did I fry my starter?

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Coryduran

Coryduran

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So, quick background.

My lock decided to stop working on my driver side door, so for the past two weeks I've been keeping ANYTHING valuable in my trunk, and I've been disconnecting the distributor every night so if someone were to try and steal it, it wouldn't start.

Fast forward to this morning.

I am late for class and I run into my car, jump in the seat and try to start it. It doesn't want to start and I hear a popping sound, I jump out, open the hood, and I see a little plume of smoke coming from what looks to be the starter area. I then realize I didn't reconnect my distributor, I connect it and try to start, but it won't fire up, and then starts to make that "something is wrong" clicking sound.

So, theories? I'm assuming I fried the starter trying to start the car without the distributor connected.
 
Could be a loose/ bad battery cable. Loosen/ tighten connections, especially right at starter. remove, clean and replace battery terminals.
 
Coryduran said:
I'm assuming I fried the starter trying to start the car without the distributor connected.
Click to expand...

Sorry could not resist.......

20tnko9.jpg
 
if you did fry your starter it was not from disconnecting the distributor, more likely it was just old
 
caferacerx said:
if you did fry your starter it was not from disconnecting the distributor, more likely it was just old
Click to expand...
If your battery is old or has a corroded/loose connection you'll get that clicking sound too. like stated above I doubt that disconnecting the dizzy had anything to do with it, unless you sat there and cranked and cranked before you remembered that the dizzy was disconnected.
 
OK clicking was a poor choice of words. Its not a battery or electrical thing, it sounds like sheering metal and is coming from the starter area. A buddy of mine said there should be an inspectional panel in my transmission, he explained what they are like for chevys but said he didn't know about dodge. Anyone tell me about this?
 
When my starter was on its way out, once and a while i would get a cloud of smoke from the engine compartment. It would also make a grinding sound until it finally caught and worked. I put a used starter in and haven't had an issue since.
 
Like the starter teeth aren,t engaging? New gear on starter. Don't keep trying it. The flywheel/ ring gear always stops in one of 3 positions. Don't chew one up.
 
So I fixed the problem, my bolts backed themselves out, so I threw some lock washers on there, and tightened it back into place, and it fired up just fine.
 
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