4x4Dog
Active Member
A few weeks ago I went to start my Freelander TD4 and got the dreaded "click-click" when turning the key. This happened at pretty much bang on 110,000 miles, and it's weird that I've fixed several TD4 Denso solenoids at around this mileage. IME at beyond 100,000 miles, the solenoids on the TD4s are on borrowed time.
I was 99% sure that it was the solenoid that was bad, but I still felt the need to go back to basics and check my powers and grounds. These are simple multimeter checks:
Now it was time to turn the spanners. There's nothing tricky about removing the starter (an air ratchet does make the job quicker and easier, but it's really not that hard). Then it's just a case of pulling the solenoid apart, replacing the contacts, applying a light coat of grease to the shaft of the plunger (a very light coat), and then putting it all back together.
The beast fired up with just a flick of the key, and it's been great since.
As you can see from the photos, the contacts were pretty crusty, and it would have been a shame to throw the starter away for just a few contacts.
I'm certain that if I didn't have a repair kit that I could have cleaned them up with a file and got the beast moving again for at least a while.
I was 99% sure that it was the solenoid that was bad, but I still felt the need to go back to basics and check my powers and grounds. These are simple multimeter checks:
- Connect multimeter negative lead to the battery negative terminal and the other end to the post of the heavy lead on the starter. This is hot all the time but check the reading with the key in the crank position. It should be close to battery voltage/crank voltage. If not, the heavy lead is suspect.
- Next, with the multimeter negative lead to the battery negative terminal move the other lead to the thinner control wire on the solenoid. With they key in the crank position this should be close to battery voltage. If not, the problem is with the control side.
- Finally, check the engine block ground. Keep the multimeter negative lead to the battery negative terminal and connect the other lead to a good point on the engine block. With they key in the crank position the voltage reading should be close to zero. If it is not, there's a bad ground.
Now it was time to turn the spanners. There's nothing tricky about removing the starter (an air ratchet does make the job quicker and easier, but it's really not that hard). Then it's just a case of pulling the solenoid apart, replacing the contacts, applying a light coat of grease to the shaft of the plunger (a very light coat), and then putting it all back together.
The beast fired up with just a flick of the key, and it's been great since.
As you can see from the photos, the contacts were pretty crusty, and it would have been a shame to throw the starter away for just a few contacts.
I'm certain that if I didn't have a repair kit that I could have cleaned them up with a file and got the beast moving again for at least a while.