Higher output starter?

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Sun Dec 11, 2011 6:02 pm

Well, it finally happened, all the cranking that I've done lately with the Glow Plug fiasco has taken it's toll. My starter has bit the dust. The wife came home Friday evening after driving all day and when I tried to start it to drive into town... nothing. I spent the day checking the relay, battery, ignition switch, ground/hot connections, etc. If I put the charger on it @50 amps, I can get just enough extra juice to make the relay kick in and get it to turn over to start but I don't think that it will do that for me many more times.

Anyway, Does anyone know if a higher output starter is available? And if not, where can I get the most affordable one?

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Sun Dec 11, 2011 8:23 pm

Before you jump on the starter what is the voltage reading on your battery?

My 2 year old optima worked no better then the original optima so a month ago I bought a Sears P1 :SOMBRERO:

The starter has never spun anywhere near like it does now and my sluggish starting at 50f is a thing of the past :BANANA:

Per the optima site, a fully charged optima is between 12.4 and 12.6 volts and mine read 12.4 volts :roll:

That's too low, I read some where that gas and diesel Liberties are both sensative to low voltage and my new P1 reads 13 volts just about all the time :JEEPIN:

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Sun Dec 11, 2011 9:37 pm

It's a 10 month old P-1. It tests at 14 volts with a full charge and 12.5 during cranking. I didn't trust my own tester (just a cigarette lighter plug in and my volt meter), so I brought it to O'rielly Auto and had them load test it. Same results.

Billwill · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 3:04 am

You may need new brushes fitted to the starter and have the commutator cleaned up.
You sure you have a good ground going from the engine to the chassis?

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 7:59 am

Could be your starter but battery cables can corrode inside of the insulation the total length. You can measure voltage drop on cables by putting your volt meter across both ends while another cranks it. You can also measure from the engine block to battery negative cable to check your grounds.
The original starter seems strong enough when given proper voltage :JEEPIN:

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 8:14 am

Thanks for the suggestions but as I explained in the first post, I've already checked these things. I've always thought that the OE starter was a little weak when temps are below -10f to -20f or less.

Does anyone know about a higher quality starter?

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 10:20 pm

Yea! They are on national backorder and I am #162 with my request. Apparently I'm not the only one to burn up my starter with the glow plug crapdate. At least I got the dealer to let me have it at cost for $145.00 even though moparpartsamerica.com lists it for $120.00. I may just have to order a re-manufactured one from Napa for $186.00. This feels remarkably like the timing belt thing.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:18 pm

A good starter rebuild shop that does rebuilds for Ag or Construction Equipment may have a way to install larger windings or a larger starter motor onto the CRD nose. Pair that up with a great battery like the DieHard P-1 and you may discover something we all can use.
Summit has custom starters with higher starting torque for racing engines, but when I checked, they had no more torque than what we have now. I looked into swapping the guts from a Hemi starter, but it had less torque than our CRD starters do.
The one thing we have going for us is the fact that manufacturers try to have the fewest part numbers (and drawings) that they can assemble into the products their customers want.

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:31 pm

warp2diesel wrote:

A good starter rebuild shop that does rebuilds for Ag or Construction Equipment may have a way to install larger windings or a larger starter motor onto the CRD nose. Pair that up with a great battery like the DieHard P-1 and you may discover something we all can use.
Summit has custom starters with higher starting torque for racing engines, but when I checked, they had no more torque than what we have now. I looked into swapping the guts from a Hemi starter, but it had less torque than our CRD starters do.
The one thing we have going for us is the fact that manufacturers try to have the fewest part numbers (and drawings) that they can assemble into the products their customers want.

I already checked with both rebuilders in my area and they said that they can't do anything about goosing it up but a plain rebuild will run $150-$200.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:29 am

Sounds like Chrysler didn't learn a thing from VW's ceramic to 5 volt metal glow plug fiasco :cry:

Early on there were a couple of flashes that "improved glow durability" amoung other things and now they've reduced the voltage even more for the 5 volt ones :banghead:

Prior to my P1 battery from the very first cool day I owned it mine with the 7 volt ceramic ones would be slow starting 50f degrees. That tells me they were hardly working at all.
Personally I think we need durable metal ones that can run at a highter voltage. Who cares if I need to wait ten seconds for them to warm up at zero degrees :?:

Maybe GDE can modify their tune for the Etecnol ones with a little highter voltage :BANANA:

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Sat Dec 31, 2011 1:19 am

Well, I finally got a rebuilt one from Oriley's installed today. She sure spins fast now. Good old Chrysler wasn't going to be able to get me one until February. So far, after sitting for several hours in the 20s today, it starts up fine. The true test will be tomorrow morning after sitting all night in the teens.

Higher output starter?

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