered a few volts after it had been off the charger for a couple of days and that seemed to tell the tale for me.
I bought a new YTX20L battery from Amazon (great reviews, costs about $60, 270CCA). Hooked it up and tried the starter again - nothing.
Checked that the ignition switch was providing 12 volts to the white-red wire to the starter solenoid when the key was turned, checked that the white-red was not broken. I pushed a probe from my VOM into the white-red wire insulation and grounded the other probe and turned the key - the wire got very hot but registered voltage. I checked the voltage between the high tension lead on the starter and ground - 12 volts. I connected the hot side of the battery to the solenoid post on the starter and the engine turned a little and smoke started appearing around the solenoid. I took the starter off, hooked the solenoid post to the hot side of the battery in my wife's car and the frame of the starter to the ground side and it turned the starter again. I would have expect those last two tests to produce solenoid clicks rather than turn the starter!
Since I posted this, I started to take the solenoid apart and something smelled like it had burned. I couldn’t see how it came apart so I put it back together.
Tilton sells replacement solenoids and other parts. I’ll find out if they will be compatible with my very old starter.
Does anybody have any insights?
