need help starter issues

own3d5974 · Post by **own3d5974** » Sat May 03, 2008 3:41 am

ok so im going home tonight and i hop in my car and start driving down the street...... i start to smell something really bad coming out of the vents when i turn on the defroster and the whole car stinks of burning plastic and such

so i get home and pop my hood and small smoke clouds were coming up from the starter. so i wait for 20 min or so and come back out and i stick a flash light down there and that green wire that comes off the starter is all toasted and black

so it looks like im going to the junk yard and i was wondering if that was the ground for the starter and were does it lead to, or if anyone else has had this happen any info would be great

krc21 · Post by **krc21** » Sat May 03, 2008 8:21 am

green wire?? i dont believe i have a green wire on my starter i will double check in a couple min though...

own3d5974 · Post by **own3d5974** » Sat May 03, 2008 11:12 am

yes there is a large green one

bump anyone??

Post by **occasional demons** » Sat May 03, 2008 12:06 pm

Unless it's burn't to look green, or someone installed an aftermarket one, it should be red (IIRC) from factory, the larger wire should run from the battery to the bolt-on slide connector on the starter solenoid, then to the post on the alternator. The small (18 or 20 gauge) wire should go to the starter relay in the PDC. There may be a ground wire, but it would be attached to the starter mounting bolts to ? I think if there is an OEM ground it would be a braided flat strap. I can't see a ground wire smoking, if it is only hooked to the mounting bolts and routed to the battery ground. Hope this helps...

own3d5974 · Post by **own3d5974** » Sat May 03, 2008 4:10 pm

im working with the car now but the way my oem starter looks is there is a nut that the power wire is attatched to and there is a slot for a green wire that slides in there to and goes up towards the fire wall

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Sat May 03, 2008 4:33 pm

Green wire? As in the wire core covered with green colored insulation?

own3d5974 · Post by **own3d5974** » Sat May 03, 2008 6:41 pm

Paul56 wrote:Green wire? As in the wire core covered with green colored insulation?

yes....... as of right now its running again but when i took everything apart it was all melted together

own3d5974 · Post by **own3d5974** » Wed May 28, 2008 10:09 pm

bump back to the top..... has anyone else had this problem...... about once a week it catches fire

( i refer to it as the thursday curse since thats when it usually happens)

i was looking through the junkyard and it seems that the 00-02 and the 03-05 starter wires have a few differences

on my car you have the power wire w/cap on the starter that leads to the battery and then the fuse box, then the green wire labeled fusible link sits inside the red cap and runs up into the engine harness

does anyone know the part numbers for these two and where the green one leads to (ground block possibly) because mine are melted together and like to catch fire

latief · Post by **latief** » Thu May 29, 2008 8:39 am

own3d5974 wrote:bump back to the top..... has anyone else had this problem...... about once a week it catches fire ( i refer to it as the thursday curse since thats when it usually happens)

i was looking through the junkyard and it seems that the 00-02 and the 03-05 starter wires have a few differences

on my car you have the power wire w/cap on the starter that leads to the battery and then the fuse box, then the green wire labeled fusible link sits inside the red cap and runs up into the engine harness

does anyone know the part numbers for these two and where the green one leads to (ground block possibly) because mine are melted together and like to catch fire

Are you sure you don't have some after market wiring on your car (previous owner installation maybe) ? post a picture if you can.

i have an 05 starter on my 2000, exactly the same wiring between 00 and 05 models IIRC......

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Thu May 29, 2008 9:40 am

The starter grounds through the mounting bolts. There should be a red wire going to your battery, and and a black grey wire with a fuseable link goint to the alternator. Both of these wires are off of the lug thats covered by the black plastic shield. The other wire is brown I think, that comes from the starter relay in the PDC.

The fusealbe link looks like a greenish color on my car. May thats what is fried?

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu May 29, 2008 9:52 am

OK the one maked "fuseable" goes to the alternator. It is the output wire that charges the battery/handles the electrical load for running the car. There should be 3 wires going to the starter: the one from the PDC from the starter relay that hooks to the solenoid.It is a small gauge wire approx 18 ga. then there is the alternator to starter w/fuse link. And last the battery to the starter. This one also goes into the PDC for it's main feed. these are about 8 gauge wires except the fuse link is a bit smaller in diameter you may have a wear through the insulation, in the one going from the battery to the starter, or something causing a high demand for current causing the fuse link to melt. Or the alternator is putting out way too much, melting the link. Not likely but a remote possibility. Heavy gauge wire: Alternator>fuse link>starter>battery>PDC Small wire: Ign. switch>starter relay>starter solenoid coil. <there is alittle more to that, but that is basically what it does.

own3d5974 · Post by **own3d5974** » Thu May 29, 2008 2:54 pm

then its the (starter to alternator) wire

what i think happened was when i put my magnum intake manifold on about two months ago i probably did not tighten the bolt for the wires for the alternator and battery/fuse box enough and from the vibrations of the solid motor mounts most likely backed itself out enough to cause a bad connection

i have checked at the junkyards for these wires and all of them have been cut when the battery had been removed so if anyone knows the part # from dodge that would be great

Post by **occasional demons** » Thu May 29, 2008 3:07 pm

All I have acess to is the '01 stuff.

Electrical - Chassis electrical - Battery - Positive cable
Positive cable, neon 2001 - 2002 4793571AM MSRP $84.85

I don't see the one for the alternator, but it can be easily fabbed. IDK if it is available separately from the engine harness. One would think it would be. The whole thing can be made for that matter. $85 will buy some nice components.